Hazard Communication


ECHA to Align Guidance with REACH Nanomaterials Reports

The agency will update its guidance on Information Requirements and Chemical Safety Assessment later this year. Its Committee for Risk Assessment also has adopted four opinions on proposed harmonized classification and labeling of industrial chemicals and pesticide active ingredients across Europe.

Michigan Agency Plans to Trim Hundreds of Workplace Safety Rules

"Elimination of duplicative and unnecessarily burdensome rules will reduce costs for businesses and allow MIOSHA to focus on enforcing rules that are core to their mission of workplace safety," said Steven H. Hilfinger, chief regulatory officer and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs director.

AIHA Announces 2012 Award Winners

Tan Kia Tang, deputy director of the Occupational Safety and Health Specialist Department at the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore, is the Yant Award winner.

Red Cross Launches Social Media Command Center for Disaster Relief

The center will help expand the Red Cross’s ability to engage with the public during emergencies. Tests run during recent tornadoes in the Midwest enabled Red Cross team members to determine where to position workers on the ground.

REACH Report Gets Industry's Notice

The report released Feb. 28 by researchers from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the IU European Union Center is being cited by the American Chemical Council as proof REACH won't work well in the US.

CSB Develops Policy on Employee Participation in Investigations

The new policy is geared to enhance the role played by plant workers in determining root causes of incidents and promoting facility safety.

OSHA Launches Emphasis Program for Wisconsin Dairy Farms

Since 2006, OSHA has conducted five fatality inspections at dairy farms in Wisconsin. Hazards cited have been related to animal handling, tractor rollover protection, and manure pits.

NIOSH Seeks Applications for Nanotechnology, PPE Research Grants

Extramural funding of nanotechnology-related research has been undertaken to help increase the knowledge of nanotechnology and manufactured nanomaterials as they relate to occupational safety and health.



Oregon OSHA: 28 Workplace Fatalities in 2011

The total is an increase from 2010’s all-time low of 17 deaths. That figure was likely tied, in part, to the economic downturn. In 2009, 31 people died on the job, and in 2008 there were 45 deaths.

OSHA Busts Ohio Manufacturer for 55 Safety Violations

Safety and health violations include inadequate lockout/tagout programs, fall protection, and noise sampling, among others. Proposed penalties total $174,600.

ASSE Releases Farm Safety, Health Tips

“Installing rollover protection on tractors and ensuring all farm workers and children are educated on farm safety practices is critical to reducing farm-related fatalities," said ASSE Agriculture Branch Chair Mike Wolf.

MSHA Releases Results of January Impact Inspections

Federal inspectors issued 253 citations, orders, and safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 12 coal mines and four metal/nonmetal mines in January.

OSHA Renews Alliance with Society for Chemical Hazard Communication

The alliance is geared to address hazard communication and to increase awareness of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).

NIOSH Partners with Singapore WSH Institute to Promote Workplace Safety Research

"International cooperation is a critical part of improving the safety and health of all workers," said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D.

Hazard Material Information Management and Regulatory Compliance

With the phased acceptance of GHS document, classification, and labeling standards, the next few years could see significant and sweeping changes.

Worker Suffers Burns from Electrical Shock, Manufacturer Fined $91,000

"Allowing workers to come in contact with exposed and energized parts without appropriate personal protective equipment demonstrates a lack of concern for their safety," said George Yoksas, OSHA's area director in Milwaukee.

OSHA Busts Manufacturer for Burn Hazards, Issues $55,000 Fine

The violation was cited after an investigation prompted by a complaint determined that employees working on mold machines and exposed to hot temperatures that could result in burns were provided with ineffective personal protective equipment.

$226,000 in Fines, Costs Assessed in UK Asbestos Case

A freight company, its managing director, and a contractor pleaded guilty in connection with a remodeling job that may exposed at least 20 people to asbestos fibers.

CDC: 13 Deaths Linked to Bath Refinishing Chemical

Methylene chloride vapor has been recognized as potentially fatal to furniture strippers and factory workers but has not been reported previously as a cause of death among bathtub refinishers.

Amputation Hazards Add Up to $77,100 in Fines for Food Firm

OSHA's Houston South Area Office initiated a safety inspection Sept. 1 following a complaint alleging that several employees had suffered near amputation incidents while operating machinery.

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