Risk Management


$354,000 Fine Lodged Against Trenching Company

OSHA claims the company has a long history of violations.

The hose that failed, shown at the top in this CSB photo, had been in service for seven months and was susceptible to corrosion from phosgene, according to the agency.

CSB Seeks Comments on DuPont Belle Draft Report

The agency investigated three releases at the West Virginia plant within a 48-hour period in January 2010, including a phosgene gas release that killed a worker who was near the location where phosgene cylinders were stored.

Study: Laundered Shop Towels May Be Contaminating Workers

“Without knowing it, manufacturing workers may be ingesting certain heavy metals at elevated levels from this unexpected source," said Barbara Beck, Ph.D., DABT, principal at Gradient, the firm that conducted the research. "For some of these metals, the amounts ingested may be greater than allowed in drinking water on a daily basis."

An awareness campaign is planned to ensure the 2013 registration deadline is met.

First ECHA Report Says REACH Succeeding

Fears that REACH was too complex and set overly demanding deadlines for industry and regulators were overblown, says the first required report on how the REACH and CLP regulations are working.

The objective of the directive is to achieve the safest possible working environment by preventing injuries to workers caused by all medical sharps.

Clock Running on EU Sharps Directive

By May 11, 2013, member states are required to have requirements in effect that implement Directive 2010/32/EU - prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector.

Texas Bakery Fined $199,600 for Hazardous Chemicals Violations

OSHA cited the same company in 2006 for similar violations at Plant 2 of the China Grove facility with proposed penalties of $78,300. The company also was cited in April 2011 with proposed penalties of $229,400 following an amputation incident and multiple inspections at the two facilities.

AEM Offers Hydraulic Excavator Safety Manual in Spanish

The manual from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers was expanded and updated last year.

SBA, American Red Cross Launch Disaster Preparedness Outreach Initiative

The core of the SBA-Red Cross agreement is a plan to work with SBA District Offices and its resource partners to promote and, along with local Red Cross chapters, sponsor preparedness training workshops.



Process Safety Management Violations Add Up to $62,100 in Fines for N.J. Firm

An inspection was initiated on Jan. 7 in response to a referral from the New Jersey State Police alleging that a hazardous chemical solvent was released during a cleaning process.

Two Rules at Final Stage in OSHA's Latest Agenda

The two are confined spaces in construction -- to be issued in November 2011 -- and protective equipment for electrical power generating, distribution and transmission workers -- coming in September.

NIOSH Fact Sheet Highlights Safety, Health Concerns Among Hotel Cleaners

Nearly 1.8 million people worked in the traveler/accommodations industry in 2008, including more than 400,000 hotel room cleaners.

Outbreaks have been declared at three of the seven hospitals operated by the Niagara Health System.

Ontario, CN Hospitals Battling C. Diff Outbreaks

The Globe and Mail reported at least 18 elderly patients have died, including 10 at a single hospital operated by the Niagara Health System.

NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard

NORA Symposium's Plenary Sessions Being Broadcast Live

They can be viewed beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT both July 12 and July 13. Taking place in Cincinnati, the 7th Symposium will showcase excellence in OSH research and how it may be applied to prevent injuries and illnesses.

The new OSHA hazard alert stems from the Oct. 27, 2010, death of a University of Notre Dame student employee who was filming a football practice from a scissor lift that toppled in high winds.

OSHA Issues Alert on Lifts Used for Filming Events

The hazard alert issued July 6 stems from the Oct. 27, 2010, death of Declan Sullivan, a University of Notre Dame student employee who died while filming a football practice from a scissors lift that toppled in high winds.

Improved Stepladder Design May Decrease Injuries: Study

Compared with a flat surface, stepladders present a smaller and less rigid surface on which to stand, and the narrow steps make it easier for a person to lose his or her balance.

DOL Resolves OSHA Citations Against Explosives Maker Following Blast that Killed Two Workers

OSHA cited Black Mag LLC in October 2010 for more than 50 willful, egregious, and serious violations of safety standards in connection with a May 14, 2010, explosion at the company's Colebrook, N.H., facility in which two employees died while manufacturing a gunpowder substitute.

Dust on Office Surfaces Can Expose People to Hazardous Flame Retardants

In a study of 31 Boston offices, polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants now banned internationally by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants were detected in every office tested.

NFPA: Cooking Fires Remain Leading Cause of Home Fires

During the five-year period covered by the report, roughly one in every 310 households per year had a reported home fire. On average, seven people died in U.S. home fires every day.

FMCSA Shuts Down Georgia Bus Firm for 'Widespread' Violations

Evidence obtained during a compliance review conducted by FMCSA safety investigators disclosed that H & W Tour Inc. continued transportation of passengers without federal operating authority and without the required level of insurance.

What Is Hazardous?

A material of relatively low hazard can present substantial risk, while a material with a high hazard might present no measurable risk in certain circumstances.

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