Farmers in California, the nation’s top agricultural state, are applying near-record levels of pesticides despite the rising popularity of organic produce and concerns about the health of farmworkers and rural schoolchildren.
The latest figures, released in April by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and covering 2016, show that 209 million pounds of pesticide active ingredients were used in agriculture.
OSHA has issued a direct final rule (DFR) clarifying aspects of the beryllium standard for general industry as it applies to processes, operations, or areas where workers may be exposed to materials containing less than 0.1% beryllium by weight.
J. J. Keller unveils HAZWOPER: Emergency Response Initial Training courses to Assist with OSHA HAZWOPER compliance
May 3, 2018
The minutes immediately following an uncontrolled hazardous substance release are critical in protecting workers, property, and the environment. That’s why OSHA requires both initial and annual refresher training for any worker expected to assist in the handling of an emergency release.
OSHA and the Beryllium industry have reached a settlement regarding changes in OSHA’s Beryllium standard for general industry. The changes, which mostly focus on clarifications of “ancillary requirements” dealing mostly with regulated work areas, hygiene (cleaning of workers and equipment) and medical management, will be phased in in two major stages.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has dispatched a four-person investigative team from to the scene of yesterday’s explosions and fire at a Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior, Wisconsin. Eleven people were initially reported injured in the blast, which occurred as workers were shutting the refinery down in preparation for a five-week turnaround.
New construction safety training legislation establishes a program to provide equal access to construction site safety training (SST) for workers in New York City. This training is in addition to existing federal, state and local requirements.
A company’s failure to realize that welding work was being done near flammable materials was behind a fatal explosion, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), which has released its final investigation report into the February 8, 2017, blast at the Packaging Corporation of America’s (PCA’s) DeRidder, Louisiana, pulp and paper mill.
Q. What is a fume plume? A. A fume plume is the clearly visible column of fume that rises directly from the spot of welding or cutting. Welders and cutters should take precautions to avoid breathing this area directly. Ventilation can direct the plume away from the face. (Fume removal is most effective when the air flow is directed across the face of the welder, rather than from behind.)
Ventilation is a means of providing adequate breathing air, and it must be provided for all welding, cutting, brazing and related operations. Adequate ventilation depends on the following factors:
Welding processes release harmful fumes made up of solid particles that are formed when the vaporized metal condenses and oxidizes. These particles travel to and become accumulated in the gas-exchange region of the lungs, where it can produce a range of adverse effects.
