The requirements under the rule apply to maintenance, renovation, or repair activities where six square feet (about the size of a poster) or more of a painted surface is disturbed inside, or where 20 square feet or more of painted surface (about the size of a door) is disturbed on the exterior.
The order results from an inspection of the facility following three releases of the gas in January, including the release that caused the death. EPA determined that the facility has not satisfied Clean Air Act requirements that are designed to help prevent accidental releases and minimize the consequences of releases that do occur.
The "informal" public hearing will take place at the Marriott Pittsburgh City Center; OSHA decided to cancel a second hearing in Los Angeles.
Two days after the event, a “We Can Help” safety and worker rights fair will take place, also in Houston, providing free information, resources, training, and services.
Under RECA, people in the following claimant categories may receive payments: uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters; people who were present at nuclear weapons tests; and people who lived in certain areas "downwind" of the Nevada Nuclear Test Site.
Several agencies within the department, including OSHA, have their own presentations on the DOL page that explain how they support the draft plan. It will be posted for review and comment in July.
Among the 18 serious hazards the agency cited are the company’s failure to protect workers from rotating parts on conveyor belts and not providing a wash station for employees during the use of corrosive chemicals.
According to investigators, the company has not maintained OSHA 300 logs for two years and has failed to develop and implement a hazcom program, train employees on hazardous chemicals, and develop and implement a respiratory protection program, among other problems.
"Illegal marketing of pharmaceutical drugs jeopardizes the public's confidence in our health care system," said Tony West, assistant attorney general for DOJ's Civil Division.
"Having proper machine guarding on equipment can prevent these needless injuries to workers," said OSHA Area Director Jule Hovi in Toledo, Ohio.
The eTool provides preventative tips for protecting electric power workers’ safety and health.
Oregon OSHA said 31 people covered by the state’s workers’ compensation system died during 2009, tying the record low for the state.
The Association of American Railroads' petition for a "common sense" inspection/test interpretation by the Federal Railroad Administration triggered the April 7 public hearing, which was delayed last month by snow.
The Food and Drug Administration is warning health care providers and consumers about counterfeit surgical mesh being distributed in the United States under the C. R. Bard/Davol brand name. Surgical mesh products are used to reinforce soft tissue where weakness exists.
With coastal water temperatures just a few degrees above freezing and inland waters even colder, the lure of spring-like weather creates a deceptively dangerous combination, USCG notes.
"Unprotected trenches can become deathtraps in an instant when cave-ins occur," said Richard S. Terrill, OSHA's regional administrator in Seattle.
"Employers should not assume this [combustible dust] hazard is minor or non-existent. Addressing it requires ongoing attention and effort, but proper precautions can prevent or minimize the possibility of a devastating explosion or fire," said William Coffin, OSHA's area director for Maine.
Exposure to the toxic chemical can affect the nervous system and can cause changes in color vision, fatigue, slowed reaction time, concentration problems, and balance problems.
"Employers whose businesses have injury and illness rates this high need to take immediate steps to protect their workers," said OSHA head Dr. David Michaels.
“Hot work around flammable gas or vapor is one of the most common causes of worker deaths that we see at the Chemical Safety Board,” said CSB Board Member William B. Wark.