"Your chance for survival usually comes down to one thing: having your life jacket on when you need it," said USCG's Al Johnson. "The misperception persists that you can put on a life jacket once you’re in the water. It is extremely difficult to do, and unfortunately for most people immobilized by the shock of sudden immersion, it can be tragically impossible."
With rigs in use in many non-traditional areas, emergency responders and company health and safety professionals must work together.
Whether in the public or private sector, risk managers with limited resources are constantly faced with the challenge of prioritizing competing concerns, managing the desire to take all possible steps to protect the organization and its employees. In today's economic climate, shrinking budgets are the norm, and securing funding for things like emergency preparedness can be difficult.
The Illinois facility was storing chlorine and diesel fuel over the minimum threshold level and failed to provide emergency and hazardous chemical inventory forms to state and local authorities, EPA said.
Going head to head in two sizzling destination cities this week are the annual conferences of the American Society of Safety Engineers (San Antonio, featuring Labor Secretary Hilda Solis) and the Society for Human Resource Management (New Orleans, featuring business titan Jack Welch).
"It was a tedious, difficult process but it was well worth it," said Paul G. Likens, lead pilot for CALSTAR IV in Ukiah, Calif. "Without a doubt we will be able to more safely complete the transportation of the gravely ill and victims of trauma."
The agency wants comments by Aug. 4 on how it should write a rule that will require accidental chemical releases to be reported to it or to the National Response Center.
This capsule's use in the rescue of nine Pennsylvania miners trapped by an inundation in July 2002 captivated the nation. Their rescue would never have been needed if two companies penalized in these two cases had insisted on accurate maps, an administrative law judge ruled.
The awareness campaign "seeks to get impaired boaters off the water, while making them aware of the legal consequences as well as the potentially fatal effects of boating under the influence," says Al Johnson, the First Coast Guard District's recreational boating safety specialist.
Patients in South Dakota have the lowest total time spent in the emergency department (3 hours, 52 minutes) while those in Utah have the highest total time (6 hours, 48 minutes).
In general, the public assumes that when “9-1-1” is dialed—whether from a wireline, VoIP, or wireless phone—the location information will be transmitted to the correct public safety answering point, but because of an aging infrastructure designed for wireline use in the 1970s, E911 coverage is inadequate for many of today’s commonly used communication technologies.
As the health care reform debate rages in Washington, D.C., a new Harris Interactive survey found solid support for increased government funding to emergency departments to hire more doctors and expand lifesaving services. In addition, 81 percent said emergency care benefits should be included as part of any government-sponsored health insurance plan being designed by Congress and the Obama administration.
Michael D. Brown also will be speaking on themes of Communicating in a Crisis and Making Things Work When All the Wires Are Cut in his general session keynote at the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals National Conference in September.
Billed as the world's largest, faster firefighting air tanker, the B747 Supertanker went through a successful demonstration June 11 at McClellan Airfield in McClellan, Calif. The plane is certified to fly by the Interagency Air Tanker Board.
The new rule requires that mine-site and state-sponsored teams train semi-annually at small mines, rather than annually, and state employees who are members of state-sponsored teams participate in two mine rescue contests annually.
"While we share the goal of establishing permanent chemical security regulations, we are concerned several provisions in the legislation as introduced could undermine the important work that is already underway," said Marty Durbin, American Chemistry Council vice president of federal affairs.
"These grants provide direct support for regional preparedness, urban security, and medical response efforts in communities across the country," said DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano on Tuesday.
The federal agency decided to retain the exemption for firefighters out of concern wearing compliant apparel that might not be fire-resistant could increase their risk during emergencies.
"When did you first learn about the swine flu outbreak? Have you searched the Internet for additional information on the swine flu outbreak? If a vaccine for swine flu became available, would you want to be vaccinated?"
These questions first appeared on Facebook on Saturday, April 25, just a day or two after concerns of H1N1, or swine flu, swept across the country.
The need for training, communications, and community planning is made clear in the video released June 10 by the federal agency.