Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) show that mine fatalities in 2008 fell to an all-time low, recording a 31-percent drop from 2007.
At the recent staging of COS+H 2008, 4th China International Occupational Safety & Health Exhibition, more than 200 exhibitors showcased their latest products to more than 12,000 trade visitors. The largest trade fair for its industry in the Asia-Pacific region, according to meeting sponsors issuing a press release, COS+H was hosted by China’s State Administration of Work Safety and the International Labor Organization, and was organized by Messe Düsseldorf China and the National Center for International Exchange & Cooperation in Work Safety, with the support of the National Safety Council (USA).
OSHA has introduced a revised version of its Field Operations Manual, the agency announced in a recent press release. The new manual provides OSHA Compliance Officers with a single source of updated information and guidance to more effectively protect employees from occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities, the agency says.
Skanska USA Building Inc., in partnership with its 40 largest subcontractors in Oregon, held a competition to help eliminate construction-related falls. In a press statement, the company announced the following award winners:
EPA is finalizing changes and clarifications to air quality permitting rules to encourage greater use of flexible air permits, according to an agency press release. EPA’s assessment of flexible air permits demonstrated that they can enable significant environmental and economic benefits, while reducing administrative workload for permitting authorities and facilities.
In a recent press release, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced seven innovative landfill methane capture projects recognized at the 12th Annual Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) Annual Conference.
EPA is proposing to exempt from Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure requirements milk containers and associated piping and appurtenances. The containers, piping, and appurtenances must be constructed according to current applicable 3-A Sanitary Standards, and are subject to the current applicable Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) or a state dairy regulatory requirement equivalent to the current applicable PMO. The capacity of these milk containers would not be included in a facility’s total oil storage capacity calculation.
Three manufacturers of sulfuric acid have agreed to spend at least $12 million on air pollution controls that are expected to eliminate more than 3,000 tons of harmful emissions annually from six production plants in Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Justice Department announced today. Chemtrade Logistics, Chemtrade Refinery Services, and Marsulex also will pay a civil penalty of $700,000 under the Clean Air Act settlement.
New cable, satellite and telecommunications set-top boxes that have earned the Energy Star label are at least 30 percent more energy-efficient than conventional models. The new specification became effective Jan. 1.
EPA has issued a final rule under the New Source Review (NSR) program that revises the agency’s policy on “aggregation.” For the purpose of determining whether NSR applies, a facility should group together, or aggregate, emissions from multiple related changes into one single project, only if those activities are substantially related.