Disaster Preparedness


Insurers' Group Offers Hurricane Readiness Tools

Homes and businesses in hurricane-prone areas can prepare now to reduce their exposure to losses, says the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, which represents more than 1,000 insurers.

OSHA Aims to Train Federal Workers to Private Sector's Safety Standards

The series of half-day seminars will discuss ergonomics, pandemic influenza, indoor air quality, fire protection, and other potential workplace hazards.

First Responder PPE, NYC Experts Helping Haiti

As Scott Health & Safety announced it has donated more than $600,000 worth of respiratory and other equipment, New York City's mayor said 12 employees with emergency response expertise are leaving June 7 for Port-au-Prince to help in building a local Community Emergency Response Team program.

MSHA Stresses Mines' Emergency Preparedness

The June 10 meeting in Virginia Beach, Va., of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association will include the first of several regional focus groups to put more emphasis on this area.

NOAA Forecasts Busy 2010 Hurricane Season

"If this outlook holds true, this season could be one of the more active on record," said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

Grainger Gets Serious About Services

The 2009 downturn didn’t stop W.W.Grainger, Inc. from hosting two “Total MROSolutions” events in Orlando for thousandsof customers in January 2010, and the companyliked what they were saying. “Wethink it’s a great time for Grainger topick up share for a lot of the reasonsthat David mentioned,” GraingerChairman, President and CEO JamesT. Ryan said after the second event’sJan. 21 keynote speaker, David Manthey,focused his remarks on consolidationamong distributors and signs ofa slow recovery.

Crystal Manufacturer Fined $510,000 for Fatal Explosion

"The employer knowingly operated high-pressure vessels even after being warned of the potential for a catastrophic failure due to material design and fabrication defects," said OSHA's Dr. David Michaels. "This simply is unacceptable, and OSHA will use the full extent of the law to ensure the company is held accountable for its actions."

Study: Pandemic Flu Fears Lead to Better Personal Hygiene

Researchers found that during the early phase of the H1N1 outbreak in Hong Kong, 47 percent of people washed hands more than 10 times per day, 89 percent wore facemasks when having influenza-like illness, and 21.5 percent wore facemasks regularly in public areas.



DHS Announces Nearly $790 Million in 2010 Preparedness Grants

The fiscal year 2010 critical infrastructure and preparedness grants include specific steps undertaken by DHS to improve the ability of grant applicants to maximize funding and also incorporate input from state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners.

FCC Assigns Emergency Response Interoperability Center

The Federal Communications Commission's national broadband strategy submitted to Congress in March 2010 called for creating ERIC. Now, the center is being placed within FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and given similar duties.

OSHA Urges BP to Turn Fishermen into Oil Spill Cleanup Workers

Training of cleanup employees is ongoing throughout the Gulf Coast region. The agency has officials monitoring the training and observing the cleanup efforts that are already underway.

The CSE Corp. SR-100 primarily uses a chemical process to generate a 60-minute supply of oxygen.

CSE Corporation Expands SR-100 Alert

The self-contained self-rescuer unit used by underground miners generates 60 minutes of oxygen when started, but the company's investigation suggests start-up oxygen cylinders may fail in any field-deployed unit.

Maryland Makes 2-1-1 Crisis Hotline Permanent

The new law creates a new Health and Human Services Referral Board -- 2-1-1 Maryland -- linking citizens with the health services, community preparedness information, and crisis response.

gas detection

Build a Stronger Gas Detection Program

If you are responsible for the health of your gas detection program, now is a great time to get it into shape. And if you want to keep your gas detection program healthy and keep your people going home safely at the end of each day, exercise your data analysis muscles by following a routine of reviewing the information stored in your gas detectors.

Seconds Save Lives campaign launches

'Seconds Save Lives' Campaign Focuses on Handling Medical Emergencies

"The most important -- and yet sometimes the most difficult -- thing to do is to keep your composure," said ACEP President Dr. Angela Gardner. "You will be better able to provide critical information to emergency responders and physicians, whether for yourself or someone else."

FEMA Launches Mobile Web Site for Smartphones

The new Web site is geared to give smartphone users easy access to disaster preparedness information.

Soccer and Nuclear Safety Converge

Finland and Sweden donated the Sophisticated On-Site Nuclide Identification (SONNI) van at a cost of about $660,000 and handed it over last week to IAEA.

Company to Offer Free Safety Screenings, DVD During 'Better Hearing Month' in May

Failing to hear smoke detectors and take quick action is the major reason adults 65 or older are more than twice as likely as any other age group to die in a home fire.

The strategy will address increasing wildland fire challenges and should be ready by this fall.

USDA, Interior, DHS Form Wildland Fire Partnership

A comprehensive wildfire management strategy will be developed with help from state, regional, local and tribal leaders, the three secretaries -- Tom Vilsack, Ken Salazar, and Janet Napolitano -- announced Wednesday.

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