When a framing contractor on an apartment project in San Antonio, Texas balked recently at having its workers use fall protection – based on the argument that he never used fall protection in residential construction – the construction management company overseeing the project lowered the boom.
After a long downward trend, U.S. traffic deaths are on the rise again, and a key factor is the stubbornly high fatality toll among some of the most exposed people on the road: motorcyclists.
Nevertheless, federal regulators have balked at requiring a safety measure that, many experts say, could save hundreds of bikers’ lives every year.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a preliminary report on an incident that added a little extra madness to March Madness, when a plane carrying the University of Michigan men's basketball team to the Big Ten tournament in Washington, D.C. slid off the runway March 8.
The U.S. Senate voted 50-48 this week to strike down a key provision of OSHA’s recordkeeping rule by axing the agency’s ability to cite recordkeeping violations found by inspectors that are older than 180 days. The so-called “Volks” rule that was struck down – issued in December 2016 -- gave OSHA the ability to issue citations to employers for failing to record work-related injuries and illnesses during the 5-year retention period, contrary to the six-month statute of limitations.
Mine safety regulations in the U.S. require a protected and secure space—or mobile refuge alternative—in all underground coal mines. In the event of an explosion or other mining disaster that prevents miners from immediately escaping, refuge alternatives protect miners from exposure to carbon monoxide and other toxic gases by providing breathable air and a safe environment for 96 hours.
Operators of twin oil pipelines beneath the waterway where Lakes Huron and Michigan converge insist they remain structurally sound even though an outer layer of protective covering has worn away in some places. Skeptics said the deterioration is further evidence the lines should be shut down.
Approximately four percent of crude oil and petroleum products were shipped by truck in 2012. Trucking over rough rural roads, often in extreme weather conditions, is one of the biggest dangers in the oil and gas industry.
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) says it is “deeply troubled” that the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is targeted for elimination in President Trump’s budget blueprint for 2018.