ISHN Weekly News Round-Up
New online tool helps assess cadmium exposure
The Cadmium Biological Monitoring Advisor, a new online tool from OSHA, analyzes biological monitoring results provided by the user. These data, along with a series of answers to questions generated by the cadmium advisor, are used to determine the biological monitoring and medical surveillance requirements that must be met under the general industry cadmium standard (29 CFR 1910.1027).
Dr. Beth J. Rosenberg has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a board member of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB); Dr. Rosenberg fills one of three current vacancies on the Board. Rosenberg was nominated by President Obama on September 20, 2012 and confirmed by the full Senate on January 1, 2013.
After Solis: What happens to I2P2?
In the spring of 2010, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who announced her resignation January 9th, 2013, put her name on the Department of Labor’s Regulatory Agenda Narrative, where she endorsed a strategy of “Plan/Prevent/Protect.”
Whither sustainability? CEOs rank it low on 2013 priorities
Sustainability ranks ninth out of ten top corporate priorities for 2013, according to a study released by The Conference Board January 9th of more than 700 senior executives in businesses around the world.
Read MoreA new American Petroleum Institute (API) report shows that operational injuries and illness for the oil and natural gas industry occur at a rate substantially below the private sector average. The Workplace Safety Report also shows the oil and gas industry rate has been steadily declining.
Read MoreOne and done: DOL Secretary Solis departs after one term
It’s official: Labor Secretary Hilda Solis has announced in a letter to colleagues dated January 9th that she is leaving her cabinet seat to “begin a new future” back in her home state of California. She submitted her resignation to President Obama on the 9th.
Mass. contractor in DEEP trouble over trench danger
OSHA has cited a Dracut, Mass., contractor for alleged willful and serious safety violations at a Nashua, N.H., work site. DeFelice Inc. faces a total of $55,660 in proposed fines.
Read MoreWhen noise is a problem, it’s usually in the “too much” rather than “too little” category. The opposite is true of ultra-quiet electric and hybrid vehicles, who emit so little noise that pedestrians and bicyclists may not be able to detect their presence, thus increasing their chances of an accident.
Read MoreWorkplace health promotion programs have the potential to reduce average worker health costs by 18 percent — and even more for older workers, reports a study in the January Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Read MoreTwo Wisconsin companies – including one with a previous crane-related worker fatality -- face ten safety citations in the wake of a crane collapse at a bridge construction site last summer that left one man dead and another hospitalized.
NIOSH Policy Statement: Respiratory protection recommendations for airborne exposures to crystalline silica
The following describes the NIOSH policy for respiratory protection against airborne exposures to crystalline silica.
NTSB looking into tanker-Bay Bridge collision
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it is investigating a collison Monday between the oil tanker Overseas Reymar and one of the supports of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Read MoreThe American Public Health Association (APHA) is throwing its support behind the EPA’s bid for a tough new air quality standard that the organization says will protect the health of all Americans by curbing harmful emissions of fine particulate matter, also known as soot. On the other side of the issue, manufacturers are predicting that it will “crush” growth.
Read MoreAmericans have taken big steps to be healthier – like decreasing smoking and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels – but we still aren’t exercising enough and eating right. Those conclusions from a recent American Heart Association (AHA) report highlight a serious statistic: in spite of some improvements, cardiovascular disease still kills one American every 40 seconds.
Read MoreFive out of the six safety violations issued by OSHA recently to a NJ contractor were repeat ones involving fall and scaffolding hazards while employees were applying stucco to a commercial building in Westwood, N.J.
Read MoreNew OSHA fact sheet emphasizes proper PPE use in disaster recovery
As part of its ongoing efforts to educate workers and employers about hazards associated with cleanup work in the aftermath of weather calamities, OSHA has issued a new fact sheet highlighting the need for employers to provide their workers with appropriate personal protective equipment and the training to properly use that equipment.
Know the unknown -- Using sensor-fusion to identify toxic chemicals
Safety managers and incident commanders face the need to identify and quantify toxic or combustible chemicals on the spot, to make urgent decisions. These professionals need to rely on gas detection monitors to help them decide quickly – to prevent an accident from becoming an incident -- on the use of personal protective equipment, evacuation and cleanup.
Latest settlement in Deepwater Horizon disaster: $1.4 billion
The company whose rig crew ignored “clear warning signs” at the Macondo well site has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) and to pay a total of $1.4 billion in civil and criminal fines and penalties.
NFPA, USFA team up to “Put a Freeze on Winter Fires”
While a warm home and a hot meal on a cold winter’s day may conjure up thoughts of safety and security, the unfortunate reality is that winter is the leading time of year for home fires in the United States (U.S.). That’s why the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) have teamed up to help prevent home fires in the winter months.
CDC issues advisory on respirator selection and use at home
If you need to collect belongings or do basic clean up in your previously flooded home, you do not usually need to use a respirator (a mask worn to prevent breathing in harmful substances), according to recommendations published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Times when you may want to use a respirator are explained below.
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