The accident investigation, which was conducted by OSHA's Puerto Rico Area Office, resulted in citations for exposing workers to the hazards of hot water and steam condensate, not developing and documenting procedures to prevent the unintended release of hot water and steam, and not training workers on the safe application, usage, and removal of energy control devices.
OSHA's inspection identified three packaging machines in the plant that lacked required safeguards to keep employees from becoming caught in their points of operation.
The new live series of webinars from the agency's Community Preparedness Division are free to the first 500 visitors who enter the Web site at the time of the event.
A newly published study of aviation-related injuries and deaths in the United States finds an average of 1,013 patients are admitted to U.S. hospitals with aviation-related injuries annually, and that an average of 753 aviation-deaths occur each year. The study, conducted by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy and Columbia University, also reports that the largest categories of patients were occupants of civilian, noncommercial powered aircraft (32 percent), and parachutists (29 percent).
The leaders of 13 states' environmental agencies issued an eight-point statement of principles Dec. 2 as EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, shown here, testified at a U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing about the need to reform the law.
Titled "Best Practices for Protecting EMS Responders During Treatment and Transport of Victims of Hazardous Substance Releases," the new guidance document addresses adequate training and personal protective equipment for emergency medical services responders who assist victims of hazardous substance release incidents.
There are no products registered by EPA for use in residential settings that will disinfect or sterilize the air or a room by fogging. Claims for disinfecting carpeting, drapes, and other porous surfaces are also false, the agency says.
According to OSHA, workers at the site lacked proper respirators and protective clothing and had not been informed of the presence of asbestos at the site, and the employer failed to determine the asbestos exposure level and establish a regulated work area for asbestos removal and handling.
In the next 25 years, the number of Americans living with diabetes will nearly double, increasing from 23.7 million in 2009 to 44.1 million in 2034. Over the same period, spending on diabetes will almost triple, rising from $113 billion to $336 billion, even with no increase in the prevalence of obesity, researchers based at the University of Chicago report in the December issue of Diabetes Care.
Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), a regulatory requirement under OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.119(e), is a collection of methodologies to address process hazards. Societal and technological changes are affecting sources, intensity, and frequency of hazards. For instance, digital controls and smart instruments have reduced maintenance requirements inherent with analog instruments.
Medical students are commonly stuck by needles--putting them at risk of contracting potentially dangerous blood-borne diseases--and many of them fail to report the injuries to hospital authorities, according to a Johns Hopkins study published in the December issue of the journal Academic Medicine.
The new system will display the risk of extreme heat stress and time to flashover (the point when all combustible materials in a room simultaneously erupt in flames) on the incident commander's screen, along with the firefighters' locations and vital signs.
"Companies are populating signs, posters, banners, and scoreboards with the children, and the wives, and the husbands within the facility, with a common theme about safety being a family value."
Strongest leaders know that real Safety
goes beyond what you think or say; it’s
revealed when there’s no time to think.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, is increasing its investment in understanding the potential health, safety, and environmental issues related to tiny particles that are used in many everyday products such as sunscreens, cosmetics, and electronics, by awarding about $13 million over a two-year period, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to bolster the NIEHS’s ongoing research portfolio in the area of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs).
The Web site serving as ground central for the campaign includes tips on alternatives to handshaking and articles such as "History of the Handshake," "Famous People Who Don't Shake Hands," and "How Many Men Wash Their Hands After Using Toilet."
The Drug Information Association will host its 9th Annual Conference on Contemporary Pharmacovigilance and Risk Management Strategies from Jan. 10-13, 2010 in Washington, D.C.
While the season brings wonderful celebrations with family and friends, it's important to think about how the holidays affect our furry friends. You can take simple steps to keep your pets safe in the winter months.
"The board agreed that the ability for the society to offer certification programs . . . is important in remaining relevant in the changing global marketplace," ASTM International President James A. Thomas said.
Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard.