In the first of this series of articles (March 2009, pages 66-67), we explored the difference between primary and secondary prevention strategies of employee injuries. As we stated, the dramatic reduction of employee injuries in the past 15 years demonstrates the employer's success in preventing an injury from occurring. However, when an injury does occur, the cost of that injury continues to spiral upward. We find ourselves in an environment where the frequency of injuries is down, but severity is up.
Beryllium is the fourth element in the periodic table. It comes right after lithium and before boron. It's a metal that looks like aluminum but is lighter and stronger. In ceramic form, beryllium oxide (BeO) conducts heat but not electricity and has the highest thermal conductivity of commercially available ceramics. It is used in everything from wireless base stations to satellites and advanced radar systems.
"Mercury and lead can pose severe threats to people's health, so properly managing waste that contains them is of the utmost importance," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator George Pavlou.
The groups have scheduled five live Webcasts throughout the day--10 a.m. to 6 p.m.--on May 6, which is Occupational Safety and Health Professional day.
Intended for a range of stakeholders, from architects to owners, Guideline 29-2009 offers a flexible approach to risk assessment for a wide range of safety and health hazards, according to ASHRAE.
Though written with avian flu in mind, the guidebook will help workplaces prepare for the swine flu already affecting several countries. The organization is making it available free.
Seminars and other events are being held all week at various locations throughout the city in support of Construction Safety Week. All sessions are free of charge and open to the public.
Inspectors identified other hazards including locked exits, obstructed exit access, and an unmarked exit; lack of welding screens and personal protective equipment for welders; untrained forklift operators; excess carbon monoxide levels from forklifts; and numerous electrical safety deficiencies including exposed live electrical parts.
The U.S. Postal Service' Nottingham post office is the latest postal service worksite in New England to achieve star status in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).
"Keeping sediment from polluting rivers and streams isn't just a good idea, it's the law," said Jim Werntz, EPA's Idaho state office director.
OSHA has cited Brady Enterprises Inc. of Weymouth, Mass., for alleged, willful, repeat, and serious violations of safety and health standards at its 45 Finnell Drive plant. The food products packager faces $66,500 in proposed fines, following a Nov. 14 accident in which an employee was caught in a labeling machine while cleaning it.
OSHA recently announced that it has notified more than 13,500 employers nationwide that their injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average.
According to the study, the release of mercury vapors, which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, presents an environmental and occupational hazard for workers involved with handling and transport of the products.
The federal agency directed its staff to continue enhancing the security of cesium chloride radiation sources and encourages research on alternatives, but it agrees near-term replacement is impractical and would harm cancer treatment, research, and emergency response capabilities.
Panelists invited to the April 22 meeting--which is open for public observation--will address the importance of caregiver-friendly workplace policies in economic hard times.
A federal judge has ordered a Southern California cleaning service and its owners to pay $227,791 in post-judgment interest plus $2,400 in daily fines for failing to follow a 2007 order to pay nearly $3.5 million in back wages plus more than $1 million in liquidated damages to 385 workers.
OSHA is proposing 22 safety and health violations with fines of $73,275 against Fieldale Farms Poultry LLC. A January inspection of the company's processing plant in Gainesville, Ga., has resulted in the agency proposing two repeat violations with $27,500 in proposed penalties, 18 serious violations with $45,775 in proposed penalties, and two other-than-serious violations with no monetary penalties.
Gov. Edward Rendell presented 2009 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence to 15 organizations that are saving energy, recycling, reducing waste, using solar power, and teaching new home builders about sustainability.
The Federal Emergency Management Administration has recently released its Comprehensive Preparedness Guide, CPG 101, which provides general guidelines on developing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) and promotes a common understanding of the fundamentals of planning and decision making to help emergency planners examine a hazard and produce integrated, coordinated, and synchronized plans. The guide is intended to help emergency managers in state, territorial, local, and tribal governments in their efforts to develop and maintain a viable all-hazard EOP.