A university study of reusable grocery bags found that 50 percent were contaminated with E. coli and other bacteria, and that a full 97 percent of the shoppers who use them had never washed, much less bleached, the totes.
An investigation found structural deficiencies on one of the crawler cranes the company maintained and operated, as well as electrical hazards throughout the shipyard; in all, the facility received 19 serious citations in areas of fall protection, machine guarding, plant maintenance, and fire safety, plus citations for repeat and other-than-serious offenses.
EMTs at the scene said the incident was an excellent example of what is possible if CPR and AED use are initiated quickly, along with timely activation of the emergency medical services system.
MSHA posted the guide June 24. It will help metal and nonmetal mine safety personnel comply with 30 CFR 56/57.14107, Moving Machine Parts, which is the most-cited standard for this part of the mining industry since 2005.
Law enforcement officers from the Coast Guard, FWCC and local agencies, as part of Operation Dry Water, will be out in force this weekend looking for boat operators whose blood alcohol content exceeds the limit of 0.08 percent.
Michael R. Bromwich announced the new unit June 23 for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, which he leads. It has replaced the Minerals Management Service in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The new report assembles stats for 2008, when fireworks caused an estimated 22,500 reported fires in the United States and an estimated 7,000 injuries treated in emergency rooms.
The July 7-8 event in Baltimore brings top DHS officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, together with leaders of the chemical industry to discuss security issues and solutions.
The research plan targets organizations with known fogging problems, including industries such as utilities, pulp and paper, chemical handling, construction, law enforcement, and military.
"It should not take an OSHA inspection and enforcement action to prompt an employer to complete necessary repairs that should have been made months, even years, ago," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director for western New York.
"A system that is based on inconsistent data and a flawed scoring methodology will not achieve its objectives," said Transportation Corporation of America CEO Keith Klein, in his testimony Wednesday before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
The National Transportation Safety Board published corrections Tuesday to its rule to clarify that only fixed-wing aircraft operating at public-use airports on land must file reports of certain incursions.
"In my experience, there have never been as many factors as now that support occupational safety and health's development as a profession and an understanding of why it's important," said PureSafety President & CEO William A. Grana Jr.
Reportable injuries have plunged by 76 percent since the Hard Target campaign launched a decade ago. Health and Safety Executive Chair Judith Hackitt congratulated the industry and urged lowering injuries another 15 percent by 2015.
Remodeling contractors need certification to meet new EPA lead requirements for exposure protection during renovations, repair, and painting. They'll also need PPE.
"When doctors or nurses lean over the beds of patients who are carrying organisms, their clothing can become contaminated. Hours later, that bacteria can still be alive and passed on through incidental contact with other patients," said Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
Once the agency's proposed rule to ban text messaging while driving is finished, a second rule will cover dispatch systems, using CB radios, and more to reduce risk while allowing legitimate communication, Chief Safety Officer Rose A. McMurray told the National Association of Small Trucking Companies.
An inspection found that machine guarding was inadequate for dumpers or packing machines and that, in general, mechanical integrity throughout the plant’s refrigeration system was not sufficient to prevent equipment malfunctions.
"Employees exposed to methylene chloride are at increased risk of developing cancer, adverse effects on the heart, central nervous system, and liver, and skin or eye irritation,” said OSHA’s Arthur Dube. “Effective safeguards are vital to the health and well-being of the workers."
The penalty against B&W Nuclear Operations Group of Lynchburg, Va., is based on its alleged failure to have adequate instructions telling workers how to neutralize acid spills.