Facility Safety


Study: Having Interpreters in the ER Improves Safety, Efficiency, Overall Mood

“Using the same interpreter from triage to discharge creates continuity of care and also ensures that we are not missing anything important when talking to the patient,” said study co-author Dr. Robert Eisenstein. “It has the potential to help us get a more accurate patient assessment on arrival in the emergency department as well as better patient compliance with discharge instructions because the patient actually understands what we’re telling them to do!”

Scissoring Through Barriers

Move toward "either/and" planning and enlist a scissors approach for significant improvements.

Applesauce Maker Pays $300K for Sexually Hostile Work Environment

According to the lawsuit, a class of female farmworkers was subjected to threatening behavior by male coworkers who made lewd and unwanted sexual advances and used a forklift to chase women or block them with their bodies or a broom while they walked down the hall of the processing plant.

Foam Firm Fined $450,000 for Volatile Organic Compound Emissions

“Since Southern California has the worst air pollution in the nation, for the sake of public health we must ensure that all businesses are operating in compliance with air quality regulations and doing their part to help improve our air,” said Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The EEOC report assesses the state of equal employment opportunity throughout the nation.

EEOC Releases FY 2009 Federal Work Force Report

The number of women in the federal workforce rose from 42.3 percent to 44.06 percent; Hispanics/Latinos from 6.81 percent to 7.90 percent; and Asian-Americans from 5.22 percent to 5.84 percent. The total workforce increased by 15.09 percent. Meanwhile, federal agencies’ efficiency in handling the complaint process slipped.

ATRI Updates Online Idling Regulations Compendium

Provided as a free service to help trucking companies and truck drivers, the new information includes the latest exemptions to idling regulations in effect in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Detroit.

Noise Complaint against Freight Firm Leads to Truckload of Citations

The 33 serious violations OSHA found in its inspection include improper machine guarding, inadequate PPE, a deficient hazard communication program, electrical hazards, and deficient use of lockout/tagout devices for energy sources that prevent the inadvertent start-up of machines.

Two Companies Face $250,000 in Fines Following Vapor Explosion

OSHA found that the company had not cleaned the vessel thoroughly enough to ensure the absence of flammable materials or vapors, and had not vented it prior to allowing welding to be performed.



Five North American Lafarge Units Join Excellence Club

It recognizes business units that maintain a total injury frequency rate of less than 10 and a lost-time injury frequency rate of less than one per million man-hours worked.

DOL Seeks Public's Advice on Improving Disability Regulations

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21.7 percent of people with disabilities were in the labor force in June 2010, compared with 70.5 percent of people with no disability. In addition, the unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 14.4 percent, compared with 9.4 percent unemployment for those without a disability.

Texas Company Charged with Electrocution Hazards, Faces $197.5K Fine

Willful violations were issued for failing to develop specific procedures to protect workers from the unexpected release of electrical energy, and for failing to provide adequate machine guarding for employees working around rotating shafts.

Two N.H. Firms Face $177,500 in Fines for Oil Spill Prevention Violations

According to complaints issued by EPA, Munce’s Superior and Munce’s Superior Petroleum Products of Gorham, and Ryezak Oil Co. of Rumney failed to fully prepare and maintain spill prevention, control, and countermeasure (SPCC) plans.

Aircraft Parts Plant Lands $130K in Fines for 41 Alleged Violations

An investigation found workers were exposed to potential fire and explosion hazards from combustible dust collected in an inadequately designed dust collection system and several electrical safety deficiencies, including unguarded or ungrounded live electrical parts and equipment, and workers not trained in electrical safety-related work practices, among other things.

ASSE Offers Heat-Illness Safety Tips

Dry, hot skin with no sweating is not a good sign; it’s one of the symptoms of heat stroke and can be deadly. When working in the heat, try to have a cool cup of water every 15 minutes.

Sears Store Pays $30,750 to Sexagenarian It Refused to Hire

A then-61-year-old applicant sought an entry-level loss prevention/asset protection position but was turned down, despite his qualifications and 27 years of investigative experience.

Cookware Manufacturer in Frying Pan with OSHA

The company was cited for 43 safety and health violations for hazards ranging from inadequate PPE and machine guarding to failing to determine employee exposure levels to hexavalent chromium.

Blockbuster Settles ADA Case Involving Service Animal Access

The settlement terms include the company paying $22,000 -- $12,000 to the individual who filed the complaint and $10,000 as a civil penalty -- and posting "Service Animals Welcome" signs in all of its more than 3,000 retail stores.

Home Depot Cited for Recurring Chemical Hazards in NY

The retail giant received two notices of failure to abate after a new inspection found that workers in the store's painting and plumbing departments still lacked suitable emergency drenching facilities and methylene chloride information and training.

DHS Shells out More than $1.8 Billion in FY 2010 Preparedness Grants

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on July 15 announced more than $1.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Emergency Management Agency preparedness grants designed to help states, urban areas, tribal governments, and non-profit organizations enhance their protection, prevention, response and recovery capabilities for risks associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.

In the workplace, poor decisions about hand hygiene often lead to dermatitis, and too often employees and supervisors jump to the wrong conclusion that the hand cleanser being used is the one and only source of the health concern.

The Dermatitis Detective: Tracking the causes of dermatitis in your workplace

Where do you start your investigation of the causes of occupational dermatitis in your shop? Too often, employees and supervisors jump to the wrong conclusion that the hand cleanser being used is the sole source of the health concern.

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