Enforcement


NIOSH Re-Achieves 'Star' Status for Practicing What It Researches

"NIOSH continues to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring the safety of the employees by maintaining an injury and illness rate 52 percent below comparable industry rates," said OSHA Charleston Area Director Jeff Funke.

South Africa's Labour Department Targets Steel, Farming

Employers who received non-compliance notices a few weeks ago will be revisited by inspectors Aug. 11-12, the department said.

Analytical Instruments Maker Fined for Electrical, Chemical, Respirator Hazards

"OSHA standards require that circuits be de-energized before employees work on them and that appropriate personal protective equipment be supplied and used in those rare instances where de-energizing is not feasible," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex (Mass.) counties.

FDA, European Medicines Agency Launch Good Clinical Practices Initiative

The Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) have announced an agreement to launch a bilateral Good Clinical Practices (GCP) Initiative designed to ensure that clinical trials submitted in drug marketing applications in the United States and Europe are conducted uniformly, appropriately, and ethically.

Kansas Construction Firm Fined $13,300 Following Fatality

OSHA has cited Diamond Sawing and Coring LLC of Summerfield, Kan., for alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act.

OSHA Inspection Program Targets Air Traffic Control Towers

Investigators will inspect randomly selected towers to determine whether FAA is meeting the requirements of the agency's alternate standard for egress and fire safety.

American Pain Society Urges FDA to Modify Restricted Distribution Program

In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration, the American Pain Society (APS) petitioned the agency, on behalf of the terminally ill and their families, to modify a restricted distribution program for the newly approved pain medication Onsolis, a short-acting product that delivers fentanyl through the mouth's mucous membranes.

Strategically Piloting Safety Success

Times are tough, management's tight, but the pressure's still on to reduce losses and achieve sterling Safety results. Wiser heads realize that an old apple tree won't magically produce delicious pears; you've got to plant different crops.



OSHA Proposes Penalties of $85,360 to Dehler Manufacturing for Workplace Violations

OSHA has cited Dehler Manufacturing Co. Inc. with 24 serious, four repeat, and six other-than-serious violations of federal workplace health standards and has proposed $85,360 in penalties.

Assistant Secretary David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, who is the leader of OSHA, is shown in a GWU photo

Stage is Set for Change

The president's nominee to lead MSHA spent years advocating for stronger health protection for miners and more enforcement. The OSHA choice, Dr. David Michaels (shown here), studied the illnesses suffered by nuclear weapons industry workers and is credited with starting the program to compensate them.

This boot from the Timberland PRO Endurance collection offers electrical hazard protection

Employers Must Pay for ESD Footwear, OSHA Says

A newly posted Letter of Interpretation says the employer must provide it at no cost to employees who work with flammable liquids and products because the footwear provides additional protection and is designed for special use on the job.

Tennis Racquet Maker Fined for Toxic Chemical Reporting Violations

"This should remind others that the EPA is maintaining a close watch over chemical reporting practices and is serious about enforcing community right-to-know laws," said Nathan Lau, EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division associate director for the Pacific Southwest.

Ex-Employee Charged in $18-20 Million Houston Fire

The May 21, 2009, fire destroyed a 100,000-square-foot Gallery Furniture warehouse in Houston and was one of the most costly fires to be investigated by the city's fire department.

OSHA National Emphasis Program Targets Release of Hazardous Chemicals

Facilities that could potentially release highly hazardous chemicals resulting in toxic fire or explosion hazards are the focus of a national emphasis program (NEP) developed by OSHA. The program establishes policies and procedures for inspecting workplaces that are covered by OSHA's process safety management (PSM) standard.

Assistant Secretary David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, who is the leader of OSHA, is shown in a GWU photo

Injury/Illness Prevention Rule May Be Michaels' Top Priority

Real-time injury reporting, greatly increased OSHA training grants, and a "sophisticated public campaign" by OSHA officials in mainstream media to change how Americans think about workplace safety are goals he listed last winter.

LPG tanks, shown in this UKLPG photo, can contain butane or propane

UK Prepares to Replace Thousands of Buried LPG Pipes

The government's report on the May 2004 explosion and collapse of the ICL Plastics factory in Glasgow, caused by a gas leak, was released this month. A timetable to replace 210,000 commercial and home installations has been agreed to, and a push is on to hire and train gas engineers.

Bay Area City Fined for Not Updating Risk Management Plan

Facilities are required to update and resubmit their risk management plan at least once every five years; the plans are used by EPA to assess chemical risks to surrounding communities and to prepare for emergency responses.

Virginia Tech Studies Support Total Texting-While-Driving Ban

The results, reported Monday afternoon by The New York Times, dispel the belief that truly hands-free phones are just as dangerous as driving drunk but pinpoint texting as highly dangerous.

Partnership Emphasizes Safe Building of New Coal-Fired Power Plant in Nebraska

"This partnership showcases a commitment to the value of safety and health shared by PPGA and Black & Veatch and acts as a force multiplier to the advancement of OSHA's mission to promote the safety and health of working men and women," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo.

CIG to Pay $1.02 Million for Clean Air Act Violations in Utah

The settlement will result in operational improvements that are expected to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants by more than 48,000 pounds per year and nitrogen oxides by 313,000 pounds per year, EPA said.

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