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FDA's Budget Contains $5.1 Billion for FY 2017

The funds will help implement the food safety law and improve medical product safety and quality, said Acting Commissioner Dr. Stephen Ostroff, M.D.

Valentine

About Those Romantic Valentine's Day Candles ...

From 2009 to 2013, there were 9,300 reported home structure fires in the United States started by candles, an average of about 25 reported fires per day, according to an NFPA report.

DOL/FCC Workshop Explores Best Practices for Tower Climbers' Safety

"Now we are about to see a steep increase in demand, and we must continue, we must even improve on the record of the last year. The industry that provides world-class wireless must provide world-class safety for its employees and contractors, period," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said Feb. 11.

Five New York Residents Charged in Fatal Explosion

The owner of a building where the gas explosion occurred March 26, 2015, and four others were indicted Feb. 11. They had set up an illegal gas delivery system, authorities announced.

Manufacturer Put Employees At Risk When Handling Dangerous Chemicals: OSHA

OSHA has issued Elan Chemical Co. of Newark, N.J., 17 citations.

OSHA: Contractor Willfully Exposed Workers to Dangers of Possible Trench Cave-In

OSHA has issued multiple citations to the Yannuzzi Group of Kinnelon, N.J.

Philadelphia Ending Fire Department Brownouts

Mayor Jim Kenney and the city's acting fire commissioner are ending the current practices of rotating firefighters through stations and temporarily closing firehouses to cut costs, steps taken during the administration of Kenney's predecessor.

This screen shot is from underwater video of the sunken El Faro, discovered in 15,000 feet of water off the Bahamas in October 2015 after it sank during Hurricane Joaquin. (NTSB video)

Coast Guard Hearings on El Faro Sinking Starting Feb. 16

Convened in Jacksonville, the hearings will examine the loss of the container ship El Faro and all of its 33 crewmembers last October; NTSB investigated the sinking and is participating in the hearings.



NTSB Issues Recommendations on Lithium Batteries in Air Cargo

The board has asked PHMSA to require that lithium batteries be physically separated from other flammable hazardous materials stowed on cargo aircraft and also to set maximum loading density requirements that limit the quantities of lithium batteries and flammable hazardous materials on board.

Ten Dead After Trains Collide in Germany

At least 17 are also critically injured after two trains collided head-on.

$595 Million Proposed for OSHA in Final Obama Budget

Key numbers for EH&S professionals are the proposed $595 million for OSHA and $397 million for MSHA. According to DOL, the OSHA budget provides resources to increase safety and security at chemical facilities and improve response procedures when major incidents occur.

The new laboratory facility has five times more space for employees, NIST

NIST Dedicates New National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Lab

Willie E. May, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST's director, noted that employees how have five times more lab space "for collaborative advanced information technology projects."

Authorities Arrest Three After Taiwan Apartment Tower Collapse

The construction of a collapsed apartment tower faces scrutiny after a deadly earthquake.

FDA Calls for Sweeping Review of Opioids Policies

FDA Calls for Sweeping Review of Opioids Policies

Top officials for the organization have called for an action plan to reassess the agency's approach to opioid medications. FDA also will convene an expert advisory committee before approving any new drug application for an opioid that does not have abuse-deterrent properties.

OSHA Renews Partnership with Arkansas General Contractors

OSHA has teamed up with the Arkansas Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.

New Lyme Disease Bacteria Found

"This discovery adds another important piece of information to the complex picture of tickborne diseases in the United States," said Dr. Jeannine Petersen, a CDC microbiologist.

ConocoPhillips Fined $4.3 Million for Offshore Rig Gas Releases

"There was a failure to identify the risk posed by the high-pressure vent systems when carrying out intrusive maintenance work. ConocoPhillips failed to put in place appropriate process isolations to isolate the high-pressure vent from the work site," said HSE Inspector John Hawkins. "It is only a matter of good fortune these incidents didn't result in a serious, tragic incident."

Changes Proposed on Confidentiality of Substance Disorder Records

"This proposal will help patients with substance use disorders fully participate and benefit from a health care delivery system that’s better, smarter, and healthier while protecting their privacy," HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said. "We are moving Medicare, and the health care system as a whole, toward new integrated care models that incentivize providers to coordinate and put the patient at the center of their care, and we are modernizing our rules to protect patients."

An engineer checked for damage done to the Washington Monument, a 555-foot obelisk located on the national mall in Washington, D.C., by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 23, 2011. The monument underwent repairs and was reopened May 12, 2014.

Executive Order Covers Earthquake Resilience for Federal Buildings

The president's order followed a "Building for Earthquake Safety" session at the White House Earthquake Resilience Summit.

AZ State Lab Sharing Biosafety Outreach Guidance

The Association of Public Health Laboratories asked the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory to present its biosafety outreach program in a national webinar, which will take place next month.

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