An OSH firebrand is awarded for his efforts, new resources for controlling silica exposure become available and the CSB head steps down. These were among the top EHS-related stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
New Tobacco Atlas details scale, harms of tobacco epidemic
More than 5.8 trillion cigarettes smoked in 2014 alone
An atlas put together by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation graphically details the harmful influence of tobacco on health, poverty, social justice, and the environment; the progress being made in tobacco control; and – according to the two organizations -- the latest products and tactics being used by the industry to protect its profits and delay and derail tobacco control.
MSHA’s Main reviews five years of progress
Agency head speaks at National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association meeting
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main told members at the annual convention of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association in Baltimore earlier this week that mining industry improvements in the past five years have laid the foundation for better protections for miners.
Missouri co. cited for LOTO lack after worker dies
A 58-year-old maintenance worker was killed after he was pinned between a scrap metal table and a railing at Hussmann Corp.'s Bridgeton facility, an OSHA investigation found. The agency said the company failed to prevent the table from lowering unintentionally*.
Controversial OSH activist wins recognition for outstanding service
A former Cal/OSHA staffer frequently under fire for raising concerns about under-staffing and lack of resources at the agency has been named the 2015 J. William Lloyd Award winner by the United Steel Workers (USW).
OSHA moves to update eye, face protection standards
OSHA last week issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to update its general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, longshoring, and construction eye and face protection standards by incorporating by reference the three most recent versions of the American National Standards Institute Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection standard.
Christopher Hart takes the helm of the NTSB
Christopher A. Hart has been sworn as the 13th chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board today during a ceremony presided over by Chief Administrative Law Judge Alfonso Montano.
How Americans can stop wasting a trillion gallons of water
Every year, more than one trillion gallons of water go down the drain because of household leaks. There’s a financial waste, as well; leaks may increase a water bill by as much as 10 percent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense program encourages consumers to celebrate the seventh annual Fix a Leak Week this week by finding and fixing water leaks in their homes.
AIHA names industrial hygiene awards winners
The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) has announced the recipients of the 2015 AIHA Distinguished Service and Social Responsibility Awards. Each award is presented to an individual or an organization that has demonstrated great dedication and outstanding work toward the advancement of the industrial hygiene profession.
Controlling silica exposures during asphalt pavement milling
NIOSH, CPWR & stakeholders team up on new guide
While milling asphalt pavement allows for materials to be recycled as roads are surfaced, cold-milling machines can generate airborne crystalline silica dust, putting road crews at risk of respiratory illness, according to Pete Stafford, Executive Director of the Center for Construction Research & Training (CPWR).
Oil industry continues to shed jobs in Texas
Local retailers and restaurants are beginning to see an increase of job-seekers as the oil industry continues to shed jobs across the Permian Basin, according to the Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram.
Chemical Safety Board chairman is leaving
Rafael Moure-Eraso vigorously investigated refinery and oil rig accidents
Chairman of the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) Rafael Moure-Eraso says he’ll leave the board when his five-year term ends in June. In investigating chemically-related industrial accidents, CSB personnel seek to discover the root cause of events and, when feasible, identify and prevent similar problems that other companies will face in the future.
Rig explosion kills three in West Texas
An oil field rig exploded in West Texas in March, killing three workers, according to the Associated Press. Investigator Dusty Kilgore of the Upton County Sheriff's Office told AP the accident happened about 40 miles south of Midland.
A NIOSH Science Blog post
Long-haul truck driver health survey results
The most recent issue of CDC Vital Signs highlights a few of the safety risks faced by truck drivers. Truck drivers also face health risks that can affect their livelihood. Limited illness and injury data for long-haul truck drivers prompted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to conduct the National Survey of Long-Haul Truck Driver Health and Injury.
North Dakota to regulate “cocktail of explosive gas”
The Obama administration considered national standards to control explosive gas in oil trains last year but rejected the move, deciding instead to leave new rules to North Dakota, where much of the fuel originates, according to Reuters.
Two out of three cancer patients are surviving 5 years or more
Two out of 3 people diagnosed with cancer survive five years or more, according to a study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Workers endangered when companies ship hazmat improperly
Customs agents and workers at two FedEx facilities were exposed to hazardous materials in three separate incidents last year because the companies shipping the toxins failed to label and package them properly.
Report from Europe:
Women’s health and work: the quest for visibility
The conference on women’s health and work, organised by the Eurropean Trade Union Institute (ETUI) from March 4 to 6 in Brussels showed that a situation of equal rights for men and women in the workplace is very far from having been achieved.
