Today's Safety News

RSS

The captain of the ferry that struck a pier in NY in January 2013, seriously injuring four people, lost control because of confusion about the mode in which the ferry was operating, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has issued its report on the accident.

A New York paper manufacturer exposed its workers to falls, electrical hazards and combustible dust, according to OSHA, which has fined Burrows Paper Corp. $298,100 for safety violations found at two of the company’s work sites.

No matter how many safety training courses emphasis how dangerous it may be to work with electricity, chemicals or cargo unless proper safety protocols are followed, there is always a percentage of employees who believe they aren’t vulnerable to such risks — until it’s too late.

This checklist covers regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the general industry standards 29 CFR 1910.254 and 1910.306, and the construction standards 1926.351 and 1926.353. It applies to the use of arc-welding and cutting equipment.

Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has taken to video to defend himself against charges that he is responsible for the Upper Big Branch disaster – to the outrage of victims’ family members. Dozens of them and their supporters gathered earlier this month outside a federal courthouse in Charleston, West Virginia, to protest the claims made in the video.

The National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has announced the members of its 2014 Executive Council. “The new NHCA Executive Council represents the diversity of our membership and reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the practice of hearing loss prevention,” said NHCA incoming President Beth Cooper.

A study from the University of Sydney finds that lower back pain (LBP) is a significant cause of work-related disability. It affected 26 percent of the global population in 2010, and varied considerably with age, gender and region.

The number of calls to poison centers involving e-cigarette liquids containing nicotine jumped from one per month in September, 2010 to 215 per month in February, 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A New York manufacturing company exposed its workers to fire, explosion hazards and a potential occupational carcinogen, according to OSHA, which has levied a $51,800 fine against Salko Kitchens, Inc. "These workers face both immediate and long-term health and safety hazards from on-site conditions," said Kimberly Castillon, OSHA's area director in Albany.

The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) has launched Safety Salary Source, a new reporting tool that allows users to view survey data on safety, health and environmental (SH&E) practitioners' salaries in new detail.