Risk Management


NTSB Cites Limited Visibility, Lack of Communication in Ship Channel Collision

The collision of a 623-foot long bulk carrier with a 600-foot tanker caused about 88,200 gallons of methyl tert-butyl ether to spill into the Houston Ship Channel on March 9, 2015.

The benefits of chemical substitution go beyond safety, and a strong business case can be made that its benefits include productivity improvement, as demonstrated in a 2008 AIHA study.

TSCA Reform Bill Passed By Congress

The long-delayed bill overhauling the Toxic Substances Reform Act is heading to President Obama’s desk for his signature.

Alstom

OSHA Cites Railcar Manufacturer for Hazardous Exposures

The agency has issued 17 serious violations and $105,000 in penalties for exposures at Alstom's Hornell, N.Y., plant.

Agencies Working to Stop Spread of Colistin-Resistant Gene

CDC and HHS are involved. The Department of Defense notified stakeholders this week that its Multidrug-resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network at the Walter Reed Institute of Research had identified the first colistin-resistant mcr-1 E. coli in a person in the United States.

The 'Deadliest Catch' No More

Efforts by the fishing industry, Coast Guard, and National Marine Fisheries Service have all contributed to the fleet's improved safety.

The final rule incorporates all or designated portions of several industry standards, including the American Petroleum Institute’s Standard 53, Blowout Prevention Equipment Systems for Drilling Wells, Fourth Edition.

Weighing BSEE's Well Control Rule

While Director Brian Salerno calls it "one of the most comprehensive offshore safety and environmental protection rules ever developed by the Department of the Interior," one industry group said the rule "could result in unintended negative consequences leading to reduced safety, less environmental protection, fewer American jobs, and decreased U.S. oil and natural gas production."

The Georgia World Congress Center hosts Safety 2016, the American Society of Safety Engineers

Dateline Atlanta

For those who attended the 2015 National Safety Council Congress & Expo nine months ago, the facility’s layout and downtown Atlanta are familiar territory.

CSB Urges EPA to Require Inherently Safer Technologies

Commenting on a proposed rule on accidental release prevention requirements, the board has asked EPA to adopt more robust requirements regarding the use of inherently safer systems analysis and the hierarchy of controls.



NFPA Combustible Dust Standard Now in Place

An NFPA staff member provided an update on the new NFPA 652 standard during the AIHce 2016 meeting and said the association is moving toward a single combustible dust standard.

Top Posters Address Diacetyl Exposures, Noise Monitoring, Tobacco Workers' Illness

The displayed posters filled a large section of the expo floor in the Baltimore Convention Center. Many attendees walked up and down the rows seeking papers on topics of interest.

Memorial day

NSC Says Drivers May Face Deadliest Memorial Day Weekend Since 2009

Traffic fatalities show no signs of slowing, according to the council.

GAO is also evaluating the electromagnetic event preparedness of U.S. electricity providers and is making a technical assessment of protective equipment that could mitigate the impacts of a geomagnetic disturbance on electrical infrastructure.

Electromagnetic Pulse Report Calls on DHS, DOE to Identify Key Infrastructure

The GAO report released May 17 said the two agencies had not acted to identify key infrastructure assets as required, given their responsibilities under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Both agencies concurred with the recommendation, according to the report.

FAA Tests Drone Detection System at JFK

The FAA is partnering with the FBI to detect “rogue” drones around airports.

Engineer's Distraction, Lack of Positive Train Control Technology Cited in Amtrak Crash

"It's widely understood that every person, no matter how conscientious and skilled, is fallible, which is why technology was developed to backstop human vulnerabilities," said NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart. "Had positive train control been in place on that stretch of track, this entirely preventable tragedy would not have happened."

DOL Awards $1.4 Million for Storm Recovery Efforts in Texas

The money will be used for cleanup and recovery after severe storms in the summer of 2015.

USPS: Houston Tops for Dog Attacks in 2015

USPS released 2015 data that showed 6,549 of its employees were attacked by dogs last year, and that four Texas cities ranked in the top 10 among U.S. cities for dog attacks.

BSEE Director and U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Discuss Joint Operations

The discussions took place during a luncheon panel at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.

Challenge III winners are developing new materials to reduce head impact forces on sports professionals, military members, and others who wear protective gear.

Retired NFL Players Not at Greater Suicide Risk, Study Finds

NIOSH researchers found that from 1979 to 2013, the suicide rate among those former players was less than half of what would be expected compared with the general population: The NFL group experienced 12 suicide deaths, compared with 25 that would be expected in a comparable gender/race/age sector of the population.

MSHA Stakeholder Meeting Taking Place May 12

The agenda includes opening remarks, rules to live by, a fatality review, Q&A, and a breakout into coal (proximity detection system update and dust rule update) and metal and nonmetal (upcoming initiatives review) sessions.

New NFPA Report Examines Oven, Furnace, and Dryer Explosions

Explosions in restaurant ovens, curing ovens, a lead smelting furnace, electric arc furnaces, clothes dryers, grain dryers, a coal dryer, and a grain dryer are included in the document. Survey respondents listed human error as the cause of the explosion more than any other cause.

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