Regulatory & Standards


CPSC Still Considering Table Saw Standard

The agency will accept comments until Feb. 10, 2012, but has not yet decided whether to pursue a a new performance safety standards.

OSHA Pounds Meat Manufacturer for Exposing Workers to Fall Hazards

Sigma Processed Meats Inc. has been cited for 16 serious and three repeat violations worth $204,800 in proposed penalties.

FAA Defining 'Propeller Critical Part' with NPRM

The agency sets minimum safety standards for airplane propellers, but its regulations don't specifically define the term propeller critical part – so there are no requirements for design, manufacture, or maintenance.

DOT Agencies Ban Hand-Held Phone Use by Commercial Drivers

The final rule takes effect Jan. 3. It does not ban hands-free phone use.

OSHA Updates Tire Servicing Materials Charts

The revised materials address OSHA's Materials Handling and Storage standard that protects workers who service single-piece and multi-piece rim wheels.

Worker Fatally Falls from Scaffold, Construction Firm Fined $50,000

"Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry and failing to ensure workers use fall protection when required is unacceptable," said Gary Anderson, director of OSHA's Calumet City Area Office.

OSHA Starts Emphasis Program on Chemical Facilities

Facilities to be inspected will be randomly selected from a list of sites likely to have highly hazardous chemicals in quantities covered by the process safety management standard.

This photo from the Asahi Shimbun Facebook page shows a ship capsized by the tsunami.

Cataclysm and Recovery

In 2011, the world experienced both. Expect more of the same — and then some — in the year ahead.



Pressure to Perform

Understanding the dynamics of air pressure within your hazmat suit should provide welcome peace of mind.

Take the Guesswork Out of Selecting Apparel

New innovations deliver objective, real-time data on a PPE solution's resistance to molten substances.

$38 Million State Fine in 2008 PG&E Pipeline Explosion

The Rancho Cordova, Calif., explosion on Dec. 24, 2008, involved natural gas leaking from a distribution pipeline. An administrative judge rejected a smaller, $26 million fine proposed by the CPUC and the utility.

OSHA Hammers Steel Foundry for Overexposing Workers to Crystalline Silica

Breathing crystalline silica dust can cause silicosis, an incurable condition that reduces the ability of lungs to take in oxygen.

Rail Accident Baseline Raised

The reporting threshold for calendar year 2012 for rail equipment collisions, derailments, fires, explosions, etc. is $9,500, up from $9,400 this year.

Ohio Fabrication Plant Fined $90,760 for Altering Injury, Illness Logs

OSHA initiated an inspection of the fabrication plant after receiving a complaint alleging that injured workers, who were unable to perform their normal jobs, were moved to other jobs to avoid recordable injuries on the OSHA 300 logs.

OSHA Busts Guam Golf Club for 17 Safety Violations

Serious safety violations include failing to provide training for employees working with hazardous materials, provide appropriate personal protective equipment for eyes and face, and exposing workers to live electrical parts.

Worker's Electrocution at Texas Oil Rig Leads to $130,200 Fine

OSHA issued seven safety violations after an employee performing repair work on an oil drilling rig was electrocuted at the company's worksite near Ozona, Texas.

PHMSA Orders Companies to Cease Transportation of Experimental Gas

An investigation, conducted by PHMSA, found a pattern of severe explosions resulting in at least one fatality, serious property damage, and injuries associated with TyLar, and experimental gas.

American Lung Association Calls for Tougher Soot Limits

Soot is generated by coal-fired power plants, diesel and other vehicles, agricultural burning, wood stoves, and industrial combustion.

Saying Violations Widespread, South Africa's DOL Expands Silicosis Inspections

The inspections in non-mining industries are considered crucial to achieving the Department of Labour's goal of eliminating the lung disease by 2030.

Two-Hour HACCP Webinar Set for Dec. 8

Two experts from the Grocery Manufacturers Association will help attendees comply with new hazard analysis and prevention plans required by the Food Safety Modernization Act.

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