Regulatory & Standards


STERIS Corp. Dominates NSC Safety Leadership Award

The National Safety Council awarded 19 organizations with Safety Leadership Awards in August. Safety Leadership recipients have achieved five consecutive years without an occupational injury or illness resulting in lost employee work days or death.

Traffic Fatalities Fall to Lowest Level Since 1950

Fatalities declined in all categories of vehicles including motorcycles, which saw fatalities fall by 850 from 2008, breaking an 11-year cycle of annual increases.

Poultry Processing Plant Slapped with Penalties for Repeat Hazards

OSHA began its inspection in March after receiving a complaint concerning ammonia odors, trip and struck-by hazards, cuts, and stabbing injuries. The investigation was expanded to all areas of the facility when inspectors observed a high number of safety hazards.

TRB Offering Rail Crossing Safety Webinar

Next week's presentation (Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. Eastern) is free to Transportation Research Board sponsors.

New DOL Web Portal Provides Job Postings, Training Programs

The website's features include information about occupational skills that can be transferred from one job to another and links to local training programs.

Dollar Tree Stores Hit with $56K Fine

The OSHA area director urged the company to evaluate all of its store locations for hazards after this latest filing.

Emergency responders need "complete and consistent access to information on chemical exposures and hazards," the report states.

Report Backs Safer Technologies Law

Recommendation #6 from the Chemical Emergencies Work Group supports a bill using an approach to inherently safer technologies (IST) that the U.S. chemical industry opposes.

The seminar will focus mainly on using NFPA 654 to manage dust explosion hazards.

October Events Focus on Preventing Dust Explosions

An Oct. 19 seminar and Oct. 20-21 symposium are in Kansas City, Mo., sponsored by the NFPA and its affiliated Fire Protection Research Foundation, will include a case study by Imperial Sugar's vice president of Manufacturing & Engineering.



Research Study Calls for Disclosure of Medical Mistakes that Affect Multiple Patients

Health care organizations should disclose medical mistakes that affect multiple patients even if patients were not harmed by the event, according to an AHRQ-funded research paper published in the September 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

MSHA: Don't Restrict Miners' Right to File Complaints

The Mine Safety and Health Administration recently announced the release of two new program information bulletins pertaining to the rights of miners who make hazardous condition complaints and request inspections, as well as miners' protections against discrimination.

Broad New Category Proposed for Inspecting SHARP Participants

Imminent danger investigations, fatality/catastrophe investigations, and complaint investigations are already in the regulation; the added category would be "other critical inspections as determined by the Assistant Secretary."

The petition sent to OSHA seeks a standard setting an 80-hour maximum per week for medical residents.

OSHA May Limit Residents' Work Hours

Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels issued a statement Thursday saying the agency will review and consider a petition seeking an 80-hour maximum per week.

Planned high-speed rail lines include these in the Northeast.

New Standards for High-Speed Railcars Unveiled

The Federal Railroad Administration has issued these to set a uniform design for new passenger cars on the lines being constructed. They will meet all current safety requirements and future regulations for crash energy management.

Brass Foundry Cited for 'Deliberate' Lead-Exposure Hazards

The citations allege, among other things, that the company did not take air samples as required for workers who were overexposed to airborne lead nor provide the required annual training associated with the hazards. An additional willful violation alleges that the company stopped providing hearing tests to employees overexposed to noise.

Hospital Visitation Rule in Trouble?

CMS proposed it in response to an April 15, 2010, presidential memorandum that says "every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides."

OSHA Rings Up $4 Million Day

Announcing a $3 million fine against one employer and $1.2 million against another, the agency continues come down hard on violations even when no fatality is involved.

AirTran Fined $500,000 for Boarding Violations, Disability Complaints

An investigation by DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office of disability complaints filed with AirTran and DOT revealed a number of violations of the requirement for boarding assistance. In addition, the carrier’s complaint files showed that it frequently did not provide an adequate written response to complaints from passengers.

The only way to determine the attenuation level for a given subject is with a fit test system.

Fit Testing: Questions and Answers

Many users in a group may obtain values close to the labeled NRR, but a substantial portion typically do not. The only way to determine a person's attenuation level is with a fit test system.

We Can't Quit

It appears we simply won't give up our phones.

Put Walkway Auditing to Good Use

You need to be proactive in floor safety. Walkway audits play a key role in establishing due diligence and in preventing slips and falls.

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