Enforcement


OSHA Forms Alliance with Alaska-based Oil & Gas Companies

As part of the agreement, the implementation team will conduct quarterly visits to the participating facilities and the Anna and King Salmon Platforms in the Cook Inlet.

Connecticut Shipyard Facility Cited for 43 Serious Violations

"Left uncorrected, these conditions expose employees to the ongoing threats of electrocution, lacerations, amputations, fires, falls, chemical burns, hearing loss, and crushing hazards," said C. William Freeman III, OSHA's area director in Hartford, Conn.

CPSC to Consider Rulemaking Addressing Crib Defects

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging parents and caregivers to closely inspect the hardware and stability of their cribs to ensure all parts are in place and secure. The warning by CPSC comes after the agency's Early Warning System has identified concerns with the durability of cribs, especially those with drop sides that can disengage and lead to dangers of entrapment and strangulation.

OSHA Issues Workplace Electrical Product Safety RFI

OSHA recently announced that a proposed Request for Information (RFI) related to its Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) program will be published in the Oct. 20, 2008 Federal Register. A copy of the proposed RFI currently is available on OSHA's Web site. The public comment period on the RFI will close on Jan. 20, 2009.

Tennessee Employers Urged to Be Fire Smart

TOSHA's safety tips for National Fire Prevention Month include controlling combustible dust, ensuring exits are available and workers are informed about hazards, and keeping heat producing equipment clean and maintained.

California Ends Statewide Enforcement Sweep of Construction Firms

Officials with California's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (Labor Commissioner's Office) issued 115 citations totaling $477,966 in fines to construction firms across the state for various labor law violations in a recent two-day enforcement activity that concluded on October 16.

NY Masonry Contractor to Contest Willful Fall, Impalement Charges

"There is no way to understate the danger of fall hazards, which are the number one killer in construction work," said Diana Cortez, OSHA's area director in Tarrytown, N.Y.

DHS Adopts NFPA Standards for Hazmat/WMD Incidents

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has adopted two additional NFPA standards for first responders: NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents and NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents.



Transportation Deaths Down in 2007, But Rail, Motorcycle Fatalities Rose

Even with a 4 percent overall decline, there were 43,193 deaths in 2007 -- about 118 per day, according to NTSB's preliminary figures. Some of the agency's recent investigations point out the problem of distracted driving.

Air Quality Standards for Lead Tightened for First Time in 30 Years

The Environmental Protection Agency revised the standard to help decrease health problems associated with high amounts of lead, particularly its effects on nervous system development.

HSE Issues New Worker Involvement Guidance

Thirty years after the British rule was enacted requiring involvement of workers' representatives, the UK safety and health oversight agency is reminding stakeholders that involvement pays off.

Peters Says New Federal Rule Makes School Buses Safer

New federal rules will make the nation's 474,000 school buses safer by requiring higher seat backs, mandating lap and shoulder belts on small school buses, and setting safety standards for seat belts on large school buses, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced on Oct. 15.

Chlorine Co. Pays $2,225 for Chemical Inventory, Emergency Op Violations

"We will take action against any company that fails to follow these laws that protect emergency responders and the public in the event of an accidental release," said Daniel Meer, EPA's assistant Superfund director for the Pacific Southwest region.

An up-close image of a train on a train track.

FRA Issues Final Rule on ECP Brakes

The Federal Railroad Administration says the final rule on electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes will enable locomotive engineers to have better train control, lower the risk of derailment, and allow trains to safely travel longer distances between required brake tests.

OSHA Asks 151 New York VPP Partners to 'Stand Down for Crane Safety'

OSHA's New York Regional Office is asking the 151 worksites in its jurisdiction participating in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) to conduct voluntary inspections of any crane activity occurring at their worksites during this week. VPP is an elite, voluntary, merit-based program that recognizes worksites committed to effective employee protection beyond the requirements of OSHA standards.

U.S. Forest Service Cited for 144 Safety Violations in Idaho

Fall hazards, improper storage of compressed gas cylinders, restricted exit access, lack of machine guarding, inadequate fire extinguisher maintenance, and electrical hazards were among the unsafe working conditions OSHA found at Salmon-Challis National Forest.

OSHA Renews Health and Safety Partnership with Trade Associations

The strategic partnership has developed outreach training courses and decreased fatality rates in several industries

Report Details 90 Percent Injury Rate Reduction at Texas Dow Facility

"This case study effectively demonstrates how safety and health management systems can be successful if organizations take proactive steps to implement and encourage their use," said OSHA chief Edwin G. Foulke Jr.

EPA Halts Sale of Unsubstantiated 'Anti-MRSA' Cleaning Products

"The sale of these products not only puts the public at risk through unjustified reliance upon their usefulness as pesticides, but also unfairly undercuts legitimate businesses that have registered their products," said Katherine Taylor, associate director of EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division for the Pacific Southwest region.

image of chemical drums

Reminder: Window to Pre-Register Chemicals under REACH is Closing

Chemical manufacturers that fail to meet the Dec. 1, 2008, deadline cannot continue manufacturing or importing their chemicals until they have submitted a full registration and paid the registration fee. As of Oct. 1, almost 40,000 chemicals were already pre-registered through the initiative.

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