Regulatory & Standards


Medical Review Board Public Meeting Set for July 18

Attendance is open to the interested public, including medical examiners, motor carriers, drivers, and representatives of medical and scientific associations.

U.S. Manufacturers Foresee Domestic Expansion, Cost Troubles

"Manufacturers cited controlling labor costs, enacting favorable tax policies, and assisting with the severe shortage of skilled manufacturing workers, including engineers, scientists, and technicians, as the top three areas that policymakers should address to help improve their global competitiveness," said NAM VP Emily DeRocco.

New Guidance Showcases Effective Mining Noise Controls

Issued Wednesday, the bulletin describes "technologically achievable and promising" controls for several types of machines used in mines.

MSHA Issues Belt Air Rule

Richard E. Stickler, acting assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health, said the proposed rule "would include requirements for improved flame-resistant conveyor belts, fire prevention and detection in belt entries, standardized tactile signals on lifelines, and approval of the use of air from the belt entry to ventilate working sections."

CMS Requires Sprinklers in Long-Term Care Facilities

All 16,000 nursing homes in the country are covered by the rule, which contains a five-year phase-in period.

Congressional Support Builds for Building Code Grant

If approved, CBCAG funds would be dedicated to training “First Preventers”--building and fire safety officials who prevent harm by ensuring compliance with safety codes before disasters occur.

MSHA Proposes Rule Requiring Refuge Alternative

The rule would require that underground coal mines provide refuge alternatives to protect miners when a life-threatening event makes escape impossible.

OSHA Fines Medical Center $110,000 for Asbestos Violations

OSHA has cited Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center for alleged lack of employee safeguards and the improper removal and disposal of asbestos containing material in a closed section of the hospital during renovation work in December 2007. The Niagara Falls, N.Y., medical facility faces $110,000 in proposed fines.



70E, a Changing Standard

NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, has become a critical part of the safety equation for companies and individuals who work on or near electrical power systems and their components.

EPA Proposes to Extend Deadline for Pesticide Labeling

You may be potentially affected by this action if you are a pesticide formulator, agrichemical dealer, an independent commercial applicator, or a custom blender.

Wal-Mart Agrees to Pay $250,000 to Disabled Ex-Employee

Retail giant Wal-Mart will pay $250,000 and furnish significant injunctive relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced recently. EEOC had charged that Wal-Mart failed to accommodate and then fired a long-time pharmacy technician who suffered a disability resulting from a gunshot wound.

OSHA, ASSE Renew Alliance at Safety 2008

An alliance between OSHA and the American Society of Safety Engineers continues with the goal of fostering a culture of prevention for safety and health hazards at U.S. job sites.

California Farm Labor Contractor Barred for Heat Violations

The administrative order bars Merced Farm Labor Contractor from operating in the fields because of its alleged failure to comply with heat illness regulations.

FDA, EMA to Consider Additional Drug Safety Test Results

In the first use of a framework allowing submission of a single application to the two agencies, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) have worked together to allow drug companies to submit a single application showing the results of seven new tests that evaluate kidney damage during animal studies of new drugs. The tests measure the levels of seven key proteins or "biomarkers" found in urine that can provide additional information about drug-induced damage to kidney cells, also known as renal toxicity.

Florida Governor Signs ASSE's Public Sector Safety & Health Coverage Task Force Bill

The measure creates a 15-member task force that will make recommendations to determine how best to provide occupational safety and health coverage to Florida’s state, county and municipal workers.

NTSB to FAA: Addressing Human Fatigue Long Overdue

NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker says the board is concerned and has issued recommendations to FAA because it has "seen too many accidents and incidents where human fatigue is a cause or contributing factor."

Federal Agencies Launch $8 Million Effort to Study Libby, Montana Asbestos Exposure

The five-year project will examine health effects of exposure to Libby amphibole asbestos.

Live from Safety 2008: Foulke, Howard Foresee Safety's Future

"We’re talking about more than just a paper program. It’s the kind of program that can reduce worker’s comp costs and illnesses and injuries, making the companies more productive and more competitive,” said OSHA chief Edwin G. Foulke today.

NRC Issues Final FY 2008 Licensing, Inspection, Annual Fees Rule

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is amending its regulations to reflect the licensing, inspection, and annual fees it will charge its licensees and applicants in fiscal year (FY) 2008.

OSHA Cites Two Employers in NYC scaffold collapse

OSHA has cited two New York City employers for alleged violations of federal workplace safety standards in connection with a Dec. 7, 2007, scaffold collapse at 265 E. 66th St. in Manhattan. Two window washers fell 47 stories when their scaffold platform detached from the permanent window washing rig attached to the building's roof.

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