Safety investigators for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have ordered Phoenix-based Autobuses Rayon, Inc., off the road after finding numerous violations. Among them: the carrier allowed three other unsafe bus companies that had been shut down by FMCSA to operate buses that illegally bore Autobuses Rayon registration markings.
The passage of electric current causes deep injuries to the anatomical structures, leading to serious consequences for the patients. The most common sites for such accidents due to electricity are power stations, which are often unsupervised and thus allow people free access, thus making it possible for them to come into contact with high-voltage cables.
Proposed FDA rule would also allow poultry companies to handle own inspections
November 25, 2013
A coalition of worker safety and food safety groups is urging the FDA to drop a proposed regulation that would pull government food inspectors from poultry plants and allow companies to conduct their own inspections and speed up production lines.
Blood mercury levels in women of childbearing age have dropped 34 percent in the past 14 years, according to a survey by the EPA. Additionally, the percentage of women of childbearing age with blood mercury levels above the level of concern decreased 65 percent from the 1999-2000 survey and follow-up surveys from 2001-2010.
Toxic release sends workers to hospital, Black Friday jitters
November 23, 2013
A company president heads to federal prison for occupational safety crimes, sharps injuries among health care workers benchmarked and an asbestos claim transparency victim that has victims’ rights advocates calling “foul” are among this week’s top EHS-related stories as featured on ISHN.com:
OSHA this week unveiled four rules it says will reduce unnecessary burdens on employers by updating or rescinding obsolete regulations and requirements. One rule updates and streamlines the standards for the use of mechanical power presses while the remaining three rules from the Employment and Training Administration rescind outdated Foreign Labor Certification regulations for the H-2A, F-1 and H-1A programs.
Home fires and home fire deaths peak in winter months
November 22, 2013
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) are teaming up on a campaign to promote fire safety during winter months, when there are typically more home fires and home fire deaths.
Opponents calling for investigation, delay in construction
November 22, 2013
A report by the federal agency responsible for pipeline safety showing that nearly half of the welds in the Keystone IX’s southern segment need repairs is causing pipeline opponents to to call for a halt in construction.
The fatal June, 2013 collapse of a four-story building in Philadelphia has resulted in OSHA violations against the contractors hired to demolish the building. Griffin Campbell, doing business as Campbell Construction, and Sean Benschop, doing business as S&R Contracting, were cited for three willful per-instance violations, following the incident, which killed six people and injured 14.