The society will begin accepting submissions online Nov. 1. The deadline for entries is Dec. 1.
Employees not wearing PPE and the employer's failure to develop, implement, or maintain a written hazard communications program for employees working with mortar or cement were among the 11 repeat violations, which, together with five serious violations, have proposed penalties totaling $146,000.
The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) will host "Mastering the Art of Safety: Advanced Communication Techniques," an intermediate TeleWeb Virtual Seminar, on Oct. 27, 2009, from 2-4:30 p.m. ET.
OSHA has been conducting a Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) since October 2007, which it says has resulted in an unusually high number of General Duty Clause violations, indicating a strong need for a standard.
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.
Unomedical Inc., a manufacturer of medical devices, recently announced that it is conducting a voluntary recall of certain units of the single-patient use Manual Pulmonary Resuscitator (MPR).
In the medical field, accelerator-produced particle beams or X-rays are directed at cancerous tumors that are not reachable by other methods. Although accelerators can target life-threatening growths within the body, these devices can also potentially expose operators to serious risks.
There are potential health risks for some solvents, depending on the types of landfills in which wipes contaminated with them are disposed, said the agency, which seeks comments on its revised analysis.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Milbank Manufacturing Co., of Kansas City, Mo., has announced a voluntary recall of the Single Meter Sockets. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
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.
According to a report in Harvard Men's Health Watch, evidence suggests that high blood pressure increases the risk of mild cognitive impairment, vascular dementia, and even Alzheimer's.
A Program Information Bulletin to underground metal and nonmetal mine operators and manufacturers of diesel-powered equipment used in those mines confirms using biodiesel in engines equipped with a diesel oxidation catalyst reduces total carbon levels in the air where miners work.
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.
Five minutes after the worker was instructed to exit the excavation, one of its sidewalls collapsed. Had the worker still been in the excavation, he could have been crushed or buried by the cave-in, an inspector noted.
"Employers should not assume that OSHA will not conduct inspections because much of this work is done at night," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. "We will conduct inspections where and when we must to ensure that employers implement and maintain effective controls to minimize this hazard to their workers."
Although there is a decline in the domestic production of meth in recent years, vigilance is warranted because of the destructive nature of the drug and the environmental hazards caused by meth labs, the agency said.
"An unprotected trench is a potential grave," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. "Its walls can collapse suddenly and with great force, burying workers beneath tons of soil and debris before they can react or escape.”
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.