Risk Management


OSHA Issues $1 Million in Penalties for Pipe Deaths at Xcel Plant

The fatal tunnel fire ignited Oct. 2, 2007, at the Xcel Energy Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant in Georgetown, Colo., about 45 miles west of Denver. This view shows the plant from the lower reservoir.

NIOSH Nominates 10 Studies for 2008 CDC Science Award

One of the 10 showed how better sizing of fall harnesses could reduce injury risks of construction workers.

CSB Presents 'Anatomy of a Disaster' Video, Examining BP Explosion

The incident occurred on March 23, 2005, during the startup of the refinery's octane-boosting isomerization unit, when a distillation tower and attached blowdown drum were overfilled with flammable liquid hydrocarbons.

FAA Team Wins Collier Award for Next-Gen Data System

A team of more than 100 people has worked 12 years on the winning program, which will send weather, traffic, and airspace information automatically to airplane cockpits.

New UK Reactor Designs Pass Initial Safety Review

The entire assesssment process is expected to take 3.5 years to complete.

Study: Middle School Alcohol Prevention Program 'Not Enough' in Chicago

"The bottom line is this: Low-income children in urban areas need more, long-term intensive efforts," says Kelli A. Komro, the study's lead author.

DC Steps Up Campaign Against Gun Violence

Mayor Adrian Fenty said the Safe Home Initiative starts next Monday. Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a case challenging the city's handgun ban.

Billboard Firm Faces $54,500 in Fines for Repeat Fall Protection Hazards

"The same hazard recurring in multiple locations points to a systemic problem with the company's safety program that must be addressed before employees are hurt or killed," said Brenda Gordon, director of OSHA's Braintree Area Office.



Study: Escalator Injuries Going Up for Elderly

The most frequent cause of injury was a slip, trip, or fall resulting in a bruise or contusion, usually to the lower extremities, according to the study.

NRC, Great Britain Renew Nuclear Safety Cooperation Agreement

The five-year agreement is for cooperation in technical areas that include operating reactors, new reactors, nuclear waste management, radioactive material safety and safeguards, physical security, nuclear safety research, and emergency preparedness and response.

Training, Supervision Prevent Blood Exposures

Recent studies show non-hospital-based workers have relatively high exposure rates to bloodborne pathogens. Vonachen Services Inc., a janitorial services contracting company with about 125 employees working in health care facilities, has built its BBP success through hands-on supervision and a strong training program.

Climate Change, Not Disasters, Tops Insurers' Risks

A new Ernst & Young report said catastrophic events now rank third, after demographic shifts.

Bid to Force OSHA's Hand on Combustible Dust Starts Tomorrow

Rep. John Barrow, whose district includes the Imperial Sugar plant, is a sponsor of H.R. 5522, which would require interim and final dust standards and revision of the HazCom standard.

NIOSH Posts Matrix for Magnetic Field Exposures, Risks

The matrix links exposure statistics with disease and death certificates.

CPSC's Latest Initiatives Look Offshore

Vietnam is the latest country to sign an agreement to help prevent unsafe products from being imported to the United States.

Senate Passes Major CPSC Reform Bill

Increased funding and temporary authority to act without a quorum of commissioners are included in the bill, which heads to a conference committee.

OSHA Unwraps Combustible Dust Topics Page

The page, unveiled by agency chief Edwin Foulke Jr., links to the current National Emphasis Program, a bulletin on dust hazards, and several relevant standards.

HELP Report Criticizes Mine Operator, MSHA in Crandall Canyon Disaster

The United Mine Workers' president said the report underscores the necessity of enacting the S-MINER Act, but three committee Republicans disagree.

European Report Warns of Combustibility of Aluminum Nanodust

Carbon nanotubes exhibit the same explosion severities and sensitivities as those for various coals, food flours, and other nanostructured carbon blacks, the researchers also found.

April 2 Meeting Set on NIOSH's Food Flavorings Research

External peer reviewers and stakeholders can comment about the agency's study of exposures, engineering controls, and better analytical methods.

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