WARREN, MI—A 61-year-old worker was found dead Saturday while working at Chrysler’s truck assembly plant here. The man, who is not being identified, was working on the line performing a weld-check when he was discovered at 10:30 a.m. slumped over.

CHANDLER, AZ—A gas leak at Intel Corp.’s manufacturing plant here sickened up to 43 people, including 11 who were taken to a local hospital.

SMYRNA, TN—A maintenance technician has been killed in an accident at the body shop of Nissan’s assembly plant here. The technician, Michael Hooper, 43, had worked at the plant for 21 years.

CLAYCOMO, MO—Two employees at the Ford assembly plant here suffered minor burns after a fire broke out in the paint shop.

Workplace ergonomics is getting a lot of attention nationwide in response to a sharp increase in incidents of repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. For the affected employee, such injuries often mean repeated surgery, intractable pain and the inability to work. For the employer, ultimately, they mean higher costs.

Recent headlines have provided stark reminders that cheap manufactured goods from overseas often come at the expense of human lives.

PITTSBURGH—A 12-year study by the University of Pittsburgh has found no statistically significant elevations in overall cancer rates among the workforce at the Pratt & Whitney jet engine assembly plant in North Haven, CT. The investigation was begun in 2000 after several workers were diagnosed with brain cancer.

Industrial fabric curtain walls are growing in popularity. In assembly plants, two of the fastest-growing applications are for lowering noise levels and controlling dust.