Respiratory


PAHO Praises Brazilian Anti-Smoking Law

The new law will make Brazil the largest country in the world to declare all workplaces and indoor public spaces 100 percent smoke-free, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

DOL Sues Granite Quarry to Collect $142,992 in Unpaid Fines

The 58 citations carry civil penalties of $125,432.37. Since becoming final orders, some extending back to 2007, those penalties have been accruing interest and other charges totaling not less than $17,560.53.

International Asbestos Awareness Conference Slated for March

Conference presentations will include advances in diagnosing and treating asbestos-related diseases, preventing asbestos exposure in the home and workplace, patient resources, and a global advocacy session.

Rubber Parts Fabricator Fined $77,600 for Plethora of Violations

OSHA opened inspections in July after receiving complaints alleging burn hazards and poor housekeeping throughout the plant.

Houston Recycling Plant Penalized for Exposing Workers to Hazardous Substances

OSHA began its investigation in August in response to a complaint, and found workers exposed to sulfuric acid and caustic soda while recovering silver from X-ray film and processing plastics for recycling. Proposed penalties total $144,760.

OSHA Fines Utility Firm $118,580 Following Worker's Death in Manhole

OSHA's Fort Worth Area Office initiated an inspection on June 28 in response to a report that employees working on a new sewer line were exposed to inhalation of a hazardous chemical.

MSHA Announces Results of November Impact Inspections

MSHA recently announced that federal inspectors issued 315 citations, orders, and safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and six metal/nonmetal mines last month.

New OSHA Web Page Offers Winter Hazards Guidance for Workers

The page includes guidance for workers clearing heavy snow in front of workplaces and from rooftops, workers encountering downed power lines or traveling on icy roads, and utility workers restoring power after winter storms.



Air Pollution Levels from Deepwater Horizon Spill Similar to Large Urban Area: NOAA

About eight percent, or about one of every 13 barrels of the Deepwater Horizon-spilled oil that reached the ocean surface, eventually made its way into airborne organic particles small enough to be inhaled into human lungs.

NIOSH Releases Roster Summary Report on Deepwater Horizon Response Workers

The work from which the report was drawn marks the first time that NIOSH has developed a prospective, centralized roster of workers for a response event of this magnitude.

NIOSH Seeking Respiratory Disease Studies Deputy Director

The division conducts surveillance, field studies, and research on occupational diseases such as asthma, COPD, and pneumoconiosis -– also called black lung disease, which is caused by inhaling coal dust.

OSHA Nails Five Contractors for Hazards at Casino Construction Site

The contractors have been cited for inadequate safeguards to protect workers exposed to airborne concentrations of lead while performing torch cutting operations. The citations carry a total of $127,400 in proposed fines.

America's Heart Health Needs Improvement: AHA

More than 67 percent of U.S. adults and 31.7 percent of children are overweight or obese. Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of obesity in children has increased from 4 percent to more than 20 percent.

Workers Exposed to 'Dangerously High' Levels of Lead, Firm Fined $54,600

OSHA initiated an inspection after receiving a referral from the Pennsylvania Department of Health regarding an employee with blood containing an elevated level of lead.

NIST Study Pinpoints Firefighting SCBAs' Vulnerability

The agency conducted fire experiments in vacant but furnished townhouses with results covered in a report about the damage to facepieces caused by "uncovered temperature and heat flow conditions," it said.

OSHA Delivers Fine to Pizza Maker for Exposing Employees to Oxygen Deficient Atmosphere

A willful health violation was issued for exposing workers to an oxygen deficient environment when processing pizzas in the liquid nitrogen cryogenic freezer.

OSHA Busts Colorado Food Manufacturer for 28 Safety Violations

OSHA has cited the company for seven repeat, 18 serious, and three other-than-serious violations. Proposed fines total $116,160.

HELP Committee Taking Up Pandemic Bill This Week

S. 1855, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act Reauthorization of 2011, a reauthorization to build on the 2006 law that strengthened public health preparedness for a pandemic, is included in the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee's Dec. 14 executive session.

NIOSH Fact Sheet Highlights Pesticide Poisoning Monitoring Program

A variety of occupations such as agricultural workers, groundskeepers, pet groomers, and fumigators are at risk for exposure to pesticides including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fumigants, and sanitizers.

NIOSH Releases Automotive Repair Safety Agenda

Health and safety issues in the automotive repair industry include injuries involving sprains and strains, cuts and lacerations, and bruises and contusions.

Featured

Artificial Intelligence