Weekly news round-up
An explosion at a California refinery injures four workers, the West Virginia legislature considers watering down mining safety in the state and a field researcher is killed by a grizzly bear. Those were among the top EHS- and health-related stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
Minnesota man crowned king of electrical safety
NFPA announces NEC Challenge champion
Paul Holum from Elk River, Minn. has been named the winner in the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) NEC Challenge– a competition that pits electrical professionals and experts against each other in a test of National Electrical Code® knowledge and experience.
Shipping co. exposes workers in multiple states to danger from defective forklifts
DOL: Company repeatedly ignored safety needs
Multiple inspections during the last several years by OSHA have found that Central Transport LLC has repeatedly left dangerously defective forklifts in service in at least 11 shipping terminals in nine states: Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Federal OSHA says Arizona’s fall protection standard not good enough
OSHA published a notice in the Feb. 6 Federal Register rejecting Arizona's residential construction fall protection standard. Arizona is one of 27 states and territories that operate their own occupational safety and health programs.
Americans are using (different) natural products to boost health
While natural products continue to be the most common complementary health approach, a new survey from the National Institutes of Health shows some changes in those products’ popularity since 2007, with some products becoming more popular and some falling out of favor.
Explosion rocks Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance, Cal.
Four workers suffered minor injuries Wednesday morning at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance, California when a large explosion rocked the facility, causing a fire and sending ash raining down from the sky.
Targeted inspection earns Texas company $97K in fines, 18 citations
One of OSHA’s Site Specific Targeted inspections has resulted in 17 serious safety violations against a Fort Worth, Texas plumbing and heating company. OSHA cited PVI Industries LLC for 17 serious safety violations that include failure to:
NTSB says WV train derailment shows why the issue is on its “Most Wanted List”
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) office of Railroad, Pipeline, and Hazardous Materials are in communication with the Federal Railroad Administration and CSX emergency response crews on Monday’s train derailment near Mt. Carbon, West Virginia.
How women can lower their risk of heart disease, strokes
Middle-aged women who are physically active a few times per week have lower risks of heart disease, stroke and blood clots than inactive women, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Surprisingly, more frequent physical activity didn’t result in further reductions in risk, researchers said.
West Virginia bill would weaken mine safety laws
Backers of H.B. 2566, a measure which is advancing through the West Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates, say it would make the state’s mining industry more competitive.
Drones have arrived – in the regulatory sphere
Drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), are the subject of a framework of regulations proposed this week by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that would limit flights to daylight and visual-line-of-sight operations, set height restrictions, and specify operator certification, among other items.
Erratum issued for ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2014
Standard on workplace first aid kits and supplies
It has been brought to International Safety Equipment Association’s (ISEA) attention that ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2014 American National Standard – Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits and Supplies contains a measurement conversion error with respect to the US measurement for minimum application for antibiotic and antiseptic supplies.
Underground utilities the focus of new safety campaign
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has launched an initiative aimed at making sure the underground utility industry follows best practices for excavation, in an effort to save lives and avoid property damage.
Lockout/Tagout timeline: Then and now
By Mandy Savage
Year after year, citations for Lockout/Tagout (LO/TO) failure continue to make the top ten list of OSHA violations. While overall citations decreased in 2014, failure to LO/TO showed the least improvement, arriving in sixth place.
Explosion injures four workers in St. Louis
Saia Motor Freight Line Co. operated forklifts with defective safety switches
Four employees were hospitalized, two of them in critical conditions, after an explosion at a St. Louis trucking terminal on Aug. 6, 2014. The explosion's cause: a forklift's ignition source and a loose coupling connection to a liquid propane gas tank.
From WyoFile:
Field worker worried about grizzlies
Ten days before a bear killed him in the Teton Wilderness last fall, field researcher Adam Stewart told his boss he was worried about working alone in remote places at a time bears wanted to “fatten up.”
Protestors demand charges in construction worker’s death
An estimated 100 protestors walked in bitter cold temperatures Friday night to demand justice in the death of Delfino Velazquez, an immigrant laborer who died in a construction accident at the Dana Ford Lincoln dealership in Staten Island, New York.
Roofer falls to death, co-worker injured trying to save him
OSHA: Roeder Construction ignored safety requirements at residential jobsite
A 42-year-old worker fell 16 feet to his death and a 25-year-old co-worker suffered serious injuries because their employer, Roeder Construction, failed to provide either man with fall protection as they worked on a roof, an OSHA investigation has determined.
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