The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday the launch of a new education campaign to help the public understand the importance of removing and properly disposing of unused prescription opioid medication from their homes.
FDA said the guidance builds on 18 months of improvements to its recall processes that have resulted in more timely information being available to consumers. Examples include alerts, advisories, or consumer warnings related to products such as pre-cut melon associated with an outbreak of Salmonella infections and recalled vegetables, drugs, homeopathic products, and test strips for home-use monitoring of Warfarin.
Local or state permits may be needed before starting to rebuild after a severe storm, straight-line winds, and flooding in much of the state during March, FEMA and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency are reminding state residents.
"We are also pleased to welcome Christopher Hart as an independent safety advisor," said John Simon, interim CEO of the corporation. "We welcome his insights as we confront the growing wildfire threat and commit to advancing the highest standards of transparency and safety."
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has sent a notice to all public housing authorities and private owners of HUD-subsidized housing that urges them to install working carbon monoxide detectors in their properties, and the department announced it will propose a new rule to make optional CO detectors mandatory.
The nasal spray does not require assembly and delivers a consistent, measured dose when used as directed, and the product can be used for adults or children and is easily administered by anyone, even those without medical training.
The U.S. Department of Labor will host an event April 24 in Oak Ridge, Tenn., to discuss the benefits available to current and former nuclear weapons workers from covered facilities, and their families, under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.
"Workers handling e-waste have no voice, no bargaining power, and they are breaking hazardous materials by their hands," said worker vice-chairperson James Towers. "Moreover, these workers are unaware of the many risks associated with handling e-waste."
Contraband cellphones are a safety and security concern both for the public and for correctional facilities nationwide, according to the bureau, which reported contraband cellphones have been used by incarcerated inmates to run criminal enterprises, distribute child pornography, and facilitate the commission of violent crimes.
It recommends preparing a job hazard analysis with operators for each new job to identify and control hazards and using the manufacturer's safety instructions to establish the risk zone for the specific machine, attachment, and task.
"We are ramping up enforcement in all areas. Now is the time to make sure you are in compliance. This is a public safety issue and public safety is a top priority," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said April 10.
The proposed ASHRAE Standard 514 will be designated as a safety standard, and the committee will coordinate with SSPC 188, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems, to ensure there is no conflict or duplication between the two standards.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced April 10 that a grand jury has indicted Arkema Inc. and Mike Keough, the company's vice president of logistics, on a felony charge of causing bodily injury to two sheriff's deputies by withholding critical information needed by first responders to protect themselves and the community from chemicals released when Arkema's Crosby Plant caught fire during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
The authors conclude that high COPD prevalences in certain industries and occupations among persons who have never smoked underscore the importance of continued surveillance, early identification of COPD, and reducing or eliminating risk factors such as occupational exposures to dust, vapors, fumes, chemicals, and indoor and outdoor air pollutants.
Oregon OSHA urges employers to blend the training offered by the Safety Committee Suite with policies and practices that are specific to their workplaces, noting that doing this will increase the effectiveness of the training and help ensure all requirements are met.
Local experts will be available at the workshops to answer questions and to guide small group conversations to learn more about sea level rise in the county and to devise strategies to address anticipated impacts.
In joint tri-lateral letters to the standards development organizations in the three jurisdictions, the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican agencies recommended new testing to assess the potential for fire and burn hazards caused by AC-powered chargers for small electronic devices.
During fiscal year 2018, FDA staff posted at the nation's International Mail Facilities examined packages from more than 180 countries, with approximately 90 percent of the packages reviewed by the FDA found to contain products that should not have been entering the country.
The American Welding Society says National Welding Month is an important opportunity to highlight an industry where trade skills are in dire need, with the industry predicting a shortage of more than 200,000 skilled welding professionals by 2020.
The U.S. Department of Labor, in coordination with the Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and its Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion, has launched a new resource to help employers better understand mental health issues and to provide guidance on how to cultivate a supportive workplace.