Regulatory & Standards


Study Correlates Workplace BPA Exposure to Male Sexual Dysfunction

"This study raises the question: Is there a safe level for BPA exposure, and what is that level? More studies like this, which examine the effect of BPA on humans, are critically needed to help establish prevention strategies and regulatory policies," said lead author De-Kun Li, M.D., Ph.D., of Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, Calif.

FDA Issues 2009 FDA Food Code

The Food and Drug Administration has announced the publication of the new FDA Food Code, a model code and reference document that provides a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the food industry. The 2009 FDA Food Code is a key component of the President's overall public-health-focused food safety framework for maintaining a safe food supply.

OSHA Cites Brooklyn Contractor for Electrocution Fall Hazards

OSHA has proposed $50,600 in fines against Metro Steel Fabricators Inc., a Brooklyn steel erection contractor, for alleged willful and serious violations of safety standards at a Tuckahoe, N.Y., jobsite.

protective goggles

ISEA's Eye and Face Protection Group Writing Biohazard Standard

The group, consisting of representatives from 14 major vision protection suppliers, held a kickoff meeting Nov. 9 during the association's Fall Meeting.

Assistant Secretary David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, who is the leader of OSHA, is shown in a GWU photo

HELP to Act Nov. 18 on Michaels Nomination

If the committee approves him, the OSHA nominee would then have only to await action by the full U.S. Senate. Also, President Obama has nominated a third OSHRC commissioner.

FDA Warns Against Marketing Illegal Flavored Cigarettes

The Food and Drug Administration is enforcing the flavored cigarette ban provision of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) by issuing several warning letters to companies continuing to sell illegal flavored cigarettes to consumers in the United States through their Web sites.

Jeff Gordon 24

NASCAR's Jeff Gordon Hosts Free Training DVD on Air Toxics Reductions

In December 2007, EPA issued a rule requiring reductions in air toxic emissions from auto body shops that use spray application to paint cars or that use paint strippers containing a toxic substance called methylene chloride. Existing shops must comply with the rule by January 2011; new shops have to comply by 180 days after startup.

Doctor Sentenced for Tax Evasion, Writing Prescriptions over Internet

A Virginia doctor was sentenced recently in federal court on charges that he wrote prescriptions over the Internet for people whom he had never met or examined, as well as tax evasion.



Seafood Processor Cited for Worker's Death in Ice Machine

OSHA has cited Northern Wind Inc., a New Bedford, Mass., seafood processor, for 23 alleged violations after a worker died May 4 when he became caught in the moving parts of a large industrial ice-making machine that activated while he performed maintenance work inside it.

OSHA Adds $64,000 in Fines against Veolia ES Technical Solutions

OSHA has concluded the second of two investigations into a May 3 explosion at Veolia ES Technical Solutions in West Carrollton and has issued an additional $64,000 in fines against the chemical processing company, bringing the total fines to $109,000.

CCPS Launches Benchmarking Program for Process Safety Management Systems

The Center for Chemical Process Safety, a technology alliance of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, has announced a partnership with Phillip Townsend and Associates to establish a program of formal benchmarking in process safety in the chemical, energy, and pharmaceutical industries. Participating companies will compare their process safety programs and performance in an effort to identify best practices and drive process safety improvement across the board.

Tyson Foods Found in Violation of Fair Labor Standards Act

Poultry producer Tyson Foods Inc. has been found in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) at its Blountsville, Ala., facility. The jury's verdict in federal court in Birmingham resulted from a lawsuit filed by the Department of Labor against the company.

Employers Jailed for Failure to Pay Back Wages to Cleaning Service Workers

The owners of a Southland residential cleaning service were taken into custody and later released after failing to comply with a court order directing payment of $3.5 million in back wages, plus interest, fines, and liquidated damages to at least 385 workers.

Fall Protection Definitions & Nomenclature Standard Gets an Update

Approved by ANSI on Oct. 27, the revised Z359.0-2009 is now available to download at no cost on ASSE's Web site.

EPA Seeks Input on Pesticide Labeling, Children's Exposure to Spray Drift

"The new labels will carry more uniform and specific directions on restricting spray drift while giving pesticide applicators clear and workable instructions," said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.

Fall Hazards at Massachusetts Sites Net $308,500 in OSHA Fines

New Place Carpentry, a New Haven, Conn., contractor with a long history of fall protection violations, faces a total of $308,500 in new fines from the OSHA for willful and repeat fall hazards following the agency's inspections at worksites in Plymouth and Methuen, Mass.

OSHA Cites Miami Companies After Worker Fatality

OSHA is proposing penalties against four Miami companies for safety violations following a fatality at the Bernuth Marine Terminal.

Blue FDA logo.

Safe Use Initiative Targets Preventable Harm from Medication Use

The Food and Drug Administration initiative is aimed at reducing the likelihood of preventable harm from medication use. Additionally, a separate guidance seeks to curb accidental overdoses caused by dosage delivery devices that have unclear dosing instructions.

AIHA Hosts Webinar on OSHA's Proposal to Adopt GHS Hazard Communication

The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) will host "OSHA's Proposal to Adopt the Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication," an intermediate TeleWeb Virtual Seminar on Nov. 19, 2009, from 2-4:30 p.m. ET. Featured speakers are Jennifer Silk and Denese Deeds, CIH.

OSHA Levies More than $100,000 in Penalties against Columbus Steel Castings

OSHA has cited Columbus Steel Castings Co. in Columbus with proposed penalties totaling $102,000 for alleged serious and repeat violations of federal workplace safety and health standards.

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