Respiratory


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Union Pacific, Dow Cite Major Rail Safety Gains

Their report on progress toward achieving eight major goals by 2017 shows how the industry as a whole is improving the safety of toxic inhalation hazard and flammable chemical shipments by rail.

map depicting the layout of the Sago Mine in West Virginia

NIOSH Will Measure Atmospheres of Sealed Areas

The agency yesterday asked coal mine companies to offer help in the research, which will examine methane accumulation in sealed areas like the one that exploded in the Sago Mine, depicted here, in January 2006.

Invista Agrees to Largest-Ever EPA Audit Policy Settlement

The company disclosed more than 680 violations of water, air, hazardous waste, emergency planning and preparedness, and pesticide regulations to EPA after auditing 12 facilities it acquired from DuPont in 2004.

Chemical Manufacturer Hit with Penalties after Forcing Residential Evacuation

The company has been fined $121,500 for violations associated with process safety management, hazardous waste operations, and emergency response, including the company's failure to identify all of the causal factors of the incident during the investigation. The chemical release resulted in the evacuation of residents living within a three-mile radius of the facility.

Safety Marketing Group Presents Top Awards

SMG's Preferred Supplier of the Year, Jon Cal Murray Distributor of the Year, and Rich Harper Commitment to Excellence Supplier and Distributor Award winners were announced April 9 at the organization's annual conference in Tampa, Fla.

Per-Employee PPE Rule Before Kentucky Standards Board May 5

A measure to adopt the Dec. 12, 2008, OSHA final rule is on the board's agenda for its May 4 meeting in Louisville.



an illustration of human lungs

COPD Underlying Cause in 5 Percent of U.S. 2005 Deaths: CDC

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease was the underlying cause of death for 718,077 people 25 and older in 2000-2005, with annual deaths rising from 116,494 in 2000 to 126,005 in 2005, according to the study published in JAMA.

AIHA Backs Combustible Dust Bill

The American Industrial Hygiene Association's president, Lindsay Booher, wrote a letter April 2 to the chairman of the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee expressing support for HR 849.

The document covers all major types of respirators.

OSHA Breathes Life into Respirator Selection Guidance

Among other things, the agency's new, 51-page guidance document explains how to use Assigned Protection Factors numbers and Maximum Use Concentration limits, per the 2006 revisions to its Respiratory Protection standard.

buildings in Red Square in Moscow

Russia's Appetite for PPE Increasing

Frost & Sullivan's Chemicals and Materials Research & Consulting practice predicts the country's demand for apparel, gloves, footwear, and head, vision, hearing, and respiratory protection will reach $1.7 billion in 2015.

AOHC 2009 Preview: Great Program, Perfect Setting

The 94th annual meeting in the series will take place at the sumptuous Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in San Diego, Calif.

cover page of "Expert Forecast on Emerging Chemical Risks" report

Major EU Report Cites Emerging Chemical Risks to Workers

Issued by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the 197-page report estimates 74,000 deaths per year are linked to hazardous substances encountered at work -- 10 times more people than are dying in workplace accidents.

a protective helmet/faceshield with hearing protection included

NIOSH Personal Protective Technology Program Offers Expansion Plan

Stakeholders are asked to comment by April 20 on the plan, which anticipates an expanded role five years out and beyond.

Two Midwest Plants Agree to Clear the Air, Pay Penalties in Separate Settlements

The agreement with one company focuses on leak detection and repair, the other with control of toluene, a hazardous volatile organic air pollutant that was used as a component of a wash-up solvent.

TSI Donates more than $265,000 in PortaCount Plus Quantitative Fit Testers

The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation partnered with TSI to distribute the remaining production stock of PortaCountTM Plus Respirator Fit Tester Model 8020s that had recently been retired.

Chemical Releases Spur Investigation, Lead to $44,000 in Penalties

The W. Va.-based company was cited for failing to ensure that operating procedures addressed special or unique hazards of the process, failing to conduct adequate inspections on process equipment, and failing to ensure that proper respiratory protection and personal protective equipment were utilized during an emergency response, among other things.

wrist pain, possible evidence of a musculoskeletal disorder

IOM Meeting Seeks Input on Comparative Effectiveness Research

More than 70 public health and health care organizations will be represented at today's IOM public meeting, which is available by phone and online. By June 30, IOM must evaluate the response and recommend how to spend $400 million in stimulus money.

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis

DOL Withdraws Diacetyl Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said this step facilitates the convening of a small business advocacy review panel to determine the impact a proposed rule might have on small businesses and how those impacts can be reduced.

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