Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released yesterday show a decline in workplace fatalities in 2009 compared with 2008.
As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s commitment to strengthen and reform chemical management, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released action plans to address the potential health risks of benzidine dyes, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and nonylphenol (NP)/nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), according to an EPA press release. The chemicals are widely used in both consumer and industrial applications, including dyes, flame retardants, and industrial laundry detergents. The plans identify a range of actions the agency is considering under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
OSHA has received numerous complaints from workers taking part in the Gulf Coast oil spill cleanup whose employers are refusing to provide them with a certificate following their completion of training under the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, or HAZWOPER, standard, according to an agency press release. OSHA interprets the standard as prohibiting covered employers from withholding written certificates from workers who have successfully completed such training.
From new medical applications, to the latest gadgets and consumer products, innovative nanotechnology is pushing the boundaries of what was believed possible. But according to a recent press release from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), in order for this technology to develop further, faster and better, a clear understanding and a logical classification of nanomaterials is needed.
NSF International and the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA) announced in a recent press release that the organizations are developing a standard for K-12 school equipment and supplies. The standard will be the first comprehensive standard to certify health, safety and environmental aspects of products and equipment used in an educational setting. There are currently no programs that evaluate school equipment and products on a comprehensive basis.
EPA is launching a web-based discussion forum to gather public input on how the agency can improve protection of drinking water. The information will be used in implementing EPA’s new drinking water strategy announced by Administrator Lisa P. Jackson in March.
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has announced the agency’s international priorities at a meeting of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation she is attending in Guanajuato, Mexico. The international priorities echo Administrator Jackson’s priorities for EPA, which she announced earlier this year, and aim to promote citizen engagement, improve public health and increase government accountability on environmental enforcement.
OSHA has proposed penalties of $374,500 against Cooperative Plus Inc., a farmer-owned cooperative, for federal workplace safety violations at its Whitewater and Genoa City, Wis., sites. These penalties follow $721,000 in penalties issued earlier this month after a worker was seriously injured from being engulfed by soybeans at the cooperative’s Burlington, Wis., facility in February.
In its ongoing effort to inform Congress about the incentive industry, Incentive Legislation Campaign (ILC) members traveled to Capitol Hill on August 4 to meet face-to-face with targeted Members of Congress, their representatives and committee staffers, according to a recent press release. The ILC is proposing that wellness incentives need to be part of a nationwide effort designed to encourage employees at all levels to take steps to improve their physical well-being.
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