Risk Management


Worker's Fall at NY Worksite Prompts Investigation, Citations

"One wrong step can end a worker's career or life," said Kay Gee, OSHA's acting area director in Manhattan. "We want to emphasize to all contractors the importance of supplying effective fall protection safeguards and training to their workers."

2 Denver Companies Slapped with Fines for Willful Trenching Violations

"Different companies. Different worksites. Similar issues. Trench work can be extremely dangerous," said OSHA Regional Administrator Greg Baxter.

FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of H1N1 Test for U.S. Troops Serving Overseas

An Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authorizes the use of unapproved medical products or unapproved uses of approved medical products during a declared public health emergency.

Survey: Majority of Workers Plan to Get Flu Shot

Of the 39 percent who reported they do not plan to get the shot, 13 percent said they would if their employer offered it.

APIC Creates New Healthcare Administrator Award, Seeks Nominations

Candidates must be a member of the health care organization's executive team who has made infection prevention an organizational priority, supported programs to target zero health care-associated infections (HAIs), and reduced the transmission of one or more HAIs within their facility.

ASSE to Present SeminarFest 2010 in Las Vegas

The intensive weeklong event, Feb. 14-20, will include more than 50 seminars ranging from one to three days in length on all manner of safety and health topics.

EPA Earmarks $7.1 Million to Clean Up Petroleum Leaks in Michigan

The greatest potential hazard from a leaking underground storage tank is that the petroleum or other hazardous substances might seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater, the source of drinking water for nearly one-third of all Americans, the agency noted.

OSHA Blasts Firearms Manufacturer for Machine Hazards

An agency inspection identified dozens of instances throughout the plant where workers were exposed to possible lacerations, amputation, and crushing injuries from unguarded moving parts of mechanical power presses and other machinery as well as a lack of specific procedures to prevent the accidental startup of numerous machines during set-up, maintenance, and repair.



Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones heads the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Canadian Summit Next Week on Treating Severe H1N1

The Sept. 2-3 meeting will produce new treatment guidelines and guidance on identifying surge capacity for hospitals during a severe outbreak, said Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer.

Aircraft Parts Maker To Pay $12,000+ for Not Reporting Hazardous Chemicals

"It's critical that companies report the storage and release of toxic chemicals--if they don't, public safety is jeopardized in an emergency," said Edward Kowalski, EPA's Director of the Office of Compliance and Enforcement in Seattle.

this photo is displayed on the CSB page summarizing its investigatoin of the August 2008 explosion at the Bayer CropScience plant in Institute, W.Va.

Big MIC Reduction Promised at Bayer CropScience Plant

Company officials announced Aug. 26 that the Institute, W.Va., plant will reduce its average inventory of highly toxic methyl isocyanate by 80 percent.

FDA Addresses Ongoing Safety Review of Weight Loss Drug Orlistat

Consumers who have used the drug, marketed as Xenical and the over-the-counter medication Alli, should consult a health care professional if they experience symptoms possibly associated with development of liver injury, particularly weakness or fatigue, fever, jaundice, or brown urine, the agency says. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, itching, or loss of appetite.

Ali Rangwala, assistant professor of fire protection engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI Prof Receives NSF Award to Study Physics of Dust Explosions

"We will be creating a new experimental platform here at WPI that will allow us to look at the mechanics of fire phenomenon," said award recipient Ali Rangwala. "We will be carrying out experiments that have never been attempted before."

FEMA Issues Report on Personal Preparedness in America

According to the national survey, 30 percent of Americans have not prepared because they think that emergency responders will help them, and more than 60 percent expect to rely on emergency responders in the first 72 hours following a disaster.

more U.S. hospitals are stamping out smoking on their campuses

Most U.S. Hospitals Going Smoke-Free

In 1992, with the Joint Commission first requiring accredited hospitals to prohibit smoking within the hospital, only 3 percent did, but 15 percent said they were pursuing a smoke-free campus policy.

John P. Holdren is assistant to President Obama for Science and Technology and a co-chair of PCAST

White House Posts Update on H1N1 Preparedness

The update responds to recommendations from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which completed a report on flu readiness that is also on the White House Web site.

Makers of Landscaping Paraphernalia Charged with 142 Violations

Managers at the cited companies in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi "have displayed a systemic indifference to the safety and health of their own employees, resulting in a dangerous work environment," said Cindy Coe, OSHA's regional administrator in Atlanta.

FCC to Host Webinar on How Broadband Can Enhance Homeland Security

Two panel discussions are planned, covering use of broadband applications by first responders and the impact of the technology on issues such as cyber security, pandemics, bioterrorism, and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.

FDA Proposes Mandatory Electronic Safety Reporting

“Both proposed rules will improve the agency’s ability to obtain safety information more quickly, which will help lead to faster identification of potential safety problems,” said David Buckles, Ph.D., director of the Division of Postmarket Surveillance at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

Oil Spill Planning Failures Cost 3 New England Firms $226,132

Federal law requires that any facility with more than 1,320 gallons of aboveground oil storage capacity and meeting certain other criteria must develop and implement SPCC plans to prevent and contain spills. EPA says it will continue to pay unannounced visits to such facilities throughout the region.

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