Entering and working in confined spaces is established as a hazardous activity, and effective training needs to be accomplished as a means to help protect employees from these hazards Some of the most frequently posed questions to consultants and training organizations have to do with what is needed in conducting training on this topic and how often the training is needed.
The edcuational program for ASSE's conference and exposition, Safety 2009, includes three sessions devoted to safe confined space entries and two sessions about construction safety issues.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there have been more than 150 residential fires that resulted in more than 200 deaths since Thanksgiving. These statistics have led USFA and fire chiefs to declare the holiday season and start of the new year as one of the deadliest in recent memory.
Registration is now open for the 2009 Oregon Governor's Occupational Safety and Health (GOSH) Conference, to be held March 9-12 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. The largest conference of its kind in the Northwest will feature more than 30 full-day workshops and 115 single-topic classes. It is designed to educate managers and workers about safety and health issues.
Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., introduced the bill with colleagues from West Virginia and Texas. NMA says it would accelerate development of training and rescue capabilities.
Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s memo told agency heads that regulations not yet published should be held for review and to consider a 60-day extension of the effective date for published regulations not yet in effect. This covers at least three OSHA regulations.
In a recent paper titled "Fabrication and gas sensing performance of parallel assemblies of metal oxide nanotubes supported by porous aluminum oxide membranes," researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) described a new method for creating gas detectors so sensitive that some day they may be able to register tiny emissions from a single cell, providing a new way to determine if drugs or nanoparticles harm cells or to study how cells communicate with one another.
OSHA has revised its Field Operations Manual to provide OSHA Compliance Officers with a single source of updated information and guidance to more effectively protect employees from occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
OSHA published in the Jan. 9, 2009 Federal Register final changes to its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) that, among other enhancements, allow participation by companies with mobile workforces. Changes are effective May 9.
The Springdale, Ark.-based poultry and meat producer pleaded guilty today and agreed to pay the maximum criminal fine in the October 2003 death of maintenance employee Jason Kelley, according to the Justice Department.
The Health and Safety Executive said 455 agricultural workers have died in the past decade, and the annual death toll has remained high.
The alliance will place special emphasis on emergency preparedness and response activities related to restoring utility services quickly and safely following a major disaster.
With the new technology, leaks are displayed on a video screen similar to the way night vision goggles are used to show the heat signature of objects.
The presentation, which includes slides, focuses on hot work and arc flash hazards and how to protect oneself against shock and arc flashes or blasts.
"An unguarded excavation is always an imminent danger situation since its walls can collapse suddenly and with great force, crushing or burying workers before they can react or escape," said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's area director in Providence.
“The trenching and excavation safety video and handbook provide our industry with critically important information for maintaining a safe work-site environment,” said NAHB Chairman of the Board Sandy J. Dunn.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration recently announced the formation of a health and safety alliance with the Portland Cement Association (PCA), a membership association consisting of 30 companies operating 115 plants in 36 states.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration also said it will conduct a workshop about risks and mitigation in the first quarter of 2009.
OSHA's Dallas Area Office began its investigation following the May 13 incident that took place at a water treatment facility in Paris, Texas, where a diver's lifeline became entangled in the water pump of a 500,000-gallon in-ground water tank.
Installing an effective ventilation system and ensuring compressors used to supply breathing air are equipped with a high-temperature alarm or carbon monoxide alarm are among the agency's recommendations for lowering employees' risk of exposure. Using compressors that are not oil lubricated is another.