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DOT's Lithium Battery Proposal Debated

Pilots and electrical equipment manufacturers are at odds about the Jan. 11 proposal to tighten current regulations governing shipments of lithium cells and batteries.

Boat Sewage Ban Proposed for New York Canal System

If the proposal to establish a No Discharge Zone is approved, the discharge of sewage from boats into canal waters will be prohibited.

IBEW International President Edwin D. Hill

IBEW Chief Answers New Reactors' Critics

International President Edwin D. Hill promises a "bold, timely and safe startup" of two new nuclear reactors that are planned with federal loan guarantees near Augusta, Ga.

Army Proposes Resuming Fort Richardson Live-Fire Training

Restrictions were imposed in 1990 on the practice when white phosphorus from Army munitions was found to be killing ducks and swans on Eagle River Flats. A Superfund cleanup of the area is about to be completed.

OSHA Releases Electric Power Safety eTool

The eTool provides preventative tips for protecting electric power workers’ safety and health.

Oregon's Workplaces Much Safer in Past Decade

Oregon OSHA said 31 people covered by the state’s workers’ compensation system died during 2009, tying the record low for the state.

Most of the U.S. workers who are exposed to hexavalent chromium compounds while on the job are welders, according to OSHA.

HexChrome Change: Employees to Learn All Exposure Results

An appeals court told OSHA to explain why it decided to require disclosure to workers only when the PEL for hexavalent chromium was exceeded, and now the safety agency has changed its mind. Most U.S. workers who are exposed to Cr(VI) compounds on the job are welders, according to OSHA.

Port of NY/NJ Sidelining Older Trucks

Working with EPA, the port authority will phase out trucks made before 1994 as of Jan. 1, 2011.



EPA Fines University of Central Missouri for Improper Waste Management

EPA alleges that UCM failed to conduct hazardous waste determinations at their point of origin and failed to comply with universal waste regulations by not storing waste in closed containers.

Hearing to Resolve Rail Safety Testing Dilemma

The Association of American Railroads' petition for a "common sense" inspection/test interpretation by the Federal Railroad Administration triggered the April 7 public hearing, which was delayed last month by snow.

FAA Proposes $787,500 Fine for American Airlines

The proposed fines address a series of three maintenance violations that took place from March 2008 to May 2009.

Tire Company to Settle Hiring Discrimination Case

"The EEOC will continue to investigate employers and industries that have put women in certain types of jobs and men in others. We hope Les Schwab becomes a model employer of women in the male-dominated tire industry," said Mike Baldonado, EEOC San Francisco district director.

Guam is preparing for an influx of 8,600 Marines and 9,000 dependents being transferred in from Okinawa and dredging of sensitive areas to make room for aircraft carriers.

OSHA's Eying Guam Buildup

Allegedly not providing clean water to construction workers housed in a barracks at Harmon, Guam, brought an OSHA willful violation against Hua Sheng International Group Corp. in Barrigada, Guam.

This photograph of a Burmese python comes from the Web site of Everglades National Park in Florida.

Nine Snake Species Proposed as Injurious Wildlife

If the listing is finalized, Burmese pythons, boa constrictors, and the other species could not be imported except by permit for scientific, medical, educational, or zoological purposes, nor could they be moved in interstate transportation.

Poultry Processing Plant Penalized for Plethora of Problems

The 45 serious violations of which the facility stands accused address hazards with industrial trucks, falls, PPE, machine guarding, electrical safety, process safety management, respirators, and emergency response.

New York-New Jersey Railroad Found in Violation of Whistleblower Law

OSHA has ordered The Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corp. to pay $1,000 in punitive damages and to take corrective actions, including expunging disciplinary actions and references to them from various records as well as compensating the worker for attorneys' fees.

Commission Raises MSHA Fines Against Alabama Coal Mine

The mine operator failed to follow the ventilation plan and conduct an adequate pre-shift exam.

ATA wants fleet members to share their 2009 safety experience so FMCSA can see how the current hours rule is working.

ATA Seeking Trucking Firms' HOS Input by March 24

The American Trucking Associations says it will use the safety data submitted in a confidential online survey "to continue to educate the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration leadership and staff" about the industry's experience with the current hours of service rule.

FDA Issues Warning on Counterfeit Surgical Mesh

The Food and Drug Administration is warning health care providers and consumers about counterfeit surgical mesh being distributed in the United States under the C. R. Bard/Davol brand name. Surgical mesh products are used to reinforce soft tissue where weakness exists.

The DAYLITE CR123 is the brightest midsized flashlights in the Duracell line, according to the company.

'Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks,' APHA Urges

The American Public Health Association says Sunday's switch to daylight saving time is the right time to ensure your emergency supplies are ready.

Spotlight

For March, OH&S puts the spotlight on:

Poll

What would your company do to a senior manager who has tested positive for cocaine, as the Texas Rangers baseball team disclosed about their manager this week?