Regulatory & Standards


Homebuilder Cited $1 Million for Clean Water Violations in 18 States

The settlement requires Hovnanian to develop improved pollution prevention plans for each construction site, conduct additional site inspections, and promptly correct any problems detected.

FDA to Address Challenges of Using Complex Medical Devices in the Home

Food and Drug Administration has announced a new initiative to ensure that caregivers and patients safely use complex medical devices in the home.

OSHA is rolling out a Severe Violator Enforcement Program and raising its penalties, if only slightly.

OSHA Announces Severe Violator Enforcement Program

Are we seeing the new face of OSHA? David Michaels said the agency is doing what it can to administratively raise the dollar amounts of its penalties and adopting a new structure for penalty reductions based on the company's employee count.

"Employers can be assured that certifications from CIC meet all OSHA regulations," CIC Executive Director Debbie Dickinson said.

OSHA Recognizing Crane Institute of America Certification

A May 5 signing ceremony at DOL headquarters in Washington, D.C. is well timed because OSHA will require certification of some lifting personnel in the cranes and derricks standard it is expected to issue in July 2010.

FM Global Offers Record Membership Credit

And in recognition of its 175th anniversary this year, the commercial property insurer is making longstanding clients eligible for a membership credit rate of 20 percent.

California Issues First Citations for Aerosol Transmission Violations

A respiratory therapist and a police office were infected with bacterial meningitis after being exposed to a patient Dec. 3, but the Oakland hospital where he was treated did not report it to the local health department as quickly as the standard requires, according to Cal/OSHA.

The fight over home fire sprinklers continues, but NFPA and two allies are moving ahead on developing accreditation programs for their installers.

Big Push Coming for Home Fire Sprinklers

A $746,438 grant to the National Fire Protection Association from FEMA backs the national awareness campaign, "Faces of Fire," to communicate fires' impact. NFPA and two allied groups also are developing accreditation programs for home fire sprinkler contractors.

Company Fined $63,700 After Employee Loses Three Fingers

"If the employer had implemented the recommended safety procedures by having proper machine guarding on equipment, these needless injuries could have been avoided," said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA's area director in Mobile, Ala.



The COSTHA 2010 Annual Forum & Expo, a gathering of professionals who are experts in the safe movement of hazardous materials and goods around the world.

Hazmat Movers Heading to St. Petersburg

The COSTHA 2010 Annual Forum & Expo, a gathering of professionals who are experts in the safe movement of hazardous materials and goods around the world, begins Sunday.

DOL Resolves Case with Utah-based Firm for Child Labor Violations

With the exception of three 13-year-olds, the 1,482 minors the company employed were 14 and 15 years of age.

This BW Technologies by Honeywell photo shows a confined space entrant who is wearing a multi-gas detector.

Canadian Confined Space Standard Nears Approval

CSA Z1006, Management of Work in Confined Spaces, would be the country's first comprehensive national standard on the topic and would solve a puzzling problem: jurisdictions haven't agreed on a consistent definition of "confined space."

Law 3 Protective Eyewear

Revised Eye & Face Standard Takes Hazard-Based Approach

The Z87 Committee on Safety Eye and Face Protection has completed Z87.1-2010 and changed the standard's organization, committee Chairman Dan Torgersen says.

Thirty Percent of Michigan Bridges Need Work

The Michigan Department of Transportation's updated information about the safety of 4,400 state highway bridges does not say they are dangerous, but 423 are classified as "structurally deficient" and 901 as "functionally obsolete."

The DC Circuit decision upholds per-instance OSHA citation of an employer in willful or egregious cases.

DC Circuit Upholds Per-Instance Penalties

Friday's decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit says the U.S. Labor secretary has the authority to penalize employers on a per-instance basis in willful or egregious cases.

Audit programs of airlines by the partner organizations obtain complementary safety information, according to IATA. This Boeing photo shows a 737.

Global Aviation Safety Info Exchange Under Development

Audit results are part of the data to be shared by the International Air Transport Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Commission of the European Union.

Texas Company Fined $128,300 for Violating Pesticide Law

“Consumers need proper information to ensure they are using pesticides safely and correctly. Improper labeling can result in harm to public health and the environment," said EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz.

Cranes and Derricks Rule in Final Stage

OSHA's pending cranes and derricks in construction rule was submitted for OMB review on April 9, which means the July 2010 date for publishing the final rule could be met.

President Barack Obama

Obama Promises Immediate Mine Safety Changes

After meeting today with MSHA chief Joe Main, Secretary Hilda Solis, and Kevin Stricklin, administrator for coal mine safety and health, the president pledged "immediate" inspections of mines with "troubling safety records" and a review of how MSHA is operating.

Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit Set for October

NFPA is joining with SAE International to co-sponsor the event. NFPA published an article recently about the hazards emergency responders may face when responding to electric vehicle accidents, and the association is developing a responder safety training program with a $4.4 million DOE grant.

April 22 Deadline Looms for Contractors to Become Lead-Safe Certified

To date, EPA has certified 184 training providers who have conducted more than 4,900 courses. Based on current estimates, the agency expects more than 125,000 contractors to be certified by the deadline, with many more seeking and obtaining the training afterward.

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