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Queensland Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D

Queensland Parliament Passes Bill to Cut Bars' Hours

The Tackling Alcohol-Fuelled Violence Amendment Bill passed shortly before 3 a.m. Feb. 18, "the time pubs and clubs will be forced to kick out patrons under the new legislation," Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper pointed out.

OSHA and Crane, Hoist, Monorail Partners Renew Alliance

OSHA is particularly keen to reduce worker exposures to electrical shock, electrocution, falls from elevation, and being struck by moving equipment through the latest alliance renewal.

National Safety Plan Proposed for Public Transit Systems

Therese McMillan, acting administrator of the Federal Transit Authority, said the proposals "are about setting safety performance criteria and targets, voluntary minimum safety standards, and a means to communicate safety issues industry-wide."



OSHA Taking Comments on Chemical Hazards Guidance

The "weight of evidence" approach helps manufacturers, importers, and employers evaluate scientific studies on the potential health hazards of a chemical and determine what data must be disclosed on the label and safety data sheet in order to comply with the Hazard Communication Standard.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

Wholesale adoption of GHS hazard classsification principles will disrupt chemical hazard assessment programs and heighten problems manufacturers and importers will face.

Transform Tox Testing Challenge Under Way

The National Toxicology Program and partner agencies are behind the challenge, which will award $500,000 for ideas that help innovate current toxicity testing methods.

NTSB concluded this Alaska Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed in March 2013 because the pilot decided to continue flying into deteriorating weather conditions and also stemmed from the department

New Show Spotlights Work of NTSB's Alaska 'Go Team'

NIOSH has reported that, from 1990 through 2009, aviation crashes in Alaska killed 149 pilots, resulting in a very high annual pilot fatality rate of 287 per 100,000 pilots.

HHS is creating the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee this year as it plans for the 2018 publication of the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Physical Activity Guidelines Committee Nominations Due Feb. 5

An HHS advisory committee is being formed as part of the planning for the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans to be released in 2018.

NIOSH Study Pinpoints Industries with Hearing Problems

NIOSH reports that hazardous noise affects approximately 22 million U.S. workers. This study is the first to report prevalence estimates for tinnitus by U.S. industry sector and occupation and provide these estimates side by side with prevalence estimates of hearing difficulty, according to the agency.

Three things workers and safety managers should do to prevent injuries are to know the eye safety hazards at work by completing a hazard assessment, eliminating the hazards through engineering controls before starting work, and wearing appropriate vision protection.

Keys to Preventing Eye Injuries

Prevent Blindness America reports that 90 percent of the more than 2,000 eye injuries occurring each day are preventable through the use of protective safety eyewear.

With the passage of S.B. 658, an informed plaintiff’s attorney will be able to lodge a very credible argument that the onus placed upon AED owners to qualify for Good Samaritan protection is no longer significant.

New California AED Laws: Bull Rush From the Bear State?

With the passage of S.B. 658, an informed plaintiff’s attorney will be able to lodge a very credible argument that the onus placed upon AED owners to qualify for Good Samaritan protection is no longer significant.

Hand washing alone is not enough. To keep hands strong and healthy, employees should use protect and restore creams before and after working.

Help Protect Hard-Working Hands from Occupational Skin Disorders

Just one case of occupational dermatitis can cost an employer approximately $3,500 in workers' compensation claims and an average disability of 23.9 days, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

There is great potential to decrease injuries with the use of these new technologies, especially musculoskeletal disorders and repetitive task-related injuries. (Gorbel Inc. photo)

Utilizing Technology in Manual Material Handling and Safe Lifting

Industrial use of exoskeletons is just starting to be explored.

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