Going head to head in two sizzling destination cities this week are the annual conferences of the American Society of Safety Engineers (San Antonio, featuring Labor Secretary Hilda Solis) and the Society for Human Resource Management (New Orleans, featuring business titan Jack Welch).
The agency wants comments by Aug. 4 on how it should write a rule that will require accidental chemical releases to be reported to it or to the National Response Center.
Fortune magazine’s color photography display begins with three Burnham, Pa. steel workers in 1939 and ends with a 2002 shot of a billboard in Shanghai. It chronicles both the demise of Kodak's Kodachrome film and big changes in the U.S. economy.
The agency posted the information Tuesday to help this group of workers and their managers address bloodborne pathogens exposures.
Three separate companies were issued willful violations for failing to provide a competent person to supervise the removal of a ceiling that contained asbestos, to provide the required respiratory equipment, and to inform workers that the worksite contained asbestos.
"These citations encompass a cross section of fall protection, flammable, confined space, lockout, and bloodborne pathogen hazards as well as inadequate personal protective equipment and hazard communication training," said Edward Jerome, OSHA's area director in Albany, N.Y.
The Army showed off the micro-climate cooling system June 12 at the Pentagon. It is part of the Program Executive Office Soldier initiative, which works on modernizing weapons and equipment to make them lighter and more effective.
The Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to improve contact lens safety by reminding consumers of the importance of following proper cleaning and storing procedures. Consumers who do not follow instructions for contact lens care and use increase their risk of serious eye infections that can lead to blindness.
A June 16 report summarizing three agencies with essential occupations that cannot be done remotely, including air traffic controllers, indicates the FAA in particular isn't ready and believes long-term use of respirators during a pandemic is impractical.
"Our inspections identified a large number of mechanical, respirator protection, electrical, lead, fire, explosive, and other hazards that must be effectively and continuously addressed to protect the workers at this plant from potentially deadly or disabling injuries and illnesses now and in the future," said Rosemarie Ohar, OSHA's area director in New Hampshire.
The federal agency decided to retain the exemption for firefighters out of concern wearing compliant apparel that might not be fire-resistant could increase their risk during emergencies.
"This is a major threat," says Teresa Dwyer, CSP. "It can cost several hundreds of dollars to have a professional remove an AHB hive and, without the correct protective equipment and training, the potential rescuer may become an additional victim."
To the thousands of visitors planning to attend the American Society of Safety Engineers' Safety 2009 conference and expo, symbols are valuable tools. At the job site, symbols can warn workers of imminent danger, advise them about proper PPE, or convey the quickest egress route during an emergency.
Painters, janitors, helpers, apprentices, and any other worker who may come in contact with equipment that could be exposed and energized will require electrical safety training.
Training is critical, including a relevant, compelling message that explains the reasons for precautions as much as the precautions themselves.
Whatever can you do to get a handle on safety? Specifically, to prevent injuries to fingers, wrists, hands, and arms that are common to many industries, especially where people use hand tools, assemble, work on machines, lift, load, cut, push, pull, and more?
Since the publication of our first article ("Vision Testing: A Blind Spot in Occupational Safety," February 2009, page 47), we have been asked many questions, and most people wanted references to the research data.
A May 28 conference co-sponsored by the California Department of Public Health looked at sustainable farming and ecologically friendly pest control, along with health impacts of pesticide use.