Today's Safety News

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The cost of surgery for the amputation of a ring finger can range from $20,000 to $60,000 for a person who may not have insurance. This cost covers the surgeon's fees, facility fees, hospital stay, anesthetics, and medical supplies.

The recent spate of cruise ship catastrophes has caught the attention of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has announced that it will hold a public forum on cruise ship safety and oversight on March 25-26 in Washington.

OSHA has cited HP Pelzer Automotive Systems Inc. of Thomson and staffing agency Sizemore Inc. for 22 safety and health violations following a July, 2013 initiated in response to a complaint alleging hazards at the automotive manufacturing facility. Proposed penalties total $207,100.

OSHA has released a new Fatal Fact resource on "Falls from Telecommunications Towers" (PDF*), illustrating how failure to plan, provide the right equipment, and train workers effectively can lead to worker deaths.

The final version of the farm bill awaiting action in Congress includes policy improvements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but it also cuts $8.6 billion over 10 years from the program, according to the American Public Health Association. Under the measure, which has been debated by Congress for more than two years, SNAP and SNAP nutrition education provide millions of seniors, children and families with food assistance and nutrition education to improve access to healthy food and food security.

ASSE commends OSHA for addressing this issue through rulemaking in an effort to further reduce the incidences of occupational illnesses such as silicosis and cancer in general industry, maritime and construction work. While some may debate the science underlying the findings set forth in the proposed rule, overexposure to crystalline silica has been linked to occupational illness since the time of the ancient Greeks, and reduction of the current permissible exposure limit (PEL) to that recommended for years by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is long overdue.

OSHA has cited Cooper Tank & Welding Corp., doing business as Cooper Tank Recycling, for eight serious health and safety violations following the heat-related death of a 64-year-old worker at the Brooklyn recycling facility on 222 Maspeth Ave.