Respiratory


MSHA Reorganizes to Centralize Oversight of Assessments, Accountability Programs

"Some mines require targeted, enhanced enforcement methods. The formation of OAASEI will enable MSHA to better manage and coordinate its use of special enforcement tools against the most serious violators of the Mine Act," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.

Sleep Apnea Linked to Silent Strokes, Small Lesions in Brain

"We found a surprisingly high frequency of sleep apnea in patients with stroke that underlines its clinical relevance as a stroke risk factor,” said Jessica Kepplinger, M.D.

MSHA Begins Third Phase of 'Rules to Live By' Enforcement Initiative

The initiative will focus on 14 safety standards that were chosen because violations related to each have been cited as contributing to at least five mining accidents and at least five deaths during the 10-year period of Jan. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2010.

OSHA Releases New Videos on Proper Use of Respirators

Topics include OSHA's Respiratory Standard, respirator use, training, fit-testing, and detecting counterfeit respirators.

Tool Cuts Silica Exposure for Concrete Drillers

The "highway drill jig" designed by Dr. David Rempel, Pam Susi, and Michael Cooper also is much easier on the construction laborers who are cutting these holes.

New President Announced at Honeywell Safety Products

Jack Boss had rejoined Honeywell in 2004 and most recently was vice president and general manager of Honeywell Specialty Products.

The cartridge life expectancy calculator is an interactive means to help determine when a specific cartridge should be replaced, based on length of use and concentration. (MSA photo)

How to Comply with Respiratory Protection Standards

A working knowledge of applicable standards is critical to a company's continued success. However, understanding your requirements isn't necessarily easy.

EPA Penalizes Potato Company for Failing to Report Ammonia Release

On July 2, 2009, the company's facility released approximately 300 pounds of anhydrous ammonia into the environment, according to the EPA settlement.



MSHA Releases Results of December Impact Inspections

Federal inspectors issued 321 citations and orders during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and three metal/nonmetal mines last month.

NIOSH Releases Handbook for Industrial Minerals Mining, Processing

The handbook's aim is to empower minerals industry personnel to apply state-of-the-art dust control technology to help reduce or eliminate mine and mill worker exposure to hazardous dust concentrations.

Study: Obesity Rate for Firefighters 'Higher than General Public'

Rates of overweight and obese individuals in the fire service are higher than those found in the general public, ranging from 73 percent to 88 percent of firefighters, according to the study.

Flu Researchers Accept 60-Day Moratorium

They still want to find a way to conduct their research on making the H5N1 avian flu strain more transmissible between mammals and to share the details with legitimate flu investigators.

$147,840 in Fines Issued to Shipyard for Lack of Machine Guarding

OSHA began health and safety inspections in July as a follow-up to inspections conducted in March 2008. The 2008 inspections were initiated based on a referral from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, after a worker sustained an amputation injury.

CDC Publishes 2011 Guidelines for Field Triage

The expert panel added "or need for ventilatory support" to the respiratory rate criteria out of a recognition that adults and children requiring advanced airway interventions are a very high-risk group.

Plastic Container Maker Busted for Fall, Shock Hazards

OSHA has issued the company 22 safety and health violations for exposing workers to a variety of hazards at its facility following an inspection that was initiated in August based on a complaint. Proposed penalties total $55,755.

N.Y. Felt Firm Fined $146,300 for Crushing, Machine Hazards

"Left uncorrected, these hazards expose employees to possible electrocution, crushing, and struck-by injuries, being caught in moving machine parts, hearing loss, falls, eye and hand injuries, asbestos, and lead," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's acting area director in Albany.

Uniform Provider Penalized for 48 Safety Violations at N.J. Facility

OSHA initiated an inspection in response to a referral from New Jersey's Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Program. Proposed fines total $126,875.

OSHA Fines Shooting Range Cleanup Firm $480,000

The agency also has placed Welch Group Environmental LLP into its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, according to its Jan. 10 announcement.

911 Dispatchers Can Save Lives by Coaching Bystanders in CPR: AHA

In the 2010 resuscitation guidelines, the American Heart Association advised 911 dispatchers to help bystanders assess anyone who may have had a cardiac arrest and then direct them to begin CPR. “I think it’s a call to arms,” said E. Brooke Lerner, Ph.D., lead author of the statement and associate professor of emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Chicken Processor Fined $288K for Process Safety Management Deficiencies

Violations related to OSHA's process safety management standards allegedly resulted in an ammonia release at the facility on June 30.

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Spotlight

For February, OH&S puts the spotlight on:

Poll

OSHA Region 6 Administrator John Hermanson says the agency assessed the maximum statutory fines, a total of $21,500 for four alleged serious violations, against a small Oklahoma grain company in connection with amputation injuries suffered by two teenage workers. Does this case demonstrate the need to increase the amounts OSHA can issue in penalties?