Officials with California's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (Labor Commissioner's Office) issued 115 citations totaling $477,966 in fines to construction firms across the state for various labor law violations in a recent two-day enforcement activity that concluded on October 16.
"There is no way to understate the danger of fall hazards, which are the number one killer in construction work," said Diana Cortez, OSHA's area director in Tarrytown, N.Y.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has adopted two additional NFPA standards for first responders: NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents and NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents.
Even with a 4 percent overall decline, there were 43,193 deaths in 2007 -- about 118 per day, according to NTSB's preliminary figures. Some of the agency's recent investigations point out the problem of distracted driving.
The Environmental Protection Agency revised the standard to help decrease health problems associated with high amounts of lead, particularly its effects on nervous system development.
Thirty years after the British rule was enacted requiring involvement of workers' representatives, the UK safety and health oversight agency is reminding stakeholders that involvement pays off.
New federal rules will make the nation's 474,000 school buses safer by requiring higher seat backs, mandating lap and shoulder belts on small school buses, and setting safety standards for seat belts on large school buses, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced on Oct. 15.
"We will take action against any company that fails to follow these laws that protect emergency responders and the public in the event of an accidental release," said Daniel Meer, EPA's assistant Superfund director for the Pacific Southwest region.
The Federal Railroad Administration says the final rule on electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes will enable locomotive engineers to have better train control, lower the risk of derailment, and allow trains to safely travel longer distances between required brake tests.
OSHA's New York Regional Office is asking the 151 worksites in its jurisdiction participating in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) to conduct voluntary inspections of any crane activity occurring at their worksites during this week. VPP is an elite, voluntary, merit-based program that recognizes worksites committed to effective employee protection beyond the requirements of OSHA standards.
Fall hazards, improper storage of compressed gas cylinders, restricted exit access, lack of machine guarding, inadequate fire extinguisher maintenance, and electrical hazards were among the unsafe working conditions OSHA found at Salmon-Challis National Forest.
The strategic partnership has developed outreach training courses and decreased fatality rates in several industries
"This case study effectively demonstrates how safety and health management systems can be successful if organizations take proactive steps to implement and encourage their use," said OSHA chief Edwin G. Foulke Jr.
"The sale of these products not only puts the public at risk through unjustified reliance upon their usefulness as pesticides, but also unfairly undercuts legitimate businesses that have registered their products," said Katherine Taylor, associate director of EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division for the Pacific Southwest region.
Chemical manufacturers that fail to meet the Dec. 1, 2008, deadline cannot continue manufacturing or importing their chemicals until they have submitted a full registration and paid the registration fee. As of Oct. 1, almost 40,000 chemicals were already pre-registered through the initiative.
Stolen Vehicle Slowdown will help law enforcement and could save lives in police-involved chases of car thieves, General Motors says.
By 2020, ships will be required to use fuel with no more than 5,000 ppm sulfur, a 90 percent reduction from today's global cap
The company, which manufactures sealing and bearing systems for the automotive and aerospace industries, was acknowledged for achievement in its employee safety and health program.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, an association that represents most of the makers of nonprescription over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines in children, has said it will modify product labels to state "do not use in children under 4," and will introduce new child-resistant packaging and measuring devices for use with the products.
The EPA determined the facility is subject to federal pretreatment standards under the Clean Water Act