Respiratory


$147,840 in Fines Issued to Steel Firm for Unsafe Crane Operations

OSHA issued the company a willful safety violation for failing to remove a crane from service that required necessary repairs before resuming crane operations.

Ontario Labor Ministry Launches PPE, Mine Ventilation Blitzes

Mine inspectors are checking underground mines with large fleets of diesel equipment, while the PPE blitz targets health care workplaces, among others.

Study Estimates 28,000 Pool Chemical Illnesses in 2002-08

Published in the Oct. 7 issue of CDC's MMWR, the study examined data from six states participating in the SENSOR program and the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Forty percent of state cases were work-related.

FEMA Sounds the Alarm for National Fire Prevention Week 2011

"The most common causes of home fires include cooking, heating, electrical malfunction, smoking materials, and candles,” said FEMA Regional Administrator Ken Murphy.

New Technologies Featured at National Mine Rescue Contest

The final day's activities Oct. 6 in Columbus, Ohio, included a mine rescue stakeholder meeting with MSHA Assistant Secretary Joe Main, and an awards banquet in the Battelle Grand Ballroom.

Hazardous Waste Tanks Lead to Firm's $122,760 Fine

OSHA inspectors found that workers were exposed to respiratory and confined space hazards while cleaning waste tanks used to store petroleum hydrocarbons at a job site in Channahon, Ill.

OSHRC's 'Legacy' Cases Finally Done

The Sept. 28 decision in Secretary of Labor v. Southern Scrap Materials Co., Inc. allowed the commission to resolve all 10 cases with this designation by the end of fiscal 2011.

Two Workers Die in Flash Fire, Boat Repair Firm Fined $221,200

Nine employees were performing cutting and fire watch operations inside the hopper space, an area between the cargo hold and the bottom plate of the vessel, with limited means of entry and exit when the flash fire occurred.



Some suits on the market offer certification to both standards. This means a suit for use in situations that do not require a Level A suit, one that also provides liquid splash and gas chemical protection. (Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics photo)

Spending Less and Getting More from Your Hazmat Suit

It is imperative for hazmat teams to understand the requirements of NFPA 1994 and NFPA 1992. Doing this not only determines your safety during use, but also gives peace of mind while in the hot zone.

The Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia is the host site for the 2011 National Safety Congress & Expo. (Paul Loftland photo)

All Aboard for Safety

Historic Reading Railroad Terminal is the site of the National Safety Congress & Expo’s long-awaited return to Philadelphia.

Funding Issues Fill FEMSA/FAMA Meetings' Agenda

The joint fall meetings and conference of the Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association and the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association will take place Oct. 5-7 in Arlington, Va.

MSHA Awards $1 Million in Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants

The funding will be used to develop and implement training and related materials for mine emergency preparedness, as well as for the prevention of accidents in underground mines.

Foundry Fined $124,000 Following Worker Fatality

In this case, a coal chute became jammed and the operator left his controls to attempt to un-jam it. Through miscommunication, another employee took the controls and moved the transport vehicle, which hit the worker, crushing him between a guardrail and the jammed coal bin chute.

Worker's Death at Recycling Facility Results in $183,300 Penalty

OSHA opened an inspection after a worker was found dead inside the rotating drum assembly of a machine used to screen recyclables from other refuse on March 30.

USFA Releases Annual Report on Firefighter Fatalities in U.S.

Eighty-seven on-duty firefighters from 31 states lost their lives as the result of 83 fatal incidents that occurred in 2010.

$949,800 in Fines Issued to Trailer Maker for Toxic Fumes, Noise Hazards

OSHA's Dallas Area Office initiated a safety and health inspection at the company's facility in Texas following receipt of a complaint that employees were not adequately protected from being injured by rotating machinery parts, and employees were exposed to toxic welding fumes while fabricating trailers and noise levels above approved health standards.

FAA Renewing Mandate for O2 Concentrator Physician Statements

The agency’s notice estimates 1,735,000 passengers bring a portable oxygen concentrator aboard a commercial aircraft. All of them must carry a signed physician statement explaining the oxygen therapy they need.

Tyco Splitting Fire and Security Businesses

The board has voted to divide into three independent businesses. One will be a commercial fire and security company with about $10 billion in annual revenue and 69,000 employees.

Chronic Diseases are World's Leading Killer, WHO Says

In the United States, 87 percent of all deaths are due to noncommunicable diseases. Sixteen percent of the population smokes and 43 percent are physically inactive.

OSHA Blasts N.J. Construction Firm for Trenching Hazards, Issues $158,400 in Penalties

The willful violations involve failing to ensure that the excavation spoil pile was at least 2 feet from the edge of the excavation, ensure that the ladder extended 3 feet above the level being accessed, and provide cave-in protection for employees working in the excavation.

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