Regulatory & Standards


Worker's Grain Engulfment Carries $185,600 Penalty

OSHA opened an inspection following the death of a worker who suffocated when engulfed in grain that he was walking on in a bin that had a running auger.

ICC: Building Safety Codes Changed as a Result of 9/11

The International Code Council’s activity heightened when the National Institute of Standards and Technology released its “Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center,” which contained 30 broad recommendations for the model codes, standards industry, design community, and emergency responders.

Worker Loses Finger on Glass Machine, Company Fined $113,800

OSHA opened an investigation after a March 18 incident in which a worker's right index finger became caught in the sleeve of the glass former press stem while he was performing maintenance and was amputated.

OSHA Delivers $76,005 in Fines to Delaware Distributor

Some of the serious violations involve exposing employees to electrical hazards due to the company's failure to properly mark voltage panel boxes, properly guard voltage junction boxes, and cover live electrical parts.

Worker's Hand Contusion Leads to $46,200 Fine for Door Maker

OSHA cited Marshfield DoorSystems Inc. with one repeat and two alleged serious violations after a worker's hand became caught in an ingoing nip point on a conveyor belt line in March, resulting in contusions, abrasions, and friction burns.

MSDS Evolution: From Document to Data to Globalization

Some may assume that the lion's share of the responsibility is upstream, but downstream employers are not exempt.

CSA Updates Oil & Gas Pipelines National Standard

The Canadian Standards Association has released its Z662-11 standard, the sixth edition, which includes a revised "Guidelines for Pipeline System Integrity Management Programs" annex.

Worker training is probably one of the most cost-effective requirements to effectively reduce risk. (Photo: Square D Services/Schneider Electric)

Managing Risk as a Fundamental Business Process

Electrical workplace safety deficiencies are among the top 10 violations most frequently cited by OSHA.



NRC Seeks Comments on Revised Dose Limits to Lens of the Eye

The agency says the international radiation protection community may follow the International Commission on Radiological Protection's recommended limit of of 20 mSv (2 rem) per year, versus the current U.S. limit of 150 mSv (15 rem) per year.

Serious Safety Violations Add Up to $60,900 in Fines for Ohio Firm

Violations include failing to provide machine guards on a bandsaw blade, allowing aluminum dust to collect in the shot blast machine, and failing to implement explosion protection measures for equipment and exhaust ventilation systems.

MSHA Proposes Rule on Proximity Detection Systems

Proximity detection refers to a technology that can be installed on mining machinery to detect the presence of personnel or other machinery within a certain distance.

Construction Fatalities Fell Nearly 10 Percent Last Year

The number of construction fatalities in 2010 was 751, down from 834 in 2009 and 1,239 in 2006.

EU Agency Finalizing Aircraft Identification Rule

Air Navigation Service Providers will have to use downlinked aircraft identification for at least half of the flights in the core area of Europe starting in 2012.

MSHA Announces Results of July Impact Inspections

Coal mines were issued 232 citations and 24 orders, while metal/nonmetal operations were issued 108 citations and 11 orders.

Rules May Be Tightened for Gas Transmission Pipelines

Citing the San Bruno explosion in September 2010, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said safety of gas transmission in high consequence areas has improved but may need additional mandates.

Laceration, Fire Hazards Add Up to $49,210 in Fines for N.Y. Manufacturer

Eight serious violations involve a storage cabinet for flammable liquids that did not meet fire resistance requirements, an auger that did not have its power source locked out to prevent its activation while employees cleared jams, and blocked and unmounted fire extinguishers.

Google Pays $500 Million to Settle DOJ Suit

The forfeiture, one of the largest ever in the United States, represents the gross revenue received by Google as a result of Canadian pharmacies advertising through Google’s AdWords program, plus gross revenue made by Canadian pharmacies from their sales to U.S. consumers.

NHTSA Rejects School Bus Seat Belts Again

It denied a petition seeking lap and shoulder belts for all seats on all school buses, saying "we have not found a safety problem supporting a Federal requirement for lap/shoulder belts on large school buses, which are already very safe."

Worker Fatally Crushed on Oil Rig, Firm Fined $132,300

OSHA's Baton Rouge Area Office began its inspection March 10 following a report that an employee was fatally injured when a land-based portable rig, which was mounted on a barge, tipped over and crushed the employee to death.

OSHA Penalizes Plastics Firm for Electric Shock, Machine Hazards

"This inspection identified a broad range of hazards that, if left uncorrected, expose workers to electric shock, potential falls and 'caught-in' hazards posed by work around machinery," said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office.

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