Regulatory & Standards


NYC Construction Deaths Fell 84 Percent Last Year

The NYC Buildings Department says the three construction fatalities in 2009 -- a sharp decrease from 19 the year before -- were the fewest in the past four years.

The combined effects of chemicals that seem safe in isolation but may present health risks when absorbed together were identified by Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas in June 2009 as a large future challenge.

Multiple Chemicals Concern EU Environment Ministers

Endocrine disruptors may be addressed this year, but comprehensive action on combined chemicals as a whole probably is two years away, according to the EU.

FAA Accepts Four More Portable Oxygen Concentrators

A final rule effective Wednesday means passengers may bring any of 11 different POCs aboard aircraft and use them, with the approval of the aircraft operator.

An image of a mine worker

Mining Fatalities Fell to All-Time Low in 2009

Preliminary data from MSHA indicates that mine fatalities in 2009 fell for the second straight year for a combined total of 34 mining deaths nationwide, a significant drop from last year's total of 52 deaths.

FAA Sets Safety Conditions for 787's Crew Rest Compartments

Boeing's second Dreamliner completed its first flight on Dec. 22 from Everett, Wash., to Seattle. The first production aircraft will be delivered next year to Japan's All Nippon Airways.

JAMA: FDA-Approved Cardiovascular Devices Often Lack High-Quality Studies

Pre-market approval by the Food and Drug Administration of cardiovascular devices is often based on studies that lack adequate strength or may have been prone to bias, according to a study in the December 23/30 issue of JAMA. The researchers found that of nearly 80 high-risk devices, the majority received approval based on data from a single study.

Richard R. Meneghello is managing partner of the Portland, Ore. office of Fisher & Phillips LLP.

Hyperactive Year for Employment Law Predicted

Employers already are seeing a lot of activity by OSHA but also should watch the NLRB, EEOC, and U.S. Supreme Court this year, writes Rich Meneghello, managing partner of the Portland, Ore. office of Fisher & Phillips LLP.



EPA Releases New Mobile Source Emissions Model

As a result of using data collected from millions of cars and trucks gathered since MOBILE6.2 was released in 2004, MOVES2010 provides increased accuracy in emissions inventory results, the agency said.

Change in PPE Fall Protection Standard

New ANSI Fall Protection Standards: What They Mean to You

Learning how to minimize the risk of potentially dangerous or fatal fall hazards allows organizations to take a proactive approach to worker safety. In November 2007, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) released a comprehensive family of standards, known as the Z359 standard or "Fall Protection Code," to help organizations learn how to reduce risk.

This DoD photo taken by USMC Cpl. Jason Ingersoll shows the damaged Pentagon minutes after a hijacked airliner struck the building on Sept. 11, 2001.

2000-2009: The Decade in Safety & Health

The H1N1 pandemic was 2009's biggest safety and health story, but OSHA also grabbed the spotlight last year with a blockbuster $87 million fine. For all of the attention paid to tower crane safety, combustible dusts, crumbling infrastructure, and a jobless recovery, the biggest story of 2000-2009 was Sept. 11, 2001.

Hydraulic Institute Closes '09 Releasing 3 New Standards

The standards are designed for anyone involved in pumps, including users, consultants, contractors, construction firms, manufacturers of pumps, seals, motors, instrumentation, controls, and pump software developers and systems integrators.

Asbestos, Other Hazards Removed from Walpole, Mass. Superfund Site

EPA completed a short-term cleanup removing asbestos from the former mill building and hazardous substances in drums and containers on the Blackburn & Union Privileges Superfund Site, in Walpole, Mass.

Amendment 6 says digital tachographs, or recorders, like this one must be installed in new commercial transport vehicles in non-EU/AETR countries.

European Digital Recorder Amendment Delayed

Amendment 6 to the European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) will take effect no earlier than Sept. 21, 2010.

Three Detroit-Area Residents Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud

Jackson, Mich., resident Terrence Hicks and Detroit residents Muhammed Al Mahdi and John Saunders pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan for their roles in a $4.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena of the FBI's Detroit Field Office, and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced recently.

Operators of liquid propane pipelines should include 911 agencies in their educational programs, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended Oct. 14.

Special Permits Will Boost Hazmat Safety, Agency Hopes

These additions address salvage cylinders, alternative packaging for hazardous wastes, aerosols transported for recycling or disposal, and authorizations for rail tank cars to exceed maximum capacity and weight limits with specific Federal Railroad Administration approval.

FMCSA Raises Safety Requirements for New Truck, Bus Companies

The Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has begun enforcing its New Entrant Safety Assurance Process rule, which requires newly registered truck and bus companies to meet stricter safety requirements. This final rule raises the compliance standards for passing new entrant safety audits and requires that new carriers correct safety deficiencies before being granted permanent registration.

This photo shows the 2009 Rhino 700 FI Auto 4x4 Sport Edition from Yamaha Motor Corporation USA.

ROV Makers Given More Time to Respond to CPSC

The commission has granted stakeholders until March 15 to comment on its advance notice of proposed rulemaking concerning recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), but the public comments already are pleading for a federal rule.

EEOC Solicits Comments on Improvements to Discrimination Complaint Process

Advancing its efforts to improve the federal complaints process, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on a series of discrete changes to discrimination complaint regulations. The agency is soliciting comments from the public and other interested parties by Feb. 19, 2010.

Ivy Hall Assisted Living Pays $43,000 to Settle Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

Ivy Hall Assisted Living LLC will pay $43,000 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced recently.

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