Transportation Safety


M/V Cosco Busan after it struck the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

NTSB Meets Wednesday on Cosco Busan Report

When the container ship struck a tower of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on the foggy morning of Nov. 7, 2007, a spill of more than 53,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil fouled beaches along San Francisco Bay.

Small Aviation Company Lands Safety VPP Star Status

"Monsanto Aviation has gone above and beyond in establishing a culture of workplace safety," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City.

LaHood Discusses Economic Recovery Spending

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently met with leaders of state departments of transportation from across the country in preparation for final passage of the economic recovery bill.

Turboprop Crash Near Buffalo Airport Kills 50

Updated reports say 50 people died in the crash of the aircraft operated by Colgan Air, Inc. for Continental Airlines. NTSB's 12-member team of investigators will be on site today.

Study Finds Cognitive Tests May Predict Driving Safety in Alzheimer Sufferers

Doctors may be able to use certain cognitive tests to help determine whether a person with Alzheimer's disease can safely get behind the wheel. The research is published in the Feb. 10, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Fairfax, Va., mobile communications/command unit

Free CHEMTREC Training Video Offered to Emergency Responders

"This free training video is a must-watch for all first responders," says Tim Butters, who chairs IAFC's Hazardous Materials Committee and is assistant chief of the Fairfax, Va., Fire Department. The city's police and fire departments placed this new 30-foot Mobile Communications/Command Unit in service this month.

GHSA Reports Dramatic Decline In Highway Fatalities

State highway safety agencies report other factors may have contributed to the fatality reduction, including: gains in seat belt use, stronger state laws and increased enforcement of these laws.

LaHood Creates Economic Recovery Team

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced that he has created a team at the Department of Transportation to coordinate the department's role in President Obama's economic recovery program. The team will ensure that economic recovery funding is rapidly made available for transportation infrastructure projects and that project spending is monitored and transparent.



Smith System Rolls Out 2009 Driver Study Guide

The Arlington, Texas-based fleet driver training company also announced a newly enhanced Online Forward Motion Training Program today, saying it will reinforce concepts taught in the on-road driver training program.

helicopter ambulance

EMS Helicopter Hearing Moves to Safety Equipment Today

A recent spate of crashes brought this industry's safety into focus once again. The four-day hearing that began yesterday in Washington, D.C., is examining the industry's performance, risks, oversight, funding structures, and record. This Ben Saladino photo shows a helicopter operated by CareFlite, which is a party to the hearing.

BTS Issues Quick-Ref Guide to Transportation Data

This 2009 edition includes information on the nation's transportation system, and transportation issues related to safety and security, mobility, the economy, and the environment.

OSHA Publishes Deck Barge Safety Guidance Document, Spud Barge Fact Sheet

The publications were developed to educate employers and employees on preventing injuries and illnesses from hazards associated with deck and spud barges.

First ASSE Webinar of Safety Professionals Handbook Authors Today

The event, from 11 a.m. to noon Central, opens the series with Editor Joel Haight participating and a focus on successful management of safety engineering work.

DOT Welcomes New Secretary

Former Congressman Ray H. LaHood joined DOT as the sixteenth U.S. secretary of Transportation on Friday, Jan. 23, after Senate confirmation the previous day.

Trucking Firm to pay $2.43 Million to Settle EEOC Discrimination Lawsuit

An interstate trucking firm has agreed to pay $2.43 million and provide other remedial relief to a class of women to settle a major sex discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced recently.

Coast Guard Sets March 5 Meeting on AIS Rule

The planned expansion of automatic identification systems and mandatory electronic submission of notices of arrival and departure will improve navigation safety, the Coast Guard says.

automobile air bag system

Study of 20,000 Crash Victims Shows Air Bag/Belt Combo Vital

Only 14 percent of drivers and front-seat occupants in the crashes were protected by both a seat belt and an air bag. The study showed that combination is associated with a lower risk of a spine fracture.

CDC Revises Field Triage Guidelines

Key revisions include vehicle crash damage criteria that can help determine which patients may require care at a trauma center.

CBP Reviews Performance of Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Program

"The world remains a dangerous place and we must keep improving and innovating C-TPAT to secure the global supply chain against acts of terrorism," said Bradd Skinner, C-TPAT director.

A drawing of the new I-35W St. Anthonys Falls Bridge in Minneapolis (courtesy of MnDOT)

FHWA Offers Lessons Learned in Rebuilding I-35W Bridge

This drawing, featured in the FHWA newsletter and credited to MnDOT, depicts the new St. Anthony's Falls Bridge in Minneapolis.

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