OSHA’s Area Office in Marlton, N.J., initiated an investigation on Jan. 21 after being notified of an employee accident.
The findings are a significant improvement over a similar 2005 study in which more than 40 percent of public health employees said they were unlikely to report to work during a pandemic emergency.
To date, more than 634 requests made by jurisdictions in the state have been combined into 1,409 sub grant applications worth more than $5 million, which are currently being processed.
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples has found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.
Of the two deaths that have occurred in recent years from catastrophic pump failures, the first happened when a clean coal filter drain pump exploded due to restricted material flow that caused heat and pressure buildup within the pump. The pump’s access cover plate was blown off the pump, striking a plant operator who was standing approximately eight feet away at the on/off switch.
Foods may look, smell, and even taste fine can still harbor bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The July issue of <i>Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource</i> provides an overview of food storage safety and how to avoid bad bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella.
In a separate but related matter, in November 2008 the company pleaded guilty to criminal charges of improperly repackaging, redistributing, and selling more than two million pounds of unwanted pesticides it had received in broken bags from Wal-Mart stores throughout the United States.
"Disasters and emergencies know no boundaries," said Kim Fontes, division manager, Product Development and Production. "With the help of the latest technology, we are able to use another communication channel to put tools and resources directly into the hands of people who count on them."
Ethylene oxide exposure levels and monitoring requirements are addressed in OSHA's recently published Small Business Guide for Ethylene Oxide. The guidance document helps employers understand the ethylene oxide (EtO) standard and explains how to monitor the air quality in workplaces where EtO is processed, used, or handled.
Current electronic health records (EHRs) have a long way to go to meet the challenges of genetic/genomic medicine, reports a study in the July issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics.
The current rule requires air quality monitoring in areas where any industry emits at least one ton of lead to the air each year, and in the 101 urban areas with populations of 500,000 or more.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced that Haier America Trading LLC, of New York City, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $587,500 to settle allegations that the appliance manufacturer failed to inform CPSC of a defect and fire hazard in the company's Oscillating Tower Fan, model FTM140GG.
Fall hazards, lack of personal protective equipment, and deficiencies in the plant's confined space, respirator, and lockout/tagout programs are among the 73 safety violations cited in an inspection conducted by OSHA's Concord Area Office.
The Health and Safety Executive seeks comments at a stakeholder forum this week in London as it reviews the issue and IOSH queries its 35,000 members.
"The size of these fines reflects the gravity and recurring nature of these hazards, any one of which could have resulted in death or disabling injury for these workers," said Richard Mendelson, OSHA's area director for Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.
Chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants deplete the stratospheric, or "good" ozone layer, allowing dangerous amounts of cancer-causing ultraviolet rays from the sun to strike the earth, EPA notes. Production of some of these chemicals was stopped in 1995, and federal law strictly controls their use and handling.
According to a recent study, the repeal of the federal speed control law in 1995 has resulted in speed limit increases that have caused approximately 12,500 deaths during the decade that followed.
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it is conducting a safety review of Xolair (omalizumab), a drug used to treat certain adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma.
The footwear was manufactured in Romania and sold by specialty outdoor retailers nationwide for between $140 and $400 (U.S.) and for between $200 and $500 (Canada) from December 2007 through June 2009.
These guidelines will assist local, state, and federal agencies in preventing and managing foodborne disease outbreaks through planning, detection, investigation, control, and prevention.