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The Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., outside Washington, D.C., is the site of the 30th Annual National VPPPA Conference, taking place Aug. 25-28, 2014.

VPPPA Wraps Up 30th National Conference

The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center overlooking the Potomac River turned out to be an ideal site for the four-day event.

The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center works with partner agencies on research to further safer, more efficient transportation systems. (Volpe Center image download)

Redevelopment of DOT's Volpe Center Planned

The U.S. General Services Administration has issued a Request for Information seeking ideas from the real estate development community to redevelop the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center property in Cambridge, Mass.

NTSB Revokes Party Status of Independent Pilots Association and UPS Airlines for Violating Agreements

The revoking comes as a result of a cargo flight that crashed last August.



National Safety Council Estimates Nearly 400 Fatalities in Car Crashes during Labor Day Weekend

The council has sent out a memo reminding drivers to take extra caution while traveling.

CSB Warns About Danger of Hot Work on Tanks Containing Biological or Organic Material

Chairperson Moure-Eraso cites an investigation in early August into one such example.

Encouraging Trends in VPPPA Conference Attendance

Attendance at the 30th Annual National VPPPA Conference here will be approximately 2,600 people, VPPPA Board Chairman Mike Maddox said Aug. 25, adding that the prediction comes from an association IT staffer whose prognostications have been on the money in past years.

Federal Railroad Administration Funds Two Grants for Railroads Hauling Hazardous Materials

The grants aim to mitigate risk among short line railroads.

Lumber Producer Cited for Exposing Workers to Fall and Amputation Hazards

A Pritchard, Alabama company faces proposed penalties of $50,085.

VPPPA's Maddox: OSHA Hurting Association's Growth

Mike Maddox, who has served as VPPPA's board chairman for the past eight years and is seeking re-election, made it clear Aug. 25 that he sees the political leadership of OSHA -- meaning Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels and Jordan Barab, a deputy assistant secretary -- as counterproductive to VPPPA's progress.

OSHA, NIOSH Announce Recommended Practices to Protect Temporary Workers’ Safety and Health

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health today released Recommended Practices for staffing agencies and host employers to better protect temporary workers from hazards on the job.

30th Annual National VPPPA Conference Opens with Awards and More

VPPPA Board Chairman Mike Maddox and other board members remarked on the association's strong growth since a total of 30 people participated in its inaugural conference in Washington, D.C., in 1984.

Workers Injured Following Explosion at Indianahead Biomass Services

Willful and serious safety violations were cited.

Red Cross Opens Largest U.S. Disaster Warehouse

The new Disaster Field Supply Center in Arlington, Texas, contains enough supplies to support as many as 100,000 people after disasters nationwide.

Some workers are being exposed to high levels of benzene, a carcinogen, while gauging flowback tanks, the NIOSH team found.

NIOSH Documents High Benzene Exposures During Flowback Tank Gauging

Because workers' exposures can exceed the NIOSH REL and STEL, the team recommends monitoring workers, equipping them with flammable gas monitors and respiratory protection as an interim measure, and controls such as alternative tank gauging procedures and dedicated sampling ports.

NIOSH Seeks Comments on Workplace Tobacco Policies

NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard said, "This draft document is aimed not just at preventing occupational injury and illness related to tobacco use, but also improving the general health and well-being of workers."

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