OSHA steps on toes with its grain bin safety initiative, demolition specialist exposes employees to asbestos and the year ends with an upsurge in U.S. mining deaths. These are among the top EHS-related stories featured on ISHN.com this week:
What is an asthma action plan?
An asthma action plan is a written document developed by a healthcare provider and a person who has asthma (or a parent/guardian of a child with asthma). The plan outlines the steps that should be taken to prevent and handle an asthma episode and is customized for each individual with asthma.
ACGIH® announces 2014 election results
ACGIH® is pleased to announce new members for its 2014 Board of Directors and its 2014 Nominating Committee. In accordance with a 2013 amendment to the ACGIH® Bylaws, ACGIH®’s membership elected three (3) members to serve as Directors on the Board of Directors. They are:
No eyewash stations, PPE at NJ furniture liquidator
Company cited for failing to label hazardous chemicals, as well
OSHA has cited Complete Liquidations, doing business as The Furniture Exchange, with four repeat and 13 serious violations at the company’s warehouse in New Brunswick. OSHA’s July investigation began in response to a complaint, and resulted in proposed penalties totaling $71,280.
Demolition co. knew about asbestos, didn’t protect workers
Thompson Building Wrecking specializes in asbestos removal
OSHA personnel who followed up on a complaint and inspected a Georgia elementary school that was being demolished found that Thompson Building Wrecking Co., Inc. was knowingly exposing workers to asbestos-containing debris being moved by a skid steer loader with a grapple attachment. The debris had been allowed to accumulate on the ground.
Senators accuse OSHA of “unconscionable” enforcement and “mission creep”
Sen. Chuck Grassley has joined 42 other senators in requesting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to stop unlawful regulations on small family farms.
Holistic safety: Get certified in safety management and crane operations
Crane Institute Certification (CIC) and Institute for Safety and Health Management (ISHM), Yuma, Ariz., announce that the organizations have entered into a joint marketing agreement. Both CIC and ISHM share a common goal of improving the safety and health of workers, and thereby reducing accidents.
Mining deaths sharply higher in 4th quarter, following record low fatality rates
According to preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration, 42 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation's mines in 2013, an increase from the 36 miners who died in 2012.
At long last, OSHA’s combustible dust rule to move forward in 2014
A rule to establish standards for combustible dust that’s been in the works since 2009 is scheduled to move closer to completion in 2014, with a proposed draft regulation due this spring. Worker safety advocates and agencies like the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) have expressed frustration over OSHA’s failure to make faster progress in making a combustible dust regulatory change.
Public debate (hearing) on OSHA’s injury posting proposal set for tomorrow
The tightly-knit Washington OSHA subculture will be out in force this Thursday no matter what the wind-chill factor is to attend an all-day (9-4:30) hearing at the Labor Department set up to, in Washington-speak, “allow interested parties to comment on the proposed rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses.
OSHA extends comment period on proposed reporting rule
Home builders requested more time
OSHA announced yesterday that it will extend the comment period to March 8, 2014 on the proposed rule to improve workplace safety and health through improved tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses.
840,000+ vets receive disability comp for tinnitus
The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) has spent 2013 saluting members of the United States military and veterans, because they suffer from tinnitus disproportionately from the rest of the civilian population. For the past five years, tinnitus has been the number one service-connected disability for veterans from all periods of service and is particularly prevalent in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Many who heard bomb blast at the Boston Marathon have tinnitus
Hundreds of people were in close proximity to the deafening bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon, and many have been treated at local hospitals for serious ear injuries. But hearing specialists say an untold number of other people could be suffering from hearing loss or ringing in their ears, called tinnitus, though they did not seek out medical help immediately.
ASSE, Cintas create Occupational Safety Management award
Nominees being sought
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and Cintas Corporation are seeking nominations for the inaugural Innovation Award in Occupational Safety Management. The award will recognize individuals who have addressed workplace safety challenges in innovative ways.
ISHM: Certified safety pros are in high demand. Are you certified?
Across the globe, countless safety managers have dedicated their careers to keeping workers and communities safe. For many of these professionals, getting certified in the safety management field can lead to new employment opportunities, career advancement, peer recognition and a long list of other benefits.
Despite icy temps, some outdoor work goes on
CPWR offers tips for surviving cold
With much of the nation in the grip of an arctic blast, many construction sites are shut down. Others, with the aid of new technologies -- like chemical additives that allow concrete to cure in low temperatures – may continue to operate, exposing workers to extreme weather.
New year, new slate of EHS conferences
Hot and sunny destinations, informative sessions
It’s not too early to start marking your calendar and gathering information about the professional conferences you plan on attending in 2014. Here’s a sampling of the occupational safety and health-related conventions scheduled for this year.
Bus co. used a “shell cover game” to evade safety regs
Attempt to enter U.S. from Mexico brings violations to light
A Los Angeles-based passenger bus service that was illegally lending its name to other unsafe bus companies has been ordered to cease operations by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which cited of plethora of safety violations that it says were endangering the traveling public.
Meditation may help tinnitus sufferers, a new pilot study suggests
Eight patients enrolled in a Mindfulness-Based Tinnitus Stress Reduction (MBSR) program experienced improvement in their symptoms and in how they perceived their disease, according to a Reuters Health news report.
Four workers injured when steel structure at Texas A&M collapses
The June, 2013 collapse of a steel structure at Texas A&M that was intended to serve as the university’s equestrian shelter injured four workers and earned OSHA citations for two Houston-based construction companies.
NYC tenth grader in critical condition after lab accident
CSB: “a preventable accident”
An explosion during a chemistry class science experiment last week sent two students from a Manhattan high school to the hospital with burns to their face, hands and neck. One of them, 16-year-old Alonzo Yanes, is in critical condition in the burn unit of a local hospital. The other sustained first degree burns.
Snack maker exposes workers to amputations
Correcting hazards not enough, says OSHA
Terrell's Potato Chip Co. Inc. faces $115,500 in OSHA fines after being cited for 23 violations of workplace safety standards at its manufacturing plant in Syracuse, NY. The inspection was conducted under the agency's Site-Specific Targeting program.
“I couldn’t believe an injury to my ears could have a massive impact”
Hyperacusis is a condition that causes a person to be unable to tolerate everyday noise levels without pain. This condition may be initiated by a disease, by an acoustic trauma event (loud noise exposure), or induced by certain drugs. Hyperacusis Research is the only non-profit dedicated to researching noise-induced pain, which is an under-recognized consequence of overexposure to noise.
