Calif. worker fatality shows need for confined space in construction rule
June 26, 2015
A crew foreman – the person responsible for safety at his job site – died as a result of exposure to toxic fumes, an accident that was investigated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Division of Safety Research (DSR), through its Fatal Accident Circumstances and Epidemiology (FACE) Project.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finalized its determination that artificial trans fat is no longer generally recognized as safe for use in food. Health advocacy organizations are hailing the long-expected move as a major victory for public health.
The state of Indiana is threatening mutiny over the Obama administration’s rule requiring states to reduce their power plant emissions to a rate determined by the EPA. Indiana would be required to lower power plant emissions by 20 percent.
Targeting some of the most common causes of workplace injury and illness in the healthcare industry, OSHA announced that it is expanding its use of enforcement resources in hospitals and nursing homes to focus on: musculoskeletal disorders related to patient or resident handling; bloodborne pathogens; workplace violence; tuberculosis and slips, trips and falls.
The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has received American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approval for ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2015, American National Standard-Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits and Supplies, a subsequent revision to the 2014 edition.
Psychosocial and musculoskeletal risk factors are the most widespread in Europe’s workplaces, according to the Second European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER-2). The results of this survey — which collected responses from almost 50,000 workplaces — were unveiled earlier this month at the European Parliament.
OSHA’s new regulation regarding confined spaces in the construction industry goes into effect August 1, and construction companies and contractors are getting ready for it.
Among safety violations: no emergency shower, despite corrosive chemicals
June 25, 2015
An open-flame heater on the floor of a rig likely sparked the fire that killed three natural gas drillers and seriously injured two others in a December 2014 drilling rig fire in Coalgate, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has concluded.
Recent NIOSH research has shed some light on the topic of the safety of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) use by pregnant workers. Women make up approximately one-half of the US work force. At any given time, about 10% of those female workers of child-bearing age (15–44 years of age) will be pregnant.
Four flight attendants are suing Boeing for allegedly exposing them to toxic air aboard a commercial flight from Boston to San Diego. The 2013 flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Chicago after three of the four flight attendants on board lost consciousness and had to be rushed to a hospital.