The declaration clears hospitals to set up alternate sites to house sick patients. It does not speed up vaccine delivery to the states.
On Friday, the union and Chevron Philips Petroleum marked the 20th anniversary of a refinery explosion and fire in Pasadena, Texas, that killed 23 workers and injured 314 others. International VP Gary Beevers said not enough has been done since then to ensure safety at refineries.
The building has been awarded the highest designation, LEED Platinum Certification in the New Construction 2.2 rating system.
The Health and Safety Executive examined what footwear and flooring suppliers offer to end users in sales literature and online. No indication of slip resistance was given for 47 percent of the 1,304 footwear styles surveyed, and another 36 percent claimed to be slip resistant but provided no test data.
In a live webcast conducted on the DHS site at 11 a.m. EDT today, the secretary will discuss the nation’s need to counter the threat of cyber attacks, saying it is every computer users’ responsibility to stay safe online.
In addition to being able to show that a good-faith effort was made to acquire respirators, an employer will need to implement a hierarchy of controls, said acting OSHA chief Jordan Barab.
Deborah Friberg, chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed Health and Hospitals, has helped her staff set and meet ambitious goals in establishing an electronic infection surveillance system, improving hand hygiene compliance, and reducing MRSA and catheter-related blood stream infections, APIC said.
Inspections conducted over the past several months by OSHA's area office in Andover, Mass., also identified various chemical, mechanical, and electrical hazards--41 violations in all, with proposed penalties totaling $138,000.
In April, a fire at the facility sent three workers to a local hospital. The resulting inspection revealed nine alleged willful, four serious, two repeat, and two failure-to-abate violations.
"The identified violations leave employees at the refinery at risk of accidents that could result in injury or possible death," said Patricia Jones, area director of OSHA's office in Avenel, N.J.
The investigation found 32 serious violations, including failing to evaluate the worksite for exposures to hydrogen sulfide, develop procedures for waste stream processing, develop decontamination procedures, and train workers on the hazards associated with confined space entry on barges.
OSHA is on the fence about it. According to the director of its Enforcement Programs Directorate, the agency’s determination of coverage would be made on a case-by-case basis.
Flu-like cases are widespread in Ireland, Israel, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Cypress, with flu activity in Japan continuing above what is usually seen during flu season, WHO reports.
When asked if it was acceptable to throw out items contaminated with blood or body fluids in either septic systems or normal garbage, the OSHA director said, “It is the employer's responsibility to determine the existence of regulated waste. This determination is not based on actual volume of blood, but rather on the potential to release blood (e.g., when compacted in the waste container).”
"This rule is a significant step forward in protecting people’s health when they travel," said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water.
As an employer, the state is affected by workplace violence which can compromise the safety of both victims and co-workers and result in lost productivity and increased healthcare costs, absenteeism, and employee turnover, the governor's office stated.
Most of that sum is the result of the company’s failure to correct seven violations identified during a previous inspection that focused on the firm’s lack of an energy control program to ensure machinery would not start up at inopportune times.
OSHA is proposing $364,350 in penalties against Frit Car Inc. in Brewton, Ala., for alleged safety and health violations. The inspection began April 3 when four workers were overcome by vapors while working in a confined space.
The Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare's alliance with OSHA brainstormed the idea during a conference call that included NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Lab.
OSHA has certified Titanium Hearth Technologies (TIMET) as a new star site, the highest honor in the agency's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). OSHA Regional Administrator John Hermanson recognized TIMET during a ceremony held at the company's Morgantown facility.