Posted on March 18, 2011 in Our Blog,Public Safety

There have been quite a few recalls issued this past week. While I would love to provide some commentary, I think the recalls speak for themselves. Please think about manufacturer as well as individual responsibility as you read through these: Toddler jeans: About 1,600 pairs of girl’s toddler jeans from Parigi Group were recalled because… read more

Posted on December 21, 2010 in Our Blog,Public Safety

An article in the Insurance Journal indicates that texting bans are not adding to a decline in accidents due to distracted drivers. In fact, a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found an increase in auto crashes (or at least in insurance claims due to car accidents) in four states after texting bans… read more

Posted on November 30, 2010 in Our Blog,Public Safety

When it comes to tainted food, bacteria does not discriminate. You may think you are purchasing safer food if you go to a gourmet market or one that specializes in organic or specialty foods, but you might be mistaken. In fact, nationwide market Whole Foods recently announced a recall of seven cheddar cheeses made by… read more

Posted on October 19, 2010 in Our Blog,Public Safety

I honestly do not know whether to laugh or cry when I read about recall after recall of various children’s products. You may wonder what would prompt me to laugh. Well, it’s because some of the hazards prompting these recalls sound so ridiculous and unbelievable that I figure, they must be joking. Sadly, they are… read more

Posted on July 17, 2009 in Our Blog,Public Safety

The number of on-site construction fatalities in Texas in recent years has increased enough to prompt an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In 2003 there were 110 construction deaths in Texas. In 2007 there were 144, and more than half of those killed were Hispanic. OSHA plans to send additional inspectors… read more

Posted on June 22, 2009 in General,Our Blog,Public Safety

One of the best things about making chocolate chip cookies has got to be taking bites of the raw cookie dough. Unfortunately, if you recently bought Nestle’s Toll House cookie or brownie dough and sampled the raw dough, you may have gotten sick, as some of the dough was found to be tainted with the… read more

Posted on June 17, 2009 in Our Blog,Public Safety

Recently we blogged about the dangers of zinc buildup as a result of long-term use of denture creams, and now it seems zinc once again rears its ugly head! The popular over-the-counter cold remedy, Zicam, can allegedly harm or destroy a user’s sense of smell. Only the nasal products are involved. Since 1999, when Zicam… read more

Posted on May 18, 2009 in Our Blog,Public Safety

An interesting article in the New York Times explores the sad state of food safety today. As more and more food manufacturers look to global suppliers, and as the supply chain becomes more complex, safety is often overlooked or simply becomes too difficult to oversee. The article looks to the salmonella food contamination outbreak in… read more

Posted on March 12, 2009 in Our Blog,Public Safety

The Oregonian just published a story on the number of Oregon workers who died on the job. In 2008, 44 Oregonians died while working, up from 35 deaths in 2007. The largest percentage of the deaths took place in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries: 15 workers, including 7 firefighters who died in a helicopter… read more

Posted on March 6, 2009 in Our Blog,Public Safety

Plastics have revolutionized our society but not always for the better. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you no doubt are aware of the current backlash against plastic bottles. The main culprit is the chemical bisphenol A, which is in polycarbonate, and which, in turn, is used to make all sorts of things, including… read more