At magnitude 5.8, last year’s earthquake in Virginia (epicenter, Louisa County) was no big shake compared with the temblors that rumble across the California desert. But the shaker did rattle the state’s legislators into passing legislation requiring insurers to notify homeowners who don’t have earthquake insurance. Insurance agents in natural-disaster-prone areas such as Texas, where…

The country, reported the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), generated about 243,000 new jobs in January and in the process pulled down the national unemployment rate by 8.3 percent. BLS pointed out that job growth was very well represented in the private sector, with substantial employment boosts in such areas as leisure and hospitality,…

In January this year, U.S. construction companies managed to contribute over 21,000 jobs, helping bring down the national unemployment rate to 8.3 percent, the lowest level yet since the end of 2008. The mild weather conditions during the last winter season significantly aided job creation in the construction sector—plus generation of new opportunities for contractors,…

The Obama administration is seeking $3.8-trillion for FY 2013 and to shoehorn the budget through Congress is recommending slashes for many federal projects, including major construction projects. But there’s some good news for the construction sector as the proposed budget includes a major allotment for surface transportation. Although that’s just one sector of the industry,…

The implementation of the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases 10th Edition) diagnostic and procedural coding system has been pushed back indefinitely according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ICD 10 coding system, already the medical coding standard in a number of countries, was to debut finally in the U.S. on Oct….

Food safety is getting some primetime attention from the Obama administration. For FY 2012, for example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) got a $50 million boost, most of it funnelled to food safety efforts, including the advocacy of food safety training or food handler certification as deterrence to food borne-illness outbreaks. FDA’s discretionary…

Good news from University of California, Davis: a Salmonella vaccine may be closer to reality than most realize. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published this February 2012, UC Davis researchers led by immunologist Stephen McSorley claim that they have laid down the foundation for a vaccine against…

If salons had pants, they’d be on fire now. This was in accordance to an investigative report conducted by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, few salons are forthright about the health risks of indoor tanning. The investigation involved about 300 indoor tanning salons throughout the country.  These salons, the investigation revealed, told would-be…

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has an ally in Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) as far as keeping beauty salon clients and salon workers safe from dangerous chemicals found at the salon. Last year, OSHA as the government’s watchdog for workplace safety, cited 23 salon owners, three manufacturers, and two distributors in connection…

The way to start 2012 right—as far as the construction and housing sectors are concerned, that is—is to begin green. Or so it seems because of the green sector’s robust overall figures last year despite the underpowered performance of the real estate industry. For someone who holds a real estate license or who’s just completing…

A fresh new year and new start for the construction sector. And what could be fresher than a LEED-compliant green house—a good place to start the year, too, for anyone who has a real estate license or who’s just completing his real estate continuing education—whether that’s a New York real estate CE or a Minnesota…

OSHA has ordered AirTran Airways, a Southwest Airlines subsidiary, to reinstate a former pilot who was fired after reporting numerous mechanical concerns about the airline. In addition, AirTran has been ordered to pay the pilot over $1 million in back wages, interest, and compensatory damages. OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program revealed reasonable cause to believe that…

OSHA has partnered with Torcon Inc. to guide, train and give technical assistance to workers involved in the construction of the Penn State University Biological Research Laboratory. The partnership is in line with OSHA’s charter to mitigate workplace hazards and prevent or reduce worker injuries, illnesses, even fatalities. It allows OSHA to work directly with…

Pharmacies at medical facilities are developing ways to deal with drug shortages, with the end goal of enhancing patient care and safety through the support of pharmacy technicians, reported the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) in a news article last year. Being an important link in the supply chain team, CPhTs …

It’s now pharmacy technicians on remote—the latest change in pharmacy practice that electronic technology has brought. The latest innovation, just approved by the Kansas State Board of Pharmacy this year, aims to improve patient care and minimize medicine-dispensing mishaps, especially at rural hospitals. What the board has come up with is a system that allows…