"Because of the unique operating and supply-chain challenges faced by manufacturers, we determined that a new sector council would best address the needs of companies that did not fit precisely within the original 17-sector structure," said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff.
Courses include a Demolition-Specific OSHA 10-Hour Certification, offered in both English and Spanish on Oct. 15 and training in confined space rescue and aerial lift equipment safety.
A national guideline for triage following a mass casualty incident has been proposed by a national multidisciplinary workgroup lead by a researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. This guideline allows providers to sort patients for treatment based on the severity of their conditions and establishes a standardized nomenclature.
Despite a decrease in 2007 in the number of incidents, fire deaths and injuries actually increased.
All of Galveston Island and perhaps 245,000 residents of Harris County, Texas, are ordered to evacuate before Hurricane Ike comes ashore. Three counties have issued mandatory evacuation orders.
Power products should be discarded and replaced, the manufacturer recommends.
The agency urged Gulf Coast residents to prepare in advance for an evacuation order, including building a disaster supplies kit, filling their car's gas tank, and reviewing their evacuation plan.
In addition to having a number of household and food items on hand, people should check for loose objects in the yard, stay tuned to the latest news, and remember to fuel their vehicles before any storm hits, the company advises.
Residents are recovering from one hurricane as a more dangerous one approaches. Louisiana's homepage, www.louisiana.gov, is now titled emergency.louisiana.gov.
Leaving devastation behind in Cuba, the hurricane may strengthen and hit Texas or Louisiana this weekend; many agencies have emergency plans in action or are issuing advisories.
Be prepared with basis essentials sufficient for up to 72 hours, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff advised residents in Ike's likely affected areas.
One piece of legislation signed last week requires site safety managers to include in their plans a statement that workers have successfully completed a 10-hour OSHA course on construction safety and health within five years of working on the site.
"I am confident that the creation of the Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management, and the support of the talented OSHA team we already have, will further enhance the agency's leadership in protecting the working men and women of this country, whether they are engaged in their normal work or involved in the challenging tasks of response and recovery," said OSHA head Edwin G. Foulke Jr.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are asking state, tribal, and local officials with questions about the federal program for picking up disaster debris to call the FEMA Debris hotline. The number is 1-866-599-4832, and it is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Meetings today in Brussels will lead to an agreement helping emergency responders improve their procedures, communications, equipment, PPE, and training.
The New Orleans reconstruction after that earlier hurricane essentially withstood the power of Hurricane Gustav, the building trade association said Wednesday.
"Cleanup after a storm of this magnitude can be particularly dangerous, and employers and employees need to take the proper precautions to avoid serious injury," said OSHA chief Edwin G. Foulke Jr.
National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is designed to enhance the public's awareness of the necessity of having an emergency plan in place to respond to a natural or man-made disaster. The U.S. Small Business Administration is one of the many government and private sector coalition partners participating in this fifth annual National Preparedness Month.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched CDC-TV, a new online video resource on a variety of health, safety and preparedness topics.
Although it has not committed to having a reporting regulation, CSB has said it will publish a Request for Information concerning adoption of such a regulation, presenting various options for rulemaking and seeking the views and opinions of stakeholders regarding the best path forward.