Dallas could ban gas-powered leaf blowers

Some cities have gone in for full or partial bans on gas-powered lawn equipment, offering exchange programs, incentives, and rebates to ease the transition for professional landscaping crews. Dallas now has an environmental commission, which will spend much of next year working on a plan for noisy, polluting lawn equipment. D Magazine

North Carolina supermarket chain employee dies after being struck by forklift

A 22-year-old employee of a supermarket chain who was struck by a forklift at a distribution center in Dunn, North Carolina, has died. The employee reportedly was selecting products for an order when he was struck by a high-reach motorized forklift driven by another employee. WRAL/WMBF

New blood test aid to screen for cancer in firemen

A recent study by NIOSH and the CDC has found evidence firemen have a heightened risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the stomach, lungs, and urinary system. As a result, this cohort has a greater number of cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths than the general U.S. population. According to Fire Rescue 1, the five-year survival rate for individuals diagnosed with Stage 1 lung cancer is 90 percent but drastically falls to less than 1 percent for individuals diagnosed with Stage 4B. SUN News

Fed-OSHA urges safety protocols during holiday shopping season

During what is expected to be a record-breaking shopping season, Fed-OSHA has issued new recommendations it says businesses should take to keep employees and customers safe, including maintaining proper social distancing and cleaning measures, and providing masks for employees. CBS Philly

3 key things about the law protecting airline safety whistleblowers

One of the least talked about laws protecting your next airline flight is known as “AIR21,” which prohibits retaliation against airline employees who blow the whistle on safety issues. Here are three important facets of the law that every airline employee should know, writes Eric Bachman. Forbes