Articles Tagged with ''chemical industry''

For some time now, wristbands in various colors have been worn to show the wearer’s embrace of certain causes, like the fight against cancer or the need to end cruelty to animals. A new wristband could help scientists determine the potential disease risks of exposure to substances like pesticides. The project was reported recently in the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) journal Environmental Science & Technology.

With the devastating April 2013 explosion in West, Texas still fresh in the minds of Americans, OSHA is hoping that a just-initiated partnership with the Agricultural Retailers Association and The Fertilizer Institute will help prevent future tragedies involving ammonium nitrate – the culprit in the West, Texas catastrophe.

OSHA has cited StanChem Inc. for 13 serious violations of workplace safety standards at its East Berlin, Conn., manufacturing plant. The manufacturer of specialty coatings and polymers faces a total of $55,300 in proposed fines following an inspection by OSHA's Hartford Area Office.

The company responsible for the chemical spill that caused the loss of water service to thousands of West Virginia residents is the target of 18 lawsuits – so far – and a temporary restraining order that prohibits it from destroying or removing evidence from its facility.

As a result of perceived poor industry process safety performance over the past decade, and due to recent notable accidents (West, TX and Richmond, CA), the White House issued Executive Order 13650 - Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security on August 1, 2013. The EO set up an OSHA/EPA/DHS Working Group to develop action plans over the next six months.

OSHA has cited pyrotechnics manufacturer and fireworks display firm Garden State Fireworks for 12 safety violations, after an inspection in May under its Process Safety Management Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program

One of the largest manufacturers of chromium chemicals in the world has been ordered to pay a $2,571,800 for failing to disclose information about the health risks of hexavalent chromium exposure to its workers.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is vowing to try and emulate the legacy of Dr. Trevor Kletz, a leading authority on chemical process safety who passed away recently.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) is taking issue with an online tool developed by OSHA to help employers assess the relative safety of potential alternatives for hazardous chemicals. While the ACC said it welcomed OSHA’s recent launch of a website making it easier to access up-to-date information on Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) for the workplace, it feels more input is needed.

The government shutdown’s potential affect on public health, Academy Awards for the EHS community and the question your doctor should be asking you are among this week’s top stories as featured on ISHN.com: