Today's Safety News

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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 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.