Facility Safety


Event Rental Co. Fined for Combustible Residues, Electrical Hazards, More

In addition to 18 serious citations, the company received four repeat citations, in part for failing to develop an energy control program, develop and implement a written hazard communication program, and train workers on chemical hazards in their work area.

Bedbugs have a tendency to hitch rides from one location to the next.

New Report Ranks Top U.S. Cities for Bedbug Infestations

According to Terminix, reports of bedbug infestations in office buildings and retail shops are on the rise. The company offers tips for keeping the pests at bay.

CSB Issues Final Report on Fatal Flash Fire in Xcel Plant Tunnel

The board also released a 15-minute safety video titled "No Escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces," which includes a detailed animation depicting the tragedy that unfolded at Xcel's Cabin Creek plant on Oct. 2, 2007, taking the lives of five contractors.

FDA Releases Guidance on Federal Menu Labeling Requirements

Section 4205 of the Affordable Care Act, signed into law in March 2010, set new federal requirements for nutrition labeling for foods sold at certain chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments.

Eliminating hazardous conditions on the high seas is one of the goals of NTSB.

NTSB to Host Fishing Vessel Safety Forum

"Creating a safer environment and eliminating hazardous conditions on the high seas is one of the goals of the NTSB," said Robert Sumwalt, NTSB board member. "The forum will provide a great opportunity to identify strategies to improve safety."

FDA Seizes $859,000 of Food from Rodent-Infested Warehouse

Investigators found 14 live rodents, seven dead rodents, 23 gnaw holes on multiple food containers, multiple containers of food containing rodent pellets, four rodent nests, and apparent rodent pellets too numerous to count.

Study Finds MRSA Policies Differ Among Hospitals

Hospitals vary in how they detect and treat drug-resistant staph infections, but most follow national guideline recommendations, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Cheese Maker to Pay $315K for Polluting Creek in Idaho

According to DOJ, the company, which treats wastewater in a facility separate from its cheese-making plant, repeatedly violated its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit over a period of three years, affecting a waterway that flows into the Boise River, a salmon habitat.



An image of NISTs RoboCrane

NIST RoboCrane to Help Clean Up Chernobyl Disaster Site

According to its developers, the design's precision maneuverability throughout a large space and ability to be outfitted with a large variety of tools make it ideal for this type of application.

Cal/OSHA Adopts Revised Heat Safety Regulations

High-heat procedures are now required for five industries when temperatures reach 95 degrees or above: agriculture; construction; landscaping; oil & gas extraction; and transportation or delivery of agricultural products, construction material, or other heavy materials.

OSHA Sues Kwick Stop for Firing Whistleblower

Investigators found that an employee of the Shawnee, Okla.-based convenience store chain was fired after complaining about safety hazards at a store. In addition to back pay and reinstatement, the Labor Department is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the employee.

AT&T to Pay $60,000 for Not Hiring Type 2 Diabetic

“Employers who respond to disabled individuals with knee-jerk exclusions based on myths, fears, and stereotypes, rather than considering individual abilities, put themselves at risk,” said senior trial attorney Eduardo Juarez of EEOC’s San Antonio Field Office.

Second AmeriCold Facility Cited in Idaho, This Time for $189K

Many of the alleged violations concern the nationwide food distributor’s process safety management program, which was also the case in April, when a sister facility in Nampa, Idaho, roughly 180 miles away, was charged with penalties totaling $153,000.

One of the most important prevention tactics your staff can use in the fight against MRSA is frequent and effective hand washing.

MRSA In the Office

By focusing proper cleaning on surfaces in the office that get more hand attention, health-based cleaning services target potentially contaminated surfaces that can harbor MRSA and other harmful pathogens.

Facility Fined $97,845 for Improper Sulfuric Acid Storage

EPA inspectors found Tanco had not properly implemented its Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures plan, including requirements for secondary containment and tank integrity testing, both of which are designed to prevent or minimize the impacts from accidental releases.

A scene from the entrance to the 2009 Expo that took place in San Antonio.

VPPPA Prepares for its Most Prominent, Prestigious Powwow

Last year's event in San Antonio, Texas (pictured), drew 2,836 attendees representing all areas and professions affiliated with the safety and health industry. For this year's conference in Orlando, organizers are expecting to up that number to at least 3,000.

Bala and Tabaku concluded airborne dusts and fumes to which the workers are occupationally exposed are the cause of their COPD.

COPD Rates High Among Eastern European Iron/Steel Workers

A new study by two Albanian researchers has found prevalence varying between 19.2 percent and 25.7 percent among workers in the metallurgical industry.

Princeton HealthCare System Sued for Disability Discrimination

EEOC filed the suit in New Jersey, saying the health care provider unlawfully fired employees who needed medical leave.

This U.S. Chemical Safety Board photo shows the destruction left by the explosion at the Texas City, Texas, BP refinery.

BP to Pay $50.6 Million Fine for Failures at Refinery

The company also agreed to spend at least $500 million on safety measures at its Texas City plant. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis today said "The size of the penalty rightly reflects BP's disregard for workplace safety."

Construction Worker’s Death in Manhole Leads to $136K Penalty

The company received repeat citations for failing to make a reasonable estimate of employee exposure to hazardous chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide; it received willful citations for failing to implement confined space entry procedures.

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