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On March 13, 2018, Harald Reichel, an aerospace engineer with NTSB’s Office of Aviation Safety, examines the engine of the  Liberty Helicopters helicopter that crashed in the East River on March 11. (NTSB Photo by Chris O’Neil)

Urgent NTSB Safety Recommendation Follows Liberty Helicopters Crash

The agency's March 19 recommendation seeks an FAA ban on flights using unsafe passenger harness systems.

There is a growing global push toward hazardous location competency training.

BSEE Launches Risk-Based Inspection Program

The first ones, taking place this month, will focus on crane operations of Gulf of Mexico operations. "We developed this program to address areas where trends in compliance and incident data suggest the potential for imminent safety concerns," said Jason Mathews, chief of BSEE's Gulf of Mexico Region Safety Management Office.

New NIOSH/OSHA Guidance on Ototoxicity Posted

"There is growing concern among occupational health and safety professionals that ototoxicant-induced hearing loss may go unrecognized since the measure for hearing loss does not indicate the cause," the document states. "For example, audiometric tests are powerful tools that show hearing impairments (i.e., threshold shifts); however, they do not differentiate between noise and ototoxic causes."

Editorial Cites 'Growing Fatigue' Around Sepsis Reports

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine's editorial notes that early detection of sepsis is vital but is hampered by signs and symptoms of the condition being similar to other disorders.

WHO, Partners Working Together on Opioids Problem

During the 61st session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria, three organizations have committed to improving equitable access to controlled medicines for pain management and palliative care and to scale up efforts to prevent non-medical drug use and to provide treatment services drug use disorders.

FDA Proposes Cutting Nicotine Level in CIgarettes

The advance notice of proposed rulemaking published March 16 is a step toward cutting the level of nicotine in cigarettes to "minimally or non-addictive levels," with FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb calling it "a pivotal step ... that could ultimately bring us closer to our vision of a world where combustible cigarettes would no longer create or sustain addiction."

Ohio Boosts Grants for Firefighters' Health Protection

"When we call firefighters for help, they're at our door as fast as humanly possible," said Ohio BWC Administrator/CEO Sarah Morrison. "It's only right that we do the same when they need equipment critical to their health and safety. We want every qualifying fire department that applies for these grants to get their funds as soon as possible."

NASA Clears Up DNA Questions from Twins Study

"The change related to only 7 percent of the gene expression that changed during spaceflight that had not returned to preflight after six months on Earth. This change of gene expression is very minimal," NASA explained in a March 15 statement.



What is the Foundation of an Effective NFPA 70E Implementation?

This is a question that I hear frequently while discussing NFPA 70E on the road. Perhaps this is because the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace is so broad?

Texas Governor Announces New Flood Control Measures

"It has been a trying time for this community as we work through the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey," Gov. Abbott said March 15. "I want to assure all Texans that I am committed to working with the federal government and local officials to protect life and property from uncontrolled flood waters."

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