Risk Management


DC Circuit's Process Safety Decision a Setback for OSHA

In a unanimous decision, three D.C. Circuit judges -- Sri Srinivasan, Judith W. Rogers, and Patricia A. Millett -- ruled that OSHA failed to follow the required notice-and-comment procedure when it narrowed the retail exemption in its PSM standard following the West Fertilizer explosion in 2013.

The two DOT agencies are conducting audits, and PHMSA is making unannounced inspections, to ensure railroads

Inspectors Still Checking Crude Oil Tank Cars in New York State

State and federal inspectors found three critical defects and 41 non-critial ones in the latest round of inspections on track, track hardware, and tank car mechanical safety equipment, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sept. 20.

DARPA Aerial Dragnet Program Seeks to Monitor Drones

Although its focus is to protect military troops in urban areas overseas, such a system could be used to protect U.S. cities from terrorist threats.

TVA Making Dam Safety Checks at Raccoon Mountain

The reservoir at the top of the mountain contains approximately 107 billion gallons of water covering 528 acres of water surface, and the dam holding back that upper reservoir is 230 feet high and 8,500 feet long.

National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week Announced

President Obama issued a proclamation last Friday designating Sept. 18-24 as Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week.

Drive Safety Work Week 2016 Set for Oct. 3-7

DSWW 2016's theme is "Drowsy, Distracted or Focused…Your Decisions Drive Your Safety." Employers can preview and download the free campaign toolkit at www.trafficsafety.org.

NIOSH Funds Two New Total Worker Health Centers of Excellence, Six in All

"New patterns of employment and work restructuring impact the safety and health of workers, and we look forward to working to improve safety interventions in construction, small business, and health care, among others," NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard, M.D., MPH, said.

FDA Issues Final Rule on Antibacterial Soaps

The rule removes triclosan and triclocarban from over-the-counter antibacterial hand and body washes. Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said "some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long term."



UN Meeting Under Way on Setting Date for Cluster Bomb Ban

The Convention on Cluster Munitions prohibits all use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of these devices, and took effect Aug. 1, 2010. To date, 119 states have joined the Convention. The Sept. 5-7 meeting aims to set a target date to achieve that.

NRC Issues Mid-Cycle Assessments

Of the 96 highest-performing reactors, 87 fully met all of the safety and security performance objectives and were inspected by NRC using the normal "baseline" inspection program. Nine reactors needed to resolve one or two items of low safety significance.

DARPA Hails Smartphone-Sized Radiation Detectors

The networked devices were developed as part of the SIGMA program, which began in 2014 with the goal of creating a cost-effective, continuous radiation-monitoring network that can cover a large city or region.

FDA Requires Stronger Warning Labels on Opioids and Benzodiazepines

"It is nothing short of a public health crisis when you see a substantial increase of avoidable overdose and death related to two widely used drug classes being taken together," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, M.D. "We implore health care professionals to heed these new warnings and more carefully and thoroughly evaluate, on a patient-by-patient basis, whether the benefits of using opioids and benzodiazepines – or CNS depressants more generally – together outweigh these serious risks."

#VPPPA32 Speaker Answers Temp Worker Questions

Both the host employer and the staffing agency may be held responsible for safety violations, Norman R. Deitch, OHST, explained during a session at the conference.

Traffic Deaths Up Sharply in 2015: DOT

Traffic Deaths Up Sharply in 2015: DOT

The agency estimates 35,092 people were involved in fatal traffic crashes in 2015.

Major incidents at oil and gas refineries pose a significant risk to refinery workers and nearby communities while costing Californians an average of $800 million a year in disruption to fuel supplies, according to the state agencies behind the new safety regulations.

Two Weeks Left to Comment on California's Refinery Regs

The Department of Industrial Relations, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and the California Environmental Protection Agency announced new rules to strengthen safety at oil refineries statewide in July.

Ohio BWC's Innovation Awards Contest Entries Due By Sept. 30

Cash awards are available, and BWC's Division of Safety & Hygiene will select the finalists who will compete for the cash awards during the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo.

OSHA Urges Louisiana Flood Recovery Workers to be Aware of Hazards during Cleanup

OSHA Urges Louisiana Flood Recovery Workers to be Aware of Hazards During Cleanup

Representatives from the agency are providing assistance in areas affected by flooding.

OSHA Sets Final Meeting of Emergency Response and Preparedness Subcommittee

The subcommittee will finalize the discussion of elements of an emergency response proposed rule.

Labor Department Issues Final Regulations on Federal Contractor Compliance

Labor Department Issues Final Regulations on Federal Contractor Compliance

The action will implement the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order.

Power Line Safety Campaign Renewed in Wales

The number of fallen power lines on agricultural land in north Wales rose by 58 percent from April 2015 to March 2016, with accidental contact with lines being one of the causes, SP Energy Networks reports.

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