CSA Standards announced the standard on Nov. 25 and will offer a one-day seminar about it Feb. 9 in Calgary.
The new live series of webinars from the agency's Community Preparedness Division are free to the first 500 visitors who enter the Web site at the time of the event.
Titled "Best Practices for Protecting EMS Responders During Treatment and Transport of Victims of Hazardous Substance Releases," the new guidance document addresses adequate training and personal protective equipment for emergency medical services responders who assist victims of hazardous substance release incidents.
By obtaining rapid information in a visual display, the decision maker can make informed decisions based on accurate, fast analytical results.
Fire Safety & Emergency Response
As with any maintenance requirement, the intent of small hose inspection and testing is to ensure that they will reliably operate properly when called upon, which is even more critical for emergency response equipment.
Employees and managers should be trained to recognize and
prevent combustible dust fires, and facilities should have a damage
control plan that includes sprinklers, explosion protection systems,
and deflagration venting.
The European Maritime Safety Agency now has 16 vessels under contract after awarding two contracts Nov. 17 that boost its capacity for oil spill recovery along the entire European coastline.
The alert reminds underground mine personnel that the chambers' oxygen systems must be protected against damage when the chambers are moved, or dangerous conditions could result during an actual emergency.
"The board agreed that the ability for the society to offer certification programs . . . is important in remaining relevant in the changing global marketplace," ASTM International President James A. Thomas said.
OSHA has prepared a fact sheet providing crowd control guidelines for retailers to protect workers during major sales events. Last year a worker was trampled to death while a mob of shoppers rushed through the doors of a large store to take advantage of an after Thanksgiving Day "Black Friday" sales event. The store was not using the kind of crowd control measures recommended in OSHA's fact sheet.
Around 80 million doses of vaccine for this virus have been distributed worldwide. The agency says there have been few reports of adverse reactions, including fewer than 10 suspected cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome in people who have received vaccine.
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has issued a special report examining the causes and characteristics of fires in college and university residential buildings that include dormitories, fraternity, and sorority houses.
"We're beyond theory and onto execution," said CIDRAP Director Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H. "The pandemic is here. And we need every business to recognize the impact it can have. It's not too late, but time is of the essence."
Mine operators are urged to follow safety checklists as low barometric pressures and low humidity, coupled with seasonal drying of many areas in underground coal mines, have contributed to the larger number of mine explosions during winter months.
"We are pleased that Catholic Healthcare West is joining with us to set the highest possible hospital safeguards for patients and nurses and creating an innovative model that every hospital in America should follow," said Rose Ann DeMoro, CNA/NNOC executive director.
The agency said on Thursday that although a dearth of the medicine in some areas is creating "challenging circumstances" across the country, increasingly more doses will be readily available in coming weeks.
CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden noted that the flu season lasts until May 2010 and already there have been more H1N1-related hospitalizations in the under-65 population than in most entire flu seasons.
Everywhere there is a cell phone, that is. First-generation lab prototypes will be demonstrated tomorrow in San Diego by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate.
The society will begin accepting submissions online Nov. 1. The deadline for entries is Dec. 1.
On Friday, the union and Chevron Philips Petroleum marked the 20th anniversary of a refinery explosion and fire in Pasadena, Texas, that killed 23 workers and injured 314 others. International VP Gary Beevers said not enough has been done since then to ensure safety at refineries.