A new national poll released by a coalition of more than 100 health, labor, community, environmental and public interest organizations shows that, in the wake of the West, Texas, chemical plant explosion, American strongly support new federal requirements to prevent disasters at facilities that store hazardous chemicals.

On May 17, 2002, Mr. Carl VanDusen, safety manager for Cable Constructors, Inc., Iron Mountain, MI, wrote OSHA asking for an interpretation the following question:
Question: Does the OSHA interpretation letter (June 9, 1999) that provided guidance on training non-electrical workers for entry and work within restricted areas such as generating stations and substation also apply for training employees who open restricted equipment for visual inspection only?

A prolonged government shutdown could affect the rulemaking process of OSHA’s recently proposed OSHA silica rule in a number of ways, according to Aaron Trippler, Government Affairs Director for the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).

As the U.S. government remains locked in a stalemate – with a Pew poll showing that the GOP is getting most of the blame for the shutdown – disapproval of all politicians has hit an all-time low, with Congress earning an approval rating of only ten percent.

According to the Workplace Safety Awareness Council, in an effort to limit electrical injuries in the workplace, OSHA has passed a law that only allows a “Qualified” person to work on or around energized circuits or equipment.

Seventeen scientists who launched a high profile attack on plans in Europe to regulate endocrine-disrupting chemicals have past or current ties to regulated industries. An investigation by Environmental Health News (EHN) revealed that of 18 toxicology journal editors who signed a controversial editorial, 17 have worked with or for the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, tobacco, pesticide or biotechnology industries.

OSHA’s deadline for training workers on its updated Hazard Communication standard is looming large. The agency is requiring that workers be trained by Dec. 1 on the new label elements and safety data sheets (SDS).

A newly published study of Chinese tin and pottery workers has  found that exposure to airborne silica dust is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing lung cancer.

The EPA is finalizing a rule that will allow the agency to restrict imports of potentially harmful perfluorinated chemicals that could be used in carpets. The regulation will require companies to report to EPA all new uses, including in domestic and imported products, of these chemicals once used  for soil and stain resistance in carpets.

While efforts to reform the federal Toxic Chemicals Safety Act continue to inch slowly forward, the state of California has taken a bold regulatory leap into controlling toxic chemicals – at least those found in consumer products.