News Tagged ‘amputation

Consumers warned about plastic ‘Drano’ bottle bombs

bottle bombIt reads more like an urban legend, one of those hard-to-believe stories that drop into your e-mail inbox, but it’s no laughing matter. Plastic “Drano” bottle bombs are a real threat, according to Snoops.com, and some people find pleasure in exploding them for fun or leaving them in mailboxes or yards where, if disturbed, they can explode in about 30 seconds, severing fingers and causing second- and third-degree burns on the skin.

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Plant safety worsens after passage of workers bill of rights

production lineThe “Packinghouse Workers Bill of Rights,” passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2007 as part of an effort to improve conditions for workers in the meatpacking industry, has failed to make any improvement, according to a report by Workday Minnesota. A recent survey conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Human Rights Program found that working conditions at meatpacking plants throughout the state actually have grown worse since the bill was passed.

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Black box warning for anti-nausea drug; risk of gangrene

promethazineAn injectable form of a popular anti-nausea medication has received a black box warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of a risk of severe tissue , including gangrene, requiring amputation. The drug, Promethazine Hydrochloride Injection, formerly known by the brand name Phenergan, is available by pill, suppository and injection. The recall covers only the injectable form.

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Record settlement awarded to man who lost both legs on the job

cat track loader 100x100A 50-year-old Pennsylvania man, described by the Philadelphia Daily News as a “Softhearted ex-Marine” and father of two, recently settled a negligence mid-trial against his employer and Caterpillar, Inc., the manufacturer of industrial construction equipment, for $16.25 million. Scott Skirpan of Easton, Penn., lost both of his legs at the Northampton County landfill in a grisly accident in May 2006. Skirpan’s injuries were so horrific that he died twice before being resuscitated.

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