Hazardous Materials Managers News

MSHA’s final rule, Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety Standards, which was published April 6, 2012, became effective today, Aug. 6, 2012. The rule requires mine operators to identify and correct hazardous conditions and violations of nine health and safety standards that pose the greatest risk to miners.

The nine standards address

It’s been 32 years since the federal employee job classification for the GS-0018 Safety and Occupational Health Management job series was updated. That’s way too long, ASSE says in calling on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to accept recent recommendations to update the qualifications to better reflect the job’s increased responsibilities. Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety

OSHA is accepting nominations for the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (MACOSH), which will be rechartered for 2 years when the current committee expires on Jan. 25, 2013. The committee will report on issues relating to occupational safety and health programs, enforcement, new initiatives and standards for maritime industries. Nominations must be submitted by Sept.

The American Red Cross has released its free Hurricane App, which gives instant access to local and real time information on what to do before, during and after a hurricane. Other features allow people to customize weather alerts to monitor locations where loved ones reside, and share information via social media. The app is available for iPhone and Android platforms, and can be found in the

OSHA is accepting nominations for four members to serve on the 12-person National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH). Representatives are sought from each of the following categories: public, management, occupational safety and occupational health. Members serve a 2-year term. Nominations may be submitted electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

OSHA’s two new educational resources are aimed to protect workers from mercury exposure while recycling or replacing fluorescent bulbs. A fact sheet provides detailed information such as how one becomes exposed and what PPE should be worn while handling the bulbs. The agency’s quick card can be printed off and displayed to provide warnings of the hazards of mercury. It also explains how to

ASTM
International has proposed a standard, dubbed ASTM WK38096, that will measure
the amount of energy being absorbed by protective accessories or clothing when
compared to no protection at all. The standard is currently being developed by
Subcommittee F23.20 on Physical, part of ASTM International Committee F23 on
Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment. All interested parties are
encouraged

ASSE’s new India Chapter, in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation
Limited, organized the “Workshop on Construction Safety” this past June. This free
program, supported
by L&T Hydrocarbon Construction & Pipelines and Praxair India
Private Ltd., was another milestone event for the India Chapter. The interactive workshop consisted of 62 participants and included information
on best

A team of engineers at Carnegie Mellon University is developing a technology to make
driving in rain or snow safer. Can you imagine headlights that can see between the raindrops? That’s just what
researchers at the Illumination and Imaging (ILIM) laboratory at the Robotics
Institute at Carnegie Mellon have created.

Standard headlights illuminate not only the road ahead, but
also rain and snow,

National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed its Office of Emergency Care Research (OECR) to focus on the health of patients who need emergency care. According to NIH, OECR will be "the focal point for basic, clinical and transitional emergency care research and training across NIH." Among many goals, OECR will focus on encouraging career development for those training in emergency care

Each month, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) posts Health and Safety To Go! podcasts. In this month’s 16-minute podcast, Dr. Keven Kelloway explains what positive psychology is and how it relates to workplace stress. Listen to the podcast now.

CCOHS also has posted an encore presentation of its nearly 4-minute podcast on the basics of conducting a job safety

EPA reports that a record number of 3,200 buildings are competing in its Energy Star program’s 2012 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. The buildings are competing to improve energy efficiency, protect health and the environment and decrease utility costs. The agency says that teams use  EPA’s Portfolio Manger to keep track and measure monthly energy consumption. The public

Worcester Polytechnic Institute will host the 7th Annual International Workshop on Precision Indoor Personnel Location and Tracking Technology, Aug. 6-7 in Worcester, MA. Sponsored by the Science and Technology Directorate fo the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the workshop provides a forum for researchers and developers working in indoor location and tracking to share technical knowledge

OSHA has announced that nominations are being accepted for four members to serve a two-year term on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH). The committee, which began under the OSH Act to advise on its programs and policies, is seeking one representative from each of the following categories: public; management; occupational safety; and occupational health. 

ASTM International has approved a new standard to improve safety in the glass industry. ASTM E2875/E2875M, Guide for Personal Protective Equipment for the Handling of Flat
Glass, was developed by Subcommittee E34.35 on Safe Handling of
Glass. According to ASTM, the standard was developed as a result of heightened interest as a result of incidents involving the handling of annealed glass.

The

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created its first-ever Youth Preparedness Council, which includes a select group of youth leaders who will share ideas, experiences and solutions to help during disaster situations. According to FEMA, youth council members were nominated for their ability to represent the youth perspective on emergency preparedness and will be expected to relay

ASSE’s "Near Miss Reporting: The Missing Link of Safety Culture Revolution" webinar will discuss concepts that may help facilitate a zero incident culture within your organization. In addition, the session will discuss tools that can be used to counter possible inhibitors to a zero-incident culture; processes that the end user may view as added value; and cultural inhibitors that can block

In order
to make it easier for employers and state and federal authorities to determine
qualifications of crane operators, the NCCCO is issuing separate certification cards to
CCO-certified crane operators who also have been certified in the CCO rigger
and/or signalperson categories. The new cards, which are accepted nationally as
official proof of certification, have been designed to meet

ASTM International is seeking submissions for its two new journals, Advances in Civil Engineering Materials (ACEM) and Materials Performance and Characterization (MPC). Both journals are online only, and peer reviewed. ASTM is seeking original technical papers, review papers and technical notes.

ACEM covers all aspects of material processing, structure, properties and performance of materials

In “Sustainable Safety Management” from the latest issue of The Monitor, Bernd Freibott indicates that many accidents occur as the consequence of a series of minor lapses or failures. He maintains that modern incident management must include everybody in the company and that everybody needs access to the right information and tools to report hazards, near misses and unsafe behavior. These tools,

Despite declining injury and fatality rates, motor
vehicle crashes (MVCs) remain a leading cause of death in the U.S., according
to the CDC. In 2009, a total of 34,485 MVC deaths were reported among Americans,
and 22% of those who died were aged 15–24 years. The CDC took data from the 50
most populous metropolitan areas and determined that in these cities 8.2 per
100,000 residents died in

"Better safety data could help prevent oil industry
disasters,” says Rafael Moure-Eraso, chair of U.S.
Chemical Safety Board (CSB), in an op-ed piece published on the Houston Chronicle website. Discussing
how statistics can be misleading, Moure-Eraso uses the example of the March
2005 explosion at a Texas City BP refinery that killed 15 workers. The incident
occurred shortly after refinery

Winners of NFPA’s 2014 Calendar Firewise Day Photos Contest will be displayed in the 2014 Firewise calendar. Interested participants should submit their original photographs of their community’s Firewise Day events or activities. Photos should capture community members actively participating in the events, such as a community clean-up event or cleaning up brush and tree limbs. The contest runs

U.S. Department of Commerce reports that 70% of workplaces employ fewer than 20 people. Yet, these companies, on average, suffer higher fatality rates compared to larger organizations, according to a 2006 RAND report. To help small business owners find workplace safety resources, NIOSH has published Small Business Safety and Health Resource Guide. The online tools contains summaries of and links

In her article, “Dealing with Conflicting Contract SH&E Requirements” from the latest issue of Military Matters, Pamela K. Wilkinson, M.S., stresses that SH&E professionals must gain knowledge of the procurement process to avoid conflicting SH&E requirements. She recommends that both buyers and suppliers include SH&E professionals in the procurement and bid-writing processes to avoid introducing

Are you looking for a way to volunteer your time and talents to ASSE? The Society is accepting nominations for qualified professional members to serve on its Board of Directions and/or Regional Operating Committees in the 2013 Society Elections. In addition to Regional/Area positions, the following are up for election:

Senior Vice President
Vice President-Professional Affairs
Vice

Nine metal/nonmetal miners and 10 coal miners died in
work-related accidents in the last six months, states Joseph A. Main, MSHA’s
Assistant Secretary of Labor. Falls, exploding vessels, powered haulage accidents and drowning were just some of the causes of death. What’s particularly
alarming, Main adds, it that three of the fatalities involved supervisors. “Fatalities
are preventable,” he says

OSHA has issued Polish (OSHA
Publication 3545) and Russian
(OSHA Publication 3549) translations of its “Plan/Provide/Train” fall
prevention fact sheet. These fact sheets share guidelines for working safely
on ladders, roofs and scaffolds. The fact sheet is also available
in English (OSHA
Publication 3533-04) and Spanish (OSHA
Publication 3534-04). 

OSHA
also recently issued a sticker (OSHA

U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) will host a two-day hearing on effective safety performance indicators, during which it will release preliminary findings from its investigation of the Macondo well blowout, explosion and fire in the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting will be held July 23-24 at the Hyatt Regency (1200 Louisiana St) in Houston, TX. It is free and open to the public. Learn more about the

Powered haulage accidents have accounted for 99 mine fatalities since 2001, according to MSHA. A total of 72 fatalities occurred at surface mines, 21 at underground mines and 6 at surface facilities. Proper equipment maintenance, sufficient operation equipment inspections and adequate planning could have helped miners avoid these accidents. In an effort to decrease these alarming numbers, MSHA

International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) will host a roundtable in Washington, DC, that will bring together confined space safety experts, users, suppliers and representatives from government to share their perspectives and address questions on various challenges associated with confined space entry. The event, which will be held Aug. 21, 2012, is free of charge, but registration is

CDC’s new iPad application offers important information from the agency’s website. The free app is available to download and allows users to access CDC health articles, recent data on public health issues, the agency’s Preventing Chronic Disease journal, the Public Health Matters blog, an image library, press releases, podcasts, social media and much more.

DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and OSHA have signed an agreement to improve enforcement of the whistleblower provision in the Federal Railroad Safety Act, which protects employees from retaliation when they report safety violations. According to FRA, the agreement states that, "FRA will refer railroad employees who complain of alleged discrimination to OSHA, and OSHA will share

A new video series from U.S. Department of Energy, "Clean Energy in Our Community," features small U.S. communities that are trying to become more sustainable, investing in the green economy and incorporating clean energy into residents’ lives. The video series also will highlight how colleges and universities play a role in shaping their communities’ clean energy economy. Visit the website to

High
temperatures and sun-filled days may seem great for the holiday but proceed
with caution, especially if you are working outside. Extreme heat, sun exposure
and high humidity can result in a bevy of health-related issues. The CDC
suggests workers should take the following steps to prevent heat stress:

Wear light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable clothing such as
cotton. Avoid non-breathing

OSHA is accepting nominations for six places on its Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health. The agency needs to fill three federal agency management representative positions and three labor organization representative positions. The Federal Advisory Council advises the Secretary of Labor on issues pertaining to the occupational safety and health of federal employees.

The EPA has
announced that it will award $3 million to 15 grantees through the
Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training program. The grants, which train and place unemployed
individuals in local environmental jobs, target
economically disadvantaged neighborhoods where both environmental cleanups and
jobs are lacking. The
Agency hopes that these investments stimulate the partnership

In the latest issue of the Transportation Practice
Specialty’s publication, TransActions, Mark Mitchell, director of safety for Alaska Railroad Corporation,
maintains that “safety needs to be changed not just in the railroad industry,
but nationwide and worldwide.” Mitchell says, “The functional elements of
safety are stuck in a rut, and the profession is responsible for digging out of
that

AIHA has released a white paper, "Perspective on the Role of OSHA in Advancing Occupational Safety and Health for the Nation," that highlights OSHA and the roles and issues that it faces. AIHA reports that the paper "addresses OSHA’s current approach and opportunities for improved effectiveness in key areas enumerated in the agency’s strategic plan and the 2011-16 Strategic Plan of the U.S.