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National Strategy Developed to Prevent Trespassing on Railroad Property

National Strategy Developed to Prevent Trespassing on Railroad Property

The Federal Railroad Administration delivered the document to Congress. It identifies the 10 counties with the most trespasser casualties, not including suicides, from November 2013 to October 2017.

Four Companies Finalists for Ohio BWC Innovation Awards

The four finalists for the 2019 Safety Innovation Awards are the Francis Manufacturing Company, J&R Farms, TERYDON Inc., and Yoder Drilling & Geothermal Inc.

Health Care System Adds Security Officers to Prevent Workplace Violence

"We wanted to figure out a solution for stemming workplace violence by getting ahead of the curve because it's a national trend, and, unfortunately, we are not immune to it," said Todd Miller, public safety and security specialist for SSM's St. Louis region, which includes eight hospitals.

Study Finds FDA Oversight of Fentanyl Prescribing Inadequate

"Both the FDA and the fentanyl makers failed to design and implement an effective monitoring program," said the study's senior author, Dr. G. Caleb Alexander, M.D., professor of epidemiology and medicine and co-director of the Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness at the Bloomberg School.

DOE Opens Battery Recycling Center at Argonne National Laboratory

The goal is to reclaim and recycle critical materials such as cobalt and lithium from lithium-based batteries cost effectively.

Safe Work Australia Seeks Comments on Silica, Coal Dust Exposure Standards

Safe Work Australia is asking for comments on the draft evaluation reports and recommendations for respirable crystalline silica and respirable coal dust by April 30, saying it will consider them when making final recommendations regarding the workplace exposure standards.

WHO to Host Forum on Food Safety and Trade

Food that is contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, or chemicals causes sickens more than 600 million people each year and kills 420,000 worldwide every year, according to WHO.

Alaska Company Recalls Smoked Salmon for Botulism Risk

An independent audit paid for by Smoked Alaska Seafoods, Inc. determined the recalled lot of Smoked Silver Salmon did not receive the prescribed thermal process and was therefore under-processed.



Revised ISO 26262 Standards Now Available from ANSI

ISO 26262 -- Road Vehicles Functional Safety was significantly revised in 2018, with the 10 parts of the family of standards existing then being revised from their 2011 editions and two new standards being added.

NIOSH Announces Free, Confidential Screenings for Coal Miners

The screenings are intended to detect coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or black lung, early. Black lung is a serious but preventable occupational lung disease caused by coal miners breathing respirable coal mine dust.

The two DOT agencies are conducting audits, and PHMSA is making unannounced inspections, to ensure railroads

DOT Agencies Requiring Spill Response Plans for HHFTs

The final rule requires railroads to develop and submit Comprehensive Oil Spill Response Plans for route segments traveled by High Hazard Flammable Trains that are transporting petroleum oil in a block of 20 or more loaded tank cars and also trains that have a total of 35 loaded petroleum oil tank cars.

Ohio BWC Adding $500,000 for Law Enforcement Body Armor

"Body armor is the cheapest life insurance we ever buy, and we know it works and saves lives," Ohio AG Dave Yost said. "I've been to too many law enforcement funerals and hope never to have to attend another. I commend Administrator McCloud and Gov. DeWine for their continuing leadership in this important life-saving investment."

NYC Department of Buildings Sets May Conference Date

This year's build safe│live safe Conference on Friday, May 10, will be a daylong series of seminars in which department experts discuss industry trends and highlight safe construction operations.

New Center Provides Tools for Assessing Disasters

"It really empowers many people in the research community to begin doing the kind of work that they weren't able to do before simply because they didn't have access to these tools," said Joseph Wartman, the facility's director and a professor in UW's civil and environmental engineering department.

Skilled Trades Workers Put 25,000 Hours Into API's New Headquarters

"From API's new headquarters in Washington, D.C. to energy infrastructure projects across the nation, the natural gas and oil industry relies on skilled workers and the building trades unions to keep construction projects - from new buildings to energy infrastructure - safe and on schedule," said API President and CEO Mike Sommers.

OSHA Partnership in Place for Rhode Island Construction Project

The partnership with Dimeo Construction Company seeks to educate workers, control or eliminate serious hazards, and establish effective safety and health programs for the project, which broke ground in June 2018. It is the largest current construction project in Rhode Island.

2018 Third Consecutive Year of at Least 40,000 Motor Vehicle Deaths

The NSC estimates that in 2018, 40,000 people died in car crashes—a 1 percent decline from 40,231 deaths in 2017 and 40,327 deaths in 2016. An estimated 4.5 million people were seriously injured in car crashes in 2018, also a 1 percent decrease from 2017 figures.

Survey Finds 18 Million Trees Died in California During 2018

"It is encouraging that the rate of mortality slowed in 2018. However, 18 million trees are an indication that the forests of California are still under significant stress," said Thom Porter, CAL FIRE's director and California's state forester. "The stress of drought, insects, disease, and prolific wildfire will continue to challenge the resilience of the state's forests."

New Standard Aims to Protect Young People's Hearing

WHO is recommending that governments and manufacturers adopt the voluntary WHO-ITU standard for the manufacture and use of personal audio devices.

Enforcement Guidance Issued for Crane Operator Evaluations

OSHA is enforcing the requirement that employers must evaluate their operators before allowing them to operate cranes independently, but it will offer compliance assistance rather than enforcement until April 15, for employers who have evaluated operators in accordance with the final rule and are making good-faith efforts to comply with the new documentation requirement.

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