Archive for News
U.S. EPA, DoD Northern Command Providing Hazardous Material Response Equipment to Border Towns/Final phase of program providing equipment, training to Nogales and Agua Prieta
“This hazmat gear is essential for our sister cities across the border,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator. “These tools will better enable us to jointly respond to a future environmental emergency along the Arizona/Sonora border.”“The U.S. Consulate General in Nogales is very pleased to coordinate with NORTHCOM and facilitate this transfer of needed hazmat equipment,” said Deputy Principal Officer Megan Phanuef. “This is just one of many ways that Read more [...]
Storm Impact on Nuclear Plants – Oyster Creek, Salem, Indian Point, Peach Bottom, Nine Mile Point | PROS
Northeastern Nuke Plants Came Close to major issues, With Sandy: Storm Impact on Nuclear Plants - Oyster Creek, Salem, Indian Point, Peach Bottom, Nine Mile Point and Feds: “Atmospheric steam dump” at New Jersey nuclear plant — All 6 circulators lost at Salem due to debris, high river level.Please continue reading at:http://www.nucpros.com/content/storm-impact-nuclear-plants-oyster-creek-salem-indian-point-peach-bottom-nine-mile-point Read more [...]
OSHA to Hold National Advisory Committee Meeting on Nov. 15
OSHA will hold a National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) meeting on Nov. 15, 2012, in Washington, DC. The agency says that the NACOSH Effectiveness Measures Work Group will meet on Nov. 14, a day before the full committee meets. These meetings are open to the public and individuals may submit comments and requests to speak.
NFPA Updates Standards
The NFPA Committee on Loss Prevention Procedures and
Practices is accepting public comment on the Industrial
Fire Brigade Standard (NFPA 600) and the Security
Services in Fire Loss Prevent Standard (NFPA 601) until Jan. 4, 2013. NFPA
600 contains requirements for organizing, training and operating three styles
of brigades on facility properties, while NFPA 601 contains similar
requirements for
Risks of Fire & Explosion Associated With the Increasing Use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas – (Introduction)
This is an excellent introduction to the "Risks of Fire & Explosion Associated With the Increasing Use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas" by S. M. Tauseef with detail to history and case studies. Abstract: Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been in use as household fuel all over the world for several decades. Until the late 1980s, its use in the developing world was largely confined to the economically well-off strata of the society but it has since spread over a much larger catchment. Read more [...]
Risks of Fire & Explosion Associated With the Increasing Use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas – (Introduction)
This is an excellent introduction to the "Risks of Fire & Explosion Associated With the Increasing Use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas" by S. M. Tauseef with detail to history and case studies. Abstract: Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been in use as household fuel all over the world for several decades. Until the late 1980s, its use in the developing world was largely confined to the economically well-off strata of the society but it has since spread over a much larger catchment. Read more [...]
Coal-dust violations found at mines after journalists report increases in Appalachian black-lung dis
Federal coal mine inspectors found more than 120 dust-level violations at 13 coal mines in September after the The Charleston Gazette, the Center for Public Integrity and NPR published an investigative report about the resurgence of black lung disease in Central Appalachia. The report exposed "widespread misconduct" by coal companies and often lax oversight by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the CPI';s Chris Hamby reports. MSHA insists the news reports did not prompt the inspections. Read more [...]
Risk Assessment for Serious Injuries & Fatalities
Yesterday’s post highlighted the work of Mercer ORC’s Fatality and Serious Injury Prevention task force. Here’s a summary of the six steps in its new risk assessment model for serious injuries and fatalities.
Assess the current situation and set the stage for the technical and cultural shift needed to prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs). The group is developing a safety cultural
Homeowners Don't Know Fire Safety Basics, Survey Finds
According to NFPA, a properly functioning smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half. NFPA statistics also indicate that the primary reasons smoke alarms fail to operate in home structure fires are batteries that are missing or disconnected (50%) or dead/discharged (23%).
Yet, a recent Kidde survey, conducted by Kelton Research, reveals a striking reluctance among
Work Continues Towards Development of a Canadian National Occupational Standard for Dangerous Goods Program Managers
The Dangerous Goods Committee of the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC), in conjunction with the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace (CCAA), is working toward developing a national occupational standard (NOS) for dangerous goods program managers. The aim is … Continue reading → Read more [...]
Are You Ready for Some . . . New Concepts & Tools in Preventing Serious Injuries & Fatalities?
This week’s Fatality Prevention Forum featured on update on the progress of Mercer ORC’s Fatality and Serious Injury Prevention task force. Presenters included Steve Newell and Dee Woodhull, Mercer ORC HSE Networks; Ray Comingore and Glenn Murray, Exxon Mobil; and David Jacobi, Kimberly Clark.
One slide during the presentation featured this insightful quote from Albert Einstein: “We can’t solve
NHSTA Alerts Public to Dangers of Counterfeit Air Bags
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a safety alert for consumers about the dangers of counterfeit air bags. The agency reports that these faulty air bags have been sold for use as replacement parts in vehicles that have been in a crash. NHTSA says these air bags look almost identical to original certified bags, but after testing, the counterfeits "showed consistent
JSHER Now Available on EBSCO
The Academics Practice Specialty’s (APS) biannual Journal of Safety, Health & Environmental Research (JSHER) is now available on EBSCO. More than 90% of libraries subscribe to an EBSCOhost database and APS felt it was a great opportunity to promote readership and further disseminate important SH&E research. Click here for the most recent JSHER issue or visit www.asse.org/academicsjournal for more
Massachusetts Medical Provider Fined Nearly $47K for Biohazards
New England Hematology/Oncology Associates PC, a medical service provider in Newton, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for "an alleged willful and an alleged serious violation of workplace safety standards," the agency announced. It came after an OSHA inspection revealed that workers were being exposed to biohazards, according to a press release from the Department of Labor's Office of Public Affairs in Boston.Proposed Read more [...]
Fire erupts at Ky. chemical train derailment site
Flames can be seen from the air after an explosion happened at the sight of a train derailment in southern Jefferson County, just south of Louisville, Ky, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Photo: The Courier-Journal, Sam Upshaw / APBRUCE SCHREINER, DYLAN LOVAN, Associated Press (AP) — Flames from a derailed train car sent people rushing out of neighborhoods and an entire town near Louisville on Wednesday while firefighters tried to douse the chemical blaze that left three workers Read more [...]
Hazardous release in New Mexico sickens 200 near El Paso, Texas.
New Mexico authorities say an unknown hazardous-material release sickened about 200 people Tuesday near the Mexican border just northwest of El Paso, Texas.
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Nuclear plants shut down, cope with high water as Sandy roars through.
Nuclear plants are supposed to withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, even a direct hit from a hijacked jetliner. But an earthquake and tsunami that caused multiple meltdowns last year at a nuclear plant in Japan has raised public scrutiny on how they perform during natural disasters.Please continue reading at:http://www.vancouversun.com/news/world/Nuclear%20plants%20shut%20down%20cope%20with%20high%20water%20Sandy%20roars/7473113/story.html Read more [...]
Stubborn fire at BP’s Texas City refinery out.
A fire at BP's Texas City, Texas, refinery sent a large plume of black smoke over the industrial sector of the city. While the blackness of the smoke dissipated, a low hanging cloud of smoke covered much of the city. Officials said a heavy "bottom" crude is burning. There are no reports of injuries.Please continue reading at:http://bit.ly/V6CdOh Read more [...]
Hurricane Sandy spills sewage, triggers toxic troubles.
Raw sewage, industrial chemicals and floating debris filled flooded waterways around New York City on Tuesday. Left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the toxic stew may threaten the health of residents already dealing with more direct damages from the disaster.
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Effective Procedures & Human Performance – Part 2
In his thought-provoking session at the 2012 Fatality Prevention Symposium, Fisher It’s Rob Fisher pointed to these five criteria as critical to effective work instructions:
They must be available.
They must be workable.
They must be intelligible.
They must be correct—and this applies to both technical accuracy and usability and technical accuracy.
They must be consistently reinforced.
One
Preventing Fatalities Requires New Focus, Revised Paradigm
Fatality prevention is "the most important work a safety leader can do. It’s the most important issue we a be working on." With that Tom Krause opened his presentation at the IUP/Alcoa Fatality Prevention Forum near Pittsburgh by sharing some new insights on serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs). As he did during ASSE’s Safety 2012 conference in Denver, Krause noted that while recordable and
Effective Procedures & Human Performance – Part 1
Procedures, said Rob Fisher, president of Fisher IT Inc., are a big part of the equation for addressing serious injuries and fatalities, the focus of the 2012 Fatality Prevention Forum near Pittsburgh. And, he stressed, it’s the system management creates that is responsible for making sure those procedures are clear, consistent and correct.
It’s too common, Fisher said, to hear statements like
Revised A10.32 Standard Now Available
The newly revised standard, “Personal Fall Protection Used in Construction & Demolition Operations” (ANSI/ASSE A10.32-2012), is now available. The standard establishes performance criteria for personal fall protection equipment and systems in construction and demolition and provides guidelines and recommendations for their use and inspection. It includes, but is not limited to fall arrest,
Workplace deaths: Florida second in nation, region has a dozen or more yearly #OHS #SAFETY
There were 4,609 workplace deaths nationwide last year, according to a late-September U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, which showed 227 deaths in Florida, including five in Collier County and seven in Lee. Just as it had a year earlier, Florida ranked second nationally, after California, which had 360 deaths. "It is alarming that 13 people a day are dying from work-related injuries," said Richard A. Pollock, president of the American Society of Safety Engineers. "This is a serious Read more [...]
New Mexico Oil Refinery to Pay $400K Fine over Explosion
An oil refinery in New Mexico will pay a $400,000 fine in a settlement over safety violations stemming from an explosion that killed two employees and injured two others in 2010. The explosion occurred when employees were performing welding operations on top of a storage tank at the refinery in the southeastern New Mexico community of Artesia. A welder ignited vapors from flammable liquids within the tank, according to investigators. Go to the Full Story in San Francisco Chronicle Read more [...]
26 Nuclear Power Plants In Hurricane Sandy’s Path – via @Slashdot
"Hurricane Sandy is about to ruin a bunch of people's Mondays. In New York City alone, the storm has already shut down public transportation, forced tens of thousands to relocate to higher ground and compelled even more office jockeys to work from home. (Okay, that last part might not be so bad, especially for the folks that don't actually have to work at all.) But if it knocks out power to any of the 26 nuclear power plants that lie directly in its path, the frankenstorm of the century will Read more [...]
Safety: A Prequisite for Doing Business
During an opening presentation at the Fatality Prevention in the Workplace Forum being held in Pittsburgh, Alcoa’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kevin Anton told the nearly 200 attendees, "At Alcoa, safety is a prerequisite for doing business." Anton (speaking in place of CEO Klaus Kleinfeld, who remained in New York due to Hurricane Sandy) noted that Alcoa’s C-Suite and board of directors are
ASSE Provides Tips, Resources for Arrival of Hurricane Sandy
News of Hurricane Sandy has the East Coast preparing for the worst. In its press release, ASSE provides many links to resources that can be helpful in preparing for the storm. ASSE also provides information on crisis management, recommendations for businesses and community members, and it suggests steps to take after a catastrophe.
We’re all guinea pigs: Film explores effects of living among untested chemicals
KTF Films Dana Nachman was a producer at NBC when she wrote a story on how to make your home less toxic. “It was something I never gave an ounce of thought to before,” she says. In her research, she learned not only about the tens of thousands of chemicals lurking in everyday products, but that most of those chemicals have never been independently tested for their safety. Meanwhile, rates of tough-to-explain health problems like breast cancer, autism, and infertility — many of which have been Read more [...]
Required Regulatory Change Affects Marking Text Size for Hazard Class Labels
Both the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) recently changed the required size of the text to be used when marking the United Nations Identification Number (UNID Number) on packages of dangerous goods/hazardous materials. The UNID Number … Continue reading → Read more [...]
Typeface Can Improve Driver Safety, Study Finds
With more and more in-vehicle screens and devices at
drivers’ fingertips comes increased potential for distraction while driving. A
new study set out to determine whether a change in typeface used in these
devices could reduce driver distraction and, thus, improve safety on the road.
Researchers from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) AgeLab and New
England University
Lead Prevention Week Focuses on Keeping Kids Healthy
The National Lead Poisoning Prevention week ends on Oct. 27. It’s not too late to spread the word of this year’s theme, "Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future." CDC’s website has an array of resources to help communicate the message, such as posters, banners, press releases and podcasts.
Massachusetts Department of Labor reports that the greatest risk to childhood lead poisoning is residential
Motivating Employees to Love Their PPE
J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., author of “Information Pit Stop” from the latest issue of the Consultants Practice Specialty’s publication The Advisor, suggests that linking the information provided in a PPE program to employees’ needs will lead to a better chance of uncompromised employee safety. By crafting your PPE program so that it matters to employees, you can secure the emotional buy-in needed to
Cause of Small Explosion at Sam Adams Brewery Still Under Investigation
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and a state commission are on site to help determine what happened, Sullivan said, "so we understand exactly what did occur and if there's any learning there."Sullivan confirmed Tuesday the small explosion was a natural gas ignition. At the time of the incident last week, it was still being determined whether it had been an explosion or boiler malfunction. The workers were getting ready to start the boiler around noon Read more [...]
Keeping the Alligators Away
Guest Post From John Olesky, CSP
As a safety specialist, I can relate alligators to accidents. We all know that most accidents are caused by a chain of events usually starting with something minor that continues through the chain until these minor issues lead to something larger–the accident. Usually, it is not just one factor that causes the accidents, so if we as safety professionals can
Wisconsin Kewaunee nuclear plant to shut down in the spring
Herald Times Reporter | Dominion Resources Inc. said Monday it will shut down the one-reactor power plant on the shore of Lake Michigan in the spring because it could not sell it and cannot operate it profitably. “The biggest factor is the market price of power,” said Daniel Stoddard, senior vice president of nuclear operations at Dominion.The closing will have a wide-ranging impact, hurting workers who will lose high-paying jobs and the Northeastern Wisconsin and Kewaunee County economies, and Read more [...]
NRC Whistleblowers: Risk of Nuclear Melt-Down In U.S. Is Even HIGHER Than It Was at Fukushima – Washington’s Blog
Numerous American nuclear reactors are built within flood zones:As one example, on the following map (showing U.S. nuclear power plants built within earthquake zones), the red lines indicate the Mississippi and Missouri rivers:Numerous dam failures have occurred within the U.S.:Reactors in Nebraska and elsewhere were flooded by swollen rivers and almost melted down. See this,this, this and this.The Huntsville Times wrote in an editorial last year:A tornado Read more [...]
Visit DOT's New Website
U.S Department of Transportation (DOT) has a new, redesigned website. As the site says, "DOT is here to serve the American people, and the redesigned site reflects our commitment to service by making it easier for you to find the information you need." The agency’s new site has three goals:
To help find what users need as easily as possible.
To make the most popular resources more accessible.
To
Check Local Waters With New EPA App, Website
EPA’s new How’s My Waterway application and website provides information about the condition of U.S. rivers, lakes and streams. User only needs to enter the zip code or city name to receive up-to-date information about the quality of the water. The technology uses GPS to identify the nearest bodies of water and instantly provides search results within 5 miles of the location. The waterways are
CDPH Warns Consumers Not to Eat Three Preserved Plum Products
CDPH today warned consumers not to eat three preserved plum products, after tests conducted by CDPH found that all three exceed state standards for lead.
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