Risk Management


ISO Secretary-General Robert Steele

ISO's Road Safety Standard Moving Forward

Also, the International Organization for Standardization, which is the world's largest developer of consensus standards, will have a new secretary-general beginning Jan. 1: New Zealand accountant Robert Steele, shown here.

Green Spaces May Resolve Public Health Gaps

British researchers' study of more than 366,000 records of people who died between 2001 and 2005 found even tiny parks and green spaces in the areas where they lived made a big difference in their risk of fatal diseases.

an injured child

Preventing Children's Injuries Focus of Seattle Forum

A Dec. 11 event at the University of Washington will include a WHO/UNICEF report on ways to prevent injuries such as burns, drownings, traffic crashes, and poisonings. Injury is the leading cause of death worldwide for children under 18.

Report Examines Depression among Veterans Ages 21-39

Severe or very severe impairment in role functioning was reported by 55.4 percent of these veterans for home management, 41.3 percent for ability to work, 50.4 percent for close relationships with others, and 57.7 percent for social life.

OSHA Finds Merit to Amtrak Whistleblower's Allegations

"This case sends a clear message that OSHA will not tolerate retaliation against whistleblowers," said Richard S. Terrill, OSHA's regional administrator in Seattle.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff

FEMA Readying $3 Billion in FY2009 Preparedness Grants

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, shown here, says the grants program has matured, moving "from capability building to performance-based planning and investment."

FDA Seizes Contaminated Heparin from Cincinnati Manufacturer

As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ongoing efforts to ensure that heparin for patients remains safe, the government seized 11 lots of heparin from Celsus Laboratories Inc. in Cincinnati.

Universal Waste Proposal for Pharmaceuticals Reaches OMB

The inclusion of hazardous pharmaceutical wastes in the rule is expected to provide relief in the management of P-listed pharmaceuticals by simplifying current requirements of large quantity generators.



EPA Revises Pesticide Container and Containment Regs

You may be affected by this action if you are a pesticide formulator, agrichemical dealer, an independent commercial applicator, or a custom blender. The final rule is effective Dec. 29.

doctor treating injured worker

Alaska Has Highest Workers' Comp Rates, Oregon Study Shows

The four states with the next-highest rates in 2008 are Montana, Ohio, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The lowest rate, $1.08 per $100 of payroll, belongs to North Dakota.

TSA Reaches Agreement with European Union on Cargo Screening

"By synchronizing the way that air cargo is secured on both sides of the Atlantic, we're taking another potential vulnerability off the table for terrorists," said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Gen Y Workers Want Technology Their Way

The findings point to a disconnect between the technology that organizations provide their workers and how young workers actually want to use technology and collaborate in the workplace.

18-wheeler

Trucking's Highway Safety Agenda Awaits Next Congress

The American Trucking Associations listed 18 actions, adopted recently by its board, that ATA considers critical to reduce highway crashes among all motorists. A national 65 mph speed limit is one of them.

Spiders & Snakes: NIOSH Adds New Topic Pages to Site, with Pictures

The new pages are designed to help employers train their employees on the risk of exposure and include information on the symptoms associated with stings and bites, how workers can protect themselves, and what they should do if they are stung or bitten.

Willful Violation at Root of Fatal International Paper Explosion, OSHA Says

The agency's investigation followed an incident in May that killed one employee and injured 22 others.

2008 Major Injuries, Deaths Down Again in UK

Continued declines in major workplace injuries and deaths are good news, but the HSE's chair says she's concerned about agriculture, construction, waste and recycling industries, and slip-and-fall incidents.

Small Businesses' Compliance Challenges Addressed at OSHA Forum

Electronic tools helping small businesses evaluate workplace safety and health management programs was among the topics presented at a recent OSHA forum titled "Challenges Small Businesses Face in Complying with Regulations."

White Paper Calls for OSH Policy Change from New Administration

"We are frankly weary of the culture of confrontation that perennially pervades the debates over workplace safety and health policy, that leads to political stalemate and that has alienated much of the safety and health community," says ORC Senior VP Frank White, author of the report.

Maine Firm Fined for Oil Spill Prevention Violations, Inadequate Security

An inspection found that two of the company's oil storage facilities adjacent to Penobscot Bay had failed to maintain sufficiently impervious secondary containment for its oil tanks and one of the sites next to the harbor had inadequate containment for the loading and off-loading areas.

Refinery Fined $357,750 for Willful Chemical, Explosion Hazards, More

"It is inexcusable for employees to be situated next to the process operation and have them use equipment that could serve as an ignition source for an explosion," said Clyde Payne, director of OSHA's Area Office in Jackson, Miss.

Featured

Artificial Intelligence