The Today in Manufacturing Podcast is a new podcast brought to you by the editors from Manufacturing.net and Industrial Equipment News (IEN).  In each episode, we discuss the five biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward.

This week, we discuss:

Oregon Dam Could Fail in Large Earthquake

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that a large earthquake could cause the spillway gates of the Detroit Dam in Detroit, Oregon to buckle, causing “a potentially catastrophic flood.” To minimize the danger, engineers next month will begin reducing the maximum height of the lake by five feet.

Real Water Linked to Liver Illness in Kids

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned everyone not to drink, cook with, sell or serve Real Water, a Las Vegas-based bottled water brand. Real Water has been linked it to liver illness in five hospitalized children, specifically acute non-viral hepatitis which is caused by exposure to toxins, autoimmune disease or drinking too much alcohol.

GM Pickups Now Less Efficient

The semiconductor shortage is forcing GM to move along production of some 2021 light-duty pickup models without standard fuel management modules. The chip is responsible for deactivating some cylinders in an engine, when possible, to improve fuel efficiency. GM says fuel economy will be reduced by one mile per gallon.

Repeated Amputations at Fairbrook Foods Ice Cream Plant in New Jersey

Back in 2018, a sanitation worker at a Fairbrook Foods facility in New Jersey lost a finger and fractured another when his hand got caught in the crimping bar of a jammed ice cream wrapping machine. It happened again in September 2020, when a maintenance mechanic lost two fingers to the same machine. For repeated lockout/tagout violations, OSHA has proposed $237,000 in penalties.

NHTSA to Investigate Tesla-Semi Crash

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent a special crash investigation team to Detroit to investigate a “violent crash” involving a Tesla that drove beneath a semitrailer.

In Case You Missed It

Mack Molding Facility Passes 1,000 Days without Lost-Time Accident

Mack Molding passed 1,000 days without a lost-time accident. The plant's previous record was 981 days. To celebrate, plant leadership made Reubens on St. Patty's Day.

Breakfast Cereal is Back in Style

The pandemic appears to have boosted America’s appetite for familiar, shelf-stable foods and cereal is having a resurgence. But is this cereal growth sustainable post-pandemic?

Homemade Narco Sub Seized

A homemade narco-submarine that can carry up to 2 metric tons (2.2 tons) of cargo was seized in Spain.

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