The number of people treated in U.S. hospitals for illnesses and injuries from taking medicines jumped 52 percent between 2004 and 2008--from 1.2 million to 1.9 million--according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. These medication side effects and injuries resulted from taking or being given the wrong medicine or dosage.
The serious violations include failing to maintain the structural integrity of pipe hangers and pipe support rods and report a leak in a critical 4-inch valve at the ammonia storage tank.
“There has been an increase in recent years in promoting the use of foams and sealants by do-it-yourself energy-conscious homeowners, and many people may now be unknowingly exposed to risks from these chemicals,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
The United States Fire Administration issued a special report today examining the characteristics of restaurant building fires. The report, titled "Restaurant Building Fires," was developed by USFA's National Fire Data Center and is based on 2007 to 2009 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System.
In addition to the combustible dust hazards, among 32 serious violations cited are failing to provide a lockout/tagout system to control the release of hazardous energy, ensure exits were unblocked, and protect employees from electrical and chemical hazards.
OSHA’s inspection, which began Oct. 4, 2010, found serious violations including the company’s failure to dike a fuel tank, ensure the bi-directional alarm on a powered industrial truck was not defective, and examine industrial trucks before they were put in service.
OSHA initiated an inspection on Oct. 21, 2011, in response to a complaint alleging that the employer had not abated safety and health violations cited on July 14, 2010.
OSHA's Dallas Area Office began the investigation Oct. 10, 2010, at the plant after workers were injured while vacuuming explosive dust to clean out a natural gas processing unit.
OSHA initiated an investigation in October 2010 following the death of one employee and the wounding of another, allegedly committed by a client at the addiction treatment facility.
Irreversible effects from work-related exposures even at low levels, without taking appropriate precautions, can include cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, allergic reactions, and others.
Workers exposed to welding fumes may be at increased risk of damage to the same brain area harmed by Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The U.S. Fire Administration recently announced the theme for the 2011 Arson Awareness Week: Working Together to Extinguish Serial Arson.
Consumers can now search for food and other product recalls easier and quicker on the Food and Drug Administration's website as search results now provide data from news releases and other recall announcements in the form of a table. That table organizes information from news releases on recalls since 2009 by date, product brand name, product description, reason for the recall and the recalling firm.
The European Chemicals Agency made the 1.1.3 version of Chesar available as a free download on April 6. It allows registrants to create full Chemical Safety Reports.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration recently announced that it will hold a briefing on June 29 to share with the public information gathered during the investigation of the explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, W.Va.
Finding and fixing is the measurable heart of safety culture improvement.
The company faces penalties totaling $45,000 as a result of an OSHA inspection conducted in October 2010.
OSHA found that maintenance employees whose duties involved opening and closing rooftop skylights were exposed to falls due to the lack of access stairs between flat and sloped roofs atop the building.
The video features a detailed computer animation showing how a series of errors and deficiencies during a lengthy startup process resulted in a runaway chemical reaction inside a residue treater pressure vessel.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are issuing an updated remediation protocol for homes with problem drywall. A study conducted on behalf of CPSC by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, finds no evidence of a safety hazard to home electrical systems.