Hazard Communication


OSHA Slams Patio Door Maker

The agency issued a willful violation for the Dallas company's failure to institute an effective hearing conservation program, plus 10 serious violations for failing to protect workers from being struck by flying objects, the unexpected release of energy while servicing and maintaining equipment, and exposure to blood and hazardous chemicals, among other charges.

Ohio Steel Facility Cited for Electrical, Machine Hazards

An inspection found that the company failed to provide adequate guarding on lathes, grinding, and other dangerous machines, and that it did not sufficiently develop and implement training on locking a machine's energy source and alerting others about the state of that power source.

Cast Iron Manufacturer Pays $4 Million to Resolve 400+ Violations in 14 States

According to DOJ and EPA, the company, which makes pipes, valves, fittings, fire hydrants, propane and compressed air tanks, and other similar products, emits pollutants such as particulate matter, VOCs, and mercury as a result of its manufacturing processes at various facilities.

Appendix A lists 136 chemicals, including formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, and methyl isocyanate.

OSHA Extends PSM National Emphasis Program

Effective July 8, a new directive extends to Sept. 30 a yearlong NEP. It specifies programmed inspections in three regions and unprogrammed ones in the other seven OSHA regions.

Xpect Discounts Inspections Lead to 'Sizable Fines'

All told, the inspections at four of the discount retailer's Connecticut locations resulted in seven repeat citations with $95,200 in proposed fines, 13 serious citations with $38,500 in fines, and 10 other-than-serious citations with $7,000 in fines, for a proposed total of $140,700.

A new safety rule for large-scale egg producers went into effect July 9.

New Egg Safety Rule Goes Into Effect

Implementing the preventive measures will reduce the number of Salmonella Enteritidis infections from eggs by nearly 60 percent, FDA says.

Monsanto to Pay $2.5M for Distributing Misbranded Genetically Engineered Pesticide

The fine, levied after the company sold misbranded cotton seed to restricted counties in Texas, is the largest civil administrative penalty settlement ever received under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

Fire Prevention Week 2010 will focus on smoke alarms.

NFPA Sounds Alarm for Fire Prevention Week 2010

This year's campaign theme, "Smoke Alarms: A sound you can live with," emphasizes the importance of smoke alarms in preventing fire deaths, injuries, and property loss.



Four NY Contractors Fined $90K Following Brooklyn Balcony Collapse

An employee of one of the firms fell 20 feet when the second floor balcony he was standing on collapsed as he was attempting to jack up the third floor balcony. An inspection by OSHA's Manhattan area office found that the second floor balcony was overloaded, improperly constructed, and incapable of supporting its weight load.

OSHA Files Complaint against 350 Postal Facilities

The move marks the first time the department has sought enterprise-wide relief as a remedy.

DHS announced a new national information-sharing partnership with Amtrak as part of the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative.

DHS Launches 'See Something, Say Something' Campaign

"Implementing a national suspicious activity reporting partnership with Amtrak and expanding the 'See Something, Say Something' campaign strengthens our ability to guard against terrorism and crime," said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

OSHA chief David Michaels

OSHA Chief Concerned Oil Spill Workers Being Short Shrifted on Training

For the HAZWOPER work at hand, the agency requires 40 hours of "rigorous" training, Michaels said, adding that reportedly "some are offering this training in significantly less than 40 hours, showing video presentations and offering only limited instruction."

Imperial Sugar has settled litigation stemming from the 2008 explosion at its Georgia plant in which 14 people died.

Imperial Sugar Settles with OSHA, Agrees to Pay $6.05 Million

As part of the settlement, the company agrees that it has corrected all deficiencies at both of its plants or will correct those deficiencies according to a set schedule. Originally, OSHA fined the company $8.8 million following the 2008 explosion that took 14 lives and seriously injured dozens of others at its plant in Port Wentworth, Ga.

Workshop to Investigate Impacts of Indoor Air Contaminants, Lead Paint

The half-day event will focus specifically on damage to building contents that can result from airborne contaminants and the ramifications to contractors of EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule.

Parts of Dust Standard Likely to Be Retroactive

The OSHA Combustible Dust Team's web chat with more than 400 stakeholders also gave some idea of the timetable for the combustible dust standard that will be developed.

ASSE: Safe Parading Requires Planning, No Stallions

Among other things, the society recommends that the proceedings be an “all forward motion” event with planned distances between parade entries, and that there be no stopping along the parade route.

EPA Takes Wind Out of Texas' Air Permit Program, Steams Governor

The agency determined the state's 16-year-old plan allows companies to avoid certain federal clean air requirements by lumping emissions from multiple units under a single "cap" rather than setting specific emission limits for individual pollution sources at their plants.

CPSC Warns of Dangerous Counterfeit Electrical Products

Counterfeits can be extremely difficult to spot as it could be a knock-off of a name brand product or one that bears an unauthorized certification marking. CPSC offers the following tips to help avoid counterfeit hazards.

Fifth Postal Facility Fined This Month, This Time in Maine for $430,000

All five of the facilities were investigated following complaints, and all ended up being fined for insufficient electrical safety practices. This latest fine brings OSHA's proposed penalty total against USPS to more than $1.3 million for the month of June alone.

New NOAA Website Highlights Economic, Ecological Value of Nation's Coast

Visualizations highlight important aspects of America's 95,000 miles of coastline, such as anticipated changes in coastal population from 1970 to 2040, the impact coastal areas have on the U.S. economy, the overall health of the U.S. coasts, and coastal areas' vulnerability to long-term sea level rise.

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