Hazard Communication


CIS Centres Preparing for 50th Anniversary

The ILO's International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre was created in 1959 and now has centers and cooperative ventures spread around the globe. The CIS newsletter plans a special issue in June.

Two Midwest Plants Agree to Clear the Air, Pay Penalties in Separate Settlements

The agreement with one company focuses on leak detection and repair, the other with control of toluene, a hazardous volatile organic air pollutant that was used as a component of a wash-up solvent.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

Latest Toxics Release Inventory Shows Increase in PCBs

"This information underscores the need for fundamental transparency and provides a powerful tool for protecting public health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Serving the public’s right to know is the crucial first step in reducing toxic chemicals in the places where we live, work, and raise children."

Westco Fruit and Nuts Inc. Added to FDA Peanut Recall List

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to consume any peanuts or peanut-derived products sold by Irvington, New Jersey-based Westco Fruit and Nuts Inc. (Westco/Westcott) due to possible Salmonella contamination. Peanuts in such products may have been distributed by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which recalled the peanuts because of concern about Salmonella contamination.

OSHA Renews Biosafety, Shipbuilding Alliances

Two alliances that have worked well have been extended, the agency announced Monday.

Contractor Receives Willful Citation for Niagara Falls Trench Work

"I'm calling upon the region's employers to review their excavation safety procedures to ensure that no employee enters an excavation unless and until it is properly guarded against collapse," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director in Buffalo, N.Y.

NIOSH Conducts Review of Firefighter Draft Document

The overall goal, NIOSH said, is to enhance the quality of agency recommendations by ensuring appropriate public review.

Metal Forgings Manufacturer Cited for Serious Safety Violations

A Dec. 23, 2008, incident in which two employees were injured when they were struck by a 700-pound forging that shot up in the air while they were attempting to free it from a malfunctioning die on a power press led to the second of two agency inspections.



MSHA Puts 15 Operators on Notice for Potential Pattern of Violations

MSHA recently announced that 15 mine operators from around the country have received letters putting them on notice that each has a potential pattern of violations of mandatory health or safety standards under Section 104(e) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act).

FDA Alert: Insulin Pens, Cartridges Must Not Be Shared

FDA is aware of incidents at two undisclosed hospitals involving more than 2,000 people in which the cartridge component of the insulin pens was used to administer insulin to multiple patients, exposing them to the risk of HIV and the hepatitis viruses.

Chemical Releases Spur Investigation, Lead to $44,000 in Penalties

The W. Va.-based company was cited for failing to ensure that operating procedures addressed special or unique hazards of the process, failing to conduct adequate inspections on process equipment, and failing to ensure that proper respiratory protection and personal protective equipment were utilized during an emergency response, among other things.

Get Ready for More Aggressive OSHA, Foulke Warns

The former OSHA chief and Fisher & Phillips LLP colleague Howard A. Mavity presented a webinar today in which they advised employers to review their corporate policies for disciplining workers who violate safety standards. Foulke said employers shouldn't ignore routine areas such as recordkeeping, lockout/tagout, and PPE, job safety analyses.

FDA Assesses New Nanotechnology Test to Detect Anthrax

The Food and Drug Administration recently completed a "proof-of-concept" study of a test that quickly and accurately detects the presence of even the smallest amount of the deadly anthrax toxin.

Nanotechnology in Food Focus of London Seminar

The latest developments in nanotechnology and its potential for use in the food industry is the subject of a seminar on April 30 in London.

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis

DOL Withdraws Diacetyl Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said this step facilitates the convening of a small business advocacy review panel to determine the impact a proposed rule might have on small businesses and how those impacts can be reduced.

DOL Proposes Nine-Month Suspension of H-2A rule

On March 13, the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration announced the proposed suspension for nine months of a final rule implementing changes to the H-2A program, which allows U.S. agricultural businesses to employ foreign workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.

Roofing Fatality Leads to Willful Citation against Contractor

In addition, eight serious violations include management's failure to provide a warning line system around the entire perimeter of the roof, failure to provide a path of access to the hoisting area, improper use of ladders, and lack of employee training.

FDA Approves First DNA Tests for Two Types of HPV

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first DNA test that identifies the two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause the majority of cervical cancers among women in the United States.

Sugar Producer Fined for Combustible Dust Hazards

Other alleged violations of the Florida company include not developing lockout/tagout procedures on packaging machines to prevent accidental machinery start-up; exposing employees to electrical hazards; and using high-pressure compressed air for cleaning purposes.

NATE 2009 Webinar Showing Wednesday to Aid Tower Climbers

The broadcast at 10 a.m. Central time is a roundtable discussion in which company representatives will share safety best practices and how they train employees.

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