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The cost of hearing protection on any given day in 2016 is far less expensive than hearing aids later on, in both in dollars and sense.

Take the Pledge to Protect Your Hearing in 2016

Even as hearing protection has improved in basic terms, such as weight, comfort, fit, and protection, we are seeing the introduction of more and more features.

$10K Grants Available for Fire Sprinkler Coalitions' Campaigns

Up to 10 Bringing Safety Home Grants will be awarded to organizations in the United States and Canada by the National Fire Protection Association's Fire Sprinkler Initiative.

CAL FIRE announced that law enforcement investigators concluded a faulty gas water heater sparked one of the fires that merged to become the Rocky Fire, one of 16 active wildfires in the state as of Aug. 19, 2015.

NIST Touts Data's Role in Improving Wildfire Defense

A NIST study examined three fires in February 2011 in suburban areas outside Amarillo at the wildland urban interface, the area where residential communities and undeveloped wildlands meet. Those fires destroyed 70 homes, burned more than 25,000 acres of land, and caused nearly $6 million in property damage.



Federal Experts Update HELP Committee on Zika Threat

A trio of experts testified at a Feb. 24 hearing about their agencies' work to develop a vaccine and educate the public about the virus.

Several railroad grade crossings will get flashing lights and gates as a result of nearly $10 million from the Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products (STEP) by Rail Program.

FRA Grants to Upgrade Rail Crossings on Energy Routes

Nearly $10 million in grants was awarded to state departments of transportation in Washington state, California, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Set for April 30

DEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is intended to provide a safe and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while educating the public about the potential for medication misuse.

"A year after the Mount Carbon crude oil train fire, residents there know that they narrowly escaped their town becoming the American Lac-Mégantic – an outcome of a fiery derailment that could still happen at any moment," NTSB Board Member Robert Sumwalt wrote Feb. 18, 2016.

Tougher Tank Cars Too Slow in Coming: NTSB's Sumwalt

"A year after the Mount Carbon [West Virginia] crude oil train fire, residents there know that they narrowly escaped their town becoming the American Lac-Mégantic – an outcome of a fiery derailment that could still happen at any moment," he wrote Feb. 18.

DOT's Volpe Center Touts Pipeline Sensors' Prowess

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration awarded Phase I funding of $150,000 in June 2011 that allowed for a proof of concept to be developed, and Generation 2 Materials Technology LLC was chosen for a Phase II award of $1 million in 2012.

Queensland Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D

Queensland Parliament Passes Bill to Cut Bars' Hours

The Tackling Alcohol-Fuelled Violence Amendment Bill passed shortly before 3 a.m. Feb. 18, "the time pubs and clubs will be forced to kick out patrons under the new legislation," Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper pointed out.

OSHA and Crane, Hoist, Monorail Partners Renew Alliance

OSHA is particularly keen to reduce worker exposures to electrical shock, electrocution, falls from elevation, and being struck by moving equipment through the latest alliance renewal.

National Safety Plan Proposed for Public Transit Systems

Therese McMillan, acting administrator of the Federal Transit Authority, said the proposals "are about setting safety performance criteria and targets, voluntary minimum safety standards, and a means to communicate safety issues industry-wide."

OSHA Taking Comments on Chemical Hazards Guidance

The "weight of evidence" approach helps manufacturers, importers, and employers evaluate scientific studies on the potential health hazards of a chemical and determine what data must be disclosed on the label and safety data sheet in order to comply with the Hazard Communication Standard.

Valentine

About Those Romantic Valentine's Day Candles ...

From 2009 to 2013, there were 9,300 reported home structure fires in the United States started by candles, an average of about 25 reported fires per day, according to an NFPA report.

This screen shot is from underwater video of the sunken El Faro, discovered in 15,000 feet of water off the Bahamas in October 2015 after it sank during Hurricane Joaquin. (NTSB video)

Coast Guard Hearings on El Faro Sinking Starting Feb. 16

Convened in Jacksonville, the hearings will examine the loss of the container ship El Faro and all of its 33 crewmembers last October; NTSB investigated the sinking and is participating in the hearings.

The new laboratory facility has five times more space for employees, NIST

NIST Dedicates New National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Lab

Willie E. May, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST's director, noted that employees how have five times more lab space "for collaborative advanced information technology projects."

FDA Calls for Sweeping Review of Opioids Policies

FDA Calls for Sweeping Review of Opioids Policies

Top officials for the organization have called for an action plan to reassess the agency's approach to opioid medications. FDA also will convene an expert advisory committee before approving any new drug application for an opioid that does not have abuse-deterrent properties.

An engineer checked for damage done to the Washington Monument, a 555-foot obelisk located on the national mall in Washington, D.C., by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 23, 2011. The monument underwent repairs and was reopened May 12, 2014.

Executive Order Covers Earthquake Resilience for Federal Buildings

The president's order followed a "Building for Earthquake Safety" session at the White House Earthquake Resilience Summit.

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