Attendees from around the world are filling some of the lavish booths occupied by the largest PPE companies, including the Uvex unit of Sperian Protection, Honeywell Safety Products, MSA, Ansell, and more.
The Senate panel overseeing Dr. David Michaels' nomination has instead chosen to go with a mostly written question-and-answer format, with an option for individual members to meet with the nominee if they choose.
To be eligible for one of the three Bechtel Group Foundation scholarships resulting from this donation, a student must be enrolled full-time (12 hours or more per semester) and pursuing an undergraduate degree in occupational safety and health or a closely related field, preferably with an emphasis on construction safety.
Seen by some as OSHA's much bigger brother, EPA waded into several big safety issues this fall.
Carbon nanotubes are being considered for use in everything from sports equipment to medical applications, but a great deal remains unknown about whether these materials cause respiratory or other health problems.
Everywhere there is a cell phone, that is. First-generation lab prototypes will be demonstrated tomorrow in San Diego by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate.
"Electricity moves--and can kill or injure--at the speed of light. It doesn't give you a second chance," said C. William Freeman III, OSHA's area director in Hartford, Conn.
"Steel mills remain a dangerous place to work, and it is inexcusable to fail to correct serious dangers, particularly after they've already been identified by OSHA. . . . We expect better," said OSHA Area Director Jule Hovi in Toledo, Ohio.
The venture, which will employ about 1,200 workers during peak construction activities, is an expansion and extension of Brook Army Medical Center and Fort Sam Houston and will create a medical complex encompassing both Army installations.
When authorities discover a "meth house," they decontaminate it by removing chemicals, getting rid of carpeting, cleaning walls, and airing the place out for a few days. Dr. Glenn Morrison, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, is concerned as to whether such decontamination methods are sufficient to protect future occupants from exposure to methamphetamine and other chemicals.
One of the hazardous wastes the Utah man was accused of illegally dumping was nonylphenol, a powerful organic chemical and heavy-duty industrial cleaner that is toxic to aquatic life. The man’s actions allegedly caused a nearby wastewater treatment plant to violate permit limits for acute toxicity 22 times.
Inspections conducted over the past several months by OSHA's area office in Andover, Mass., also identified various chemical, mechanical, and electrical hazards--41 violations in all, with proposed penalties totaling $138,000.
A Program Information Bulletin to underground metal and nonmetal mine operators and manufacturers of diesel-powered equipment used in those mines confirms using biodiesel in engines equipped with a diesel oxidation catalyst reduces total carbon levels in the air where miners work.
In April, a fire at the facility sent three workers to a local hospital. The resulting inspection revealed nine alleged willful, four serious, two repeat, and two failure-to-abate violations.
"The identified violations leave employees at the refinery at risk of accidents that could result in injury or possible death," said Patricia Jones, area director of OSHA's office in Avenel, N.J.
The investigation found 32 serious violations, including failing to evaluate the worksite for exposures to hydrogen sulfide, develop procedures for waste stream processing, develop decontamination procedures, and train workers on the hazards associated with confined space entry on barges.
"Employers should not assume that OSHA will not conduct inspections because much of this work is done at night," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. "We will conduct inspections where and when we must to ensure that employers implement and maintain effective controls to minimize this hazard to their workers."
Although there is a decline in the domestic production of meth in recent years, vigilance is warranted because of the destructive nature of the drug and the environmental hazards caused by meth labs, the agency said.
"The more than 7,000 tons per year of sulfur dioxide reductions secured by this settlement will produce significant and measurable public health benefits for downwind communities," said EPA’s Cynthia Giles.
Jukka Takala, director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, is inviting stakeholders to use its new blog and sharing his views about enforcement, persistent risks, occupational diseases, and more in 28 short videos.