Hazard Communication


New York Health Commissioner Tapped for CDC Director

President Obama has chosen Dr. Thomas Frieden, commissioner of New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for seven years, to replace Julie Gerberding atop CDC, according to news reports today.

OSHA Cites Contractor after Workers Overcome at Worksite

OSHA has cited a Cambridge, Mass., contractor for alleged willful and serious violations of safety and health standards after three of its employees were overcome by lack of oxygen on Oct. 20, 2008, while cleaning underground steam pipes on the Boston College campus in Newton, Mass. Thomas G. Gallagher Inc. faces a total of $71,000 in proposed fines.

logo of the American Trucking Associations Agriculture and Food Transporters Conference

New Guide Aids Truckers During Planting, Harvest Seasons

The guide from the American Trucking Associations' Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference covers fatigue, the agricultural hours of service exemption, hiring, management, and more.

EPA Vows to Wipe Out Carbofuran Pesticide Residues in Food

The agency said the toxic insecticide is used on a very small percentage of the U.S. food supply but added that all uses must be eradicated.

$400 Million in EEOICPA Benefits Paid to Colorado Residents

The Department of Labor recently announced that it has paid more than $400 million in compensation and medical benefits to Colorado residents under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). The act was created to assist those individuals who became ill as a result of working in the atomic weapons industry. Survivors of such individuals may also be eligible for benefits.

OSHA Awards VPP Star to American Packaging Corp.

OSHA has certified the RP&L Division of American Packaging Corp. in Columbus as a star site in its prestigious Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis

Lean Rulemaking Agenda Lists July Diacetyl Milestone

The biggest news in U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis' first semiannual regulatory agenda is no news: Nothing big was promised, just a little forward progress on long-awaited rules.

Coast Guard Stresses Cold Water Dangers

"Plain and simple, if things go wrong on the water and you’re not prepared for the immediate shock of sudden cold water immersion, your chance for survival is greatly reduced," said Al Johnson, the recreational boating specialist for the First Coast Guard District in Boston.



CDC Medical Officer to Present H1N1 Update at APIC Conference

Michael Bell, MD, Medical Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will provide conference attendees with important updates and further CDC guidance related to the H1N1 flu virus at the 36th Annual Educational Conference and International Meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), on Wednesday, June 10 at 8 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The meeting, which runs from June 7-11, is an annual gathering of infection preventionists from around the world.

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization

WHO Continues Monitoring H1N1 Spread, Says World is Prepared

"The decision to declare an influenza pandemic will fall on my shoulders," Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said Friday. "I can assure you, I will take this decision with utmost care and responsibility."

Shiftwork Management Firm Offers Tips for Getting a Good Day's Sleep

Sunlight and other light sources send wake-up cues to the body's internal clock, so it's vital to take steps to make it as dark as possible. A range of approaches can address this problem.

FDA Seizes more than $1.5 Million of Adulterated Food, Food Ingredients

Filthy conditions and failure to correct violations at the American Mercantile Corp. of Memphis, Tenn. prompted action.

chips and cards used in a casino

NIOSH Report Recommends Eliminating Tobacco from Vegas Casinos

A secondhand smoke Health Hazard Evaluation triggered by confidential requests from non-poker dealers at Bally's, Paris, and Caesars Palace casinos found evidence of exposure to a known carcinogen from tobacco smoke, based on measurable levels in their urine.

PCBs in Used Oil Cost Muffler Shop $9,300

The manufacture of PCBs was banned in 1979. "These federal rules are intended to protect human health and the environment from risks posed by these toxic chemicals," said Daniel Duncan, EPA's regional PCB program coordinator in Seattle.

USFA Releases Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Topical Report

The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a special report examining the causes and characteristics of residential multiple-fatality fires. The report, titled "Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings," was developed by the National Fire Data Center, part of FEMA's U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). The report is based on 2004 to 2006 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).

an OSHA image of a sandblaster at work

ISEA, RIMS Petition OSHA to Ban Silica in Sandblasting

Filed April 28, the petition says OSHA has acknowledged both the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for crystalline silica and OSHA’s abrasive blasting standard (29 CFR 1910.94) are "seriously outdated."

the cover of WorkCover New South Wales "Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls" guide

Campaign Targets Slips and Falls Down Under

WorkCover New South Wales, the workplace safety authority in Australia's most populous state, has designated May 2009 as Slips, Trips and Falls Month as it tries to raise awareness of the issue.

Ex Supervisor Faces Prison, $250,000 Fine for Falsifying Drinking Water Reports

"Accurate information is essential for the federal government and the State of Oklahoma to assure good drinking water for the public," said Warren Amburn, special agent in charge of EPA's criminal enforcement program in Dallas. "Individuals who submit false reports or bogus data undermine those efforts and they will be vigorously pursued."

FDA, FTC Warn Against Fraudulent Swine Flu Products

The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission are alerting the public to be wary of Internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

EPA Readies for First 'Don't Fry Day,' Seeks Votes for Sun Safety Poster Contest

Striking more than 1 million Americans every year, skin cancer accounts for half of all cancer cases in the United States. Online voting for the poster contest is open until May 10.

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