Confined space entry presents a potential hazard in numerous industries. Whether it is an inspection of an aircraft fuel tank, entering the hold of a barge, working in an underground utility vault, or cleaning a wine fermentation tank, education and safety are important when entering confined spaces.
Seen by some as OSHA's much bigger brother, EPA waded into several big safety issues this fall.
Many companies introduced new products and initiatives at the Oct. 26-28 expo, and while attendance was mediocre, exhibitors generally were upbeat.
Twenty mining operations were been honored for their outstanding 2008 safety records in the annual Sentinels of Safety awards program on Oct. 28 and sponsored by MSHA and the National Mining Association.
The U.S. Postal Service, El Paso Postal Distribution Center, has earned merit recognition in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) for its employee health and safety achievements. The recognition ceremony took place today at 8401 Boeing Drive.
OSHA has cited Crane and Grain Service LLC of York, Neb., for alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970.
"They still have a systemic safety problem in this refinery," said acting OSHA chief Jordan Barab today, announcing an additional 439 new violations found in 17 follow-up inspections at the refinery in Texas City, Texas.
At the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee hearing Thursday that followed OSHA's report criticizing Nevada OSHA, acting chief Jordan Barab said his agency will conduct a baseline evaluation of every state plan, just as it did with Nevada's.
The National Transportation Safety Board today determined that the probable cause of a fatal motorcoach accident in Sherman, Texas, was the failure of the right steer axle tire, due to an extended period of low-pressure operation, which resulted in sidewall, belting, and body ply separation within the tire, leading to loss of vehicle control.
The 83 grants were awarded to state and local regulatory agencies to boost food and feed safety initiatives among federal, state, and local partners.
The Department of Justice recently announced a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Brookline, Mass., to ensure access to medical facilities and services for individuals with disabilities.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging parents and caregivers to immediately stop providing "My Baby Soother" pacifiers to their children. The pacifiers failed to meet federal safety standards because the nipples can separate from the base easily, posing a choking hazard to infants and toddlers. CPSC is issuing this warning because distributor T & L Trading Corp., of Brooklyn, N.Y., has refused to recall these pacifiers.
Developers conducting work in Idaho are facing $125,000 in proposed penalties for violating the federal Clean Water Act at a construction site in Smiths Ferry, Idaho, according to a complaint issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.
"Electricity moves--and can kill or injure--at the speed of light. It doesn't give you a second chance," said C. William Freeman III, OSHA's area director in Hartford, Conn.
"Steel mills remain a dangerous place to work, and it is inexcusable to fail to correct serious dangers, particularly after they've already been identified by OSHA. . . . We expect better," said OSHA Area Director Jule Hovi in Toledo, Ohio.
As part of attaining VPP status, employers must demonstrate management commitment to the safety and health of their workers and actively involve them in supporting the safety and health management system.
The venture, which will employ about 1,200 workers during peak construction activities, is an expansion and extension of Brook Army Medical Center and Fort Sam Houston and will create a medical complex encompassing both Army installations.
A judge had issued a temporary restraining order on Oct. 16 to halt enforcement of the New York State regulation, but the governor's office said the rule was suspended because of limited supply of vaccines.
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.
Employees not wearing PPE and the employer's failure to develop, implement, or maintain a written hazard communications program for employees working with mortar or cement were among the 11 repeat violations, which, together with five serious violations, have proposed penalties totaling $146,000.