Archive for News
Virginia Superfund site cleanup continues… once one of the region’s most polluted hazardous waste sites.
On most days, the old Avtex Fibers plant where 800 people once worked has more wildlife than human activity, although redevelopment efforts are under way for parts of what was once one of the region’s most polluted hazardous waste sites.Please continue reading at:http://www.newsleader.com/article/20120812/NEWS01/308120024/Va-Superfund-site-cleanup-continues Read more [...]
City lacks hazardous waste treatment facilities.
Hundreds of tonnes of hazardous waste are discharged into the environment daily in HCM City because of a shortage of treatment facilities as well as lax management, according to city authorities.Please continue reading at:http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Environment/228694/city-lacks-hazardous-waste-treatment-facilities.html Read more [...]
Warm seawater forces Conn. nuclear plant shutdown | provides half of all power used in Connecticut
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut's nuclear power plant shut down one of two units on Sunday because seawater used to cool down the plant is too warm.......Millstone provides half of all power used in Connecticut and 12 percent in New England. Its two units produce 2,100 megawatts of electricity, which is reduced by 40 percent with Unit 2 down, Holt said."Generators are big machines," she said. "It happens frequently that resources are unable to start up or have to power down."Please continue Read more [...]
Calvert Cliffs nuclear reactor shut down after control rod unexpectedly dropped into the reactor core,
Operators of the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Southern Maryland have shut down one of the two reactors there because a control rod unexpectedly dropped into the reactor core, causing a reduction in power generation, a plant spokesman said Monday.The incident happened Sunday afternoon, prompting the plant's staff to shut the reactor down to find and fix the cause of the malfunction, according to Kory Raftery, spokesman for Constellation Energy Nuclear Group. Control rods are used in a reactor Read more [...]
Updated Directive Addresses Hazards of Marine Cargo Handling
OSHA has issued a revised directive providing enforcement guidance for inspections of longshoring operations and at marine terminals, also known as the marine cargo handling industry. The directive addresses updated requirements for PPE and the safe operation of vertical tandem lifts (VTLs). In 2010, BLS data show that seven workers died and more than 2,900 were injured performing marine cargo
CSB to Investigate Chevron Refinery Fire
CSB announced it is investigating the recent fire at the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, CA, which took place on Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. In what the agency is calling "the most serious U.S. refinery incidents in recent years," no lives were lost, however, many workers were engulfed in a vapor cloud created from a combustible hydrocarbon liquid or "gas-oil" leaked. "These workers might have been
Working Safely at Home & Remotely
Although the concept of telecommuting has existed for more than 35 years, it has only recently gained popularity as companies look to telecommuting as a way to improve their corporate sustainability programs and to reduce their carbon footprint. However, according to Jessica K. Ellison’s article, “Ergonomics for Telecommuters & Other Remote Workers” from the Vol. 2 No. 1 issue of the Ergonomics
Jackson Gas spill cleanup effort changes Wisconsin’s landscape – JSOnline
Town of Jackson - More than three weeks after a July 17 gasoline pipeline spill (that spilled an estimated 54,600 gallons of gasoline)...an industrial-scale soil and groundwater cleanup effort has been growing steadily larger to the point where it has overrun the once-secluded 20-acre residence of Patrick and Sally McComis. Their home is 200 feet west of the pipeline break. The family has not returned there since being evacuated July 18. They are moving out of hotel rooms this weekend and into a Read more [...]
Lapka turns your iPhone into an environmental monitoring station
Have you ever sat and wondered what the radiation level is in your house? Or whether that food you're about to greedily tuck into is organic or not? Then Lapka may have been conceived with you in mind. The people behind Lapka – a set of sensors and accompanying app for the Apple iPhone – claim their product can do all of the above and more besides... Continue Reading Lapka turns your iPhone into an environmental monitoring station Read more [...]
Dallas County declares West Nile virus epidemic state of emergency.
Dallas County declared a public health emergency Thursday night to help get more resources to battle the West Nile virus epidemic.Please continue reading at:http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20120809-dallas-county-declares-west-nile-state-of-emergency.ece Read more [...]
High levels of toxics now acknowledged in Chevron fire.
Air quality regulators say they were wrong about pollution caused by the Chevron refinery fire in Richmond, Calif. Levels of the toxic compound acrolein were above the federal standard, although they initially said they were not.Please continue reading at:http://www.mynews4.com/news/story/Regulators-detect-pollution-from-CA-refinery-fire/CK5wxOIjEk6FFSBUQrDYfg.cspx Read more [...]
Quebec opposition leaders take aim at Liberals over asbestos mine decision.
Weeks after the Liberals re-launched Quebec's asbestos industry with a $58 million loan to the Jeffrey Mine, the Coalition Avenir Quebec vowed to put an end to the "morally and scientifically indefensible" product.Please continue reading at:http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2012/08/20120811-173722.html Read more [...]
Radioactive fallout from Fukushima nuclear meltdowns caused abnormalities in Japan’s butterflies.
The researchers collected 121 adult pale grass blue butterflies in and outside Fukushima Prefecture in May 2011, two months after the nuclear crisis started. Abnormalities such as unusually small wings were found in 12 percent of the total.Please continue reading at:http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120812a2.html Read more [...]
Investigator: Chevron’s Richmond refinery fire ‘near disaster’ for workers; pipe safety in question.
More than a dozen workers were nearly killed when the vapor cloud that sparked Monday's massive Chevron refinery fire engulfed them as they worked on a leaky, four-decades-old pipe that the oil giant had not replaced during a round of maintenance last year, federal investigators said Saturday.Please continue reading at:http://bit.ly/Pad5Sg Read more [...]
Two earthquakes in Iran kill 220 and injure 1,500.
Two powerful earthquakes killed 220 people and injured around 1,500 in northwest Iran where rescue workers frantically combed the rubble of dozens of villages throughout the night and into Sunday as medical staff desperately tried to save lives.
Please continue reading at:
Research Raises More Toxic Health Concerns for Popcorn Workers
The aroma of hot buttered popcorn evokes all sorts of childhood nostalgia, but for many workers, those savory vapors pose a modern industrial health hazard. Evidence has been building over the years of a respiratory illness primarily afflicting factory workers exposed to the microwave-popcorn butter flavorant, diacetyl (DA). Now, researchers have discovered another potential hazard related to DA: long-term risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers with the University of Minnesota’s Center Read more [...]
European Agency Puts Spotlight on Hotel & Restaurant Worker Safety
The hotel, restaurant and catering sector creates many job around the world. In Europe, this sector employs more than 7.8 million people, and features a wide range of tasks and on-the-job risks. To help employers and employees recognize and address these risks, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has released “Protecting Workers in Hotels, Restaurants and Catering.” The report
Hearing Loss Protection
When it comes to hearing loss, there is a lot of room for improvement,
says 3M Business Director Brian McGinley. Understanding the source of hearing
loss and what unsafe decibel levels are can help combat the situation, he adds.
Noise levels above 85 decibels (dB) are classified as dangerously high and
require hearing protection. Here are some examples of noise levels:
—
T-Mobile Forced to Pay Nearly $346K to Fired Worker for being a OSHA whistleblower
T-Mobile and its parent company have been ordered by the Labor Department to reinstate and pay nearly $346,000 to a worker in Bellevue, Wash., who was fired in 2009. The order resulted from an investigation by the Seattle office of OSHA into allegations that the employee was fired for being a whistleblower. Go to the Full Storyhttp://www.bellevuereporter.com/news/165609046.html Read more [...]
More Employers Use Incentives to Improve Health & Wellness, Survey Shows
U.S. employers are increasingly relying on incentives to
drive participation in health programs and encouraging workers and their
families to take better care of themselves, according to findings of a survey by
Aon Hewitt.
The survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. employers found that 84% offer
incentives to employees for participating in a health risk questionnaire (HRQ)
and 64% offer an incentive for
AIG to pay $79 million to L.A. Unified School District over environmental hazards.
Insurance giant AIG will pay nearly $79 million to the Los Angeles Unified School District to settle a lawsuit over its failure to pay claims on properties with environmental and pollution hazards, The Times has learned.Please continue reading at:http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-insure-20120806,0,5918915.story Read more [...]
Walgreens deliberately mishandled waste, lawsuit says.
All 53 Walgreens stores in Riverside County, Calif., illegally disposed of hazardous waste over a period of more than six years, Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach said in a news release.Please continue reading at:http://www.pe.com/local-news/local-news-headlines/20120807-riverside-county-walgreens-deliberately-mishandled-waste-lawsuit-says.ece Read more [...]
Feds choose microbes to clean up New Jersey Superfund site.
After years of study, federal officials have decided how to clean up contaminated groundwater deep beneath the Scientific Chemical Superfund site in Carlstadt — let bugs in the soil do the work.Please continue reading at:http://www.northjersey.com/news/165385786_Feds_chose_microbes_to_clean_up_Carlstadt_Superfund_site.html Read more [...]
Small refinery leak leads to big disaster…emergency response team at first thought it posed little threat
Monday's fire at the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond began with a hydrocarbon leak so small that the facility's emergency response team at first thought it posed little threat to the community, a company representative said Tuesday.Please continue reading at:http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Small-refinery-leak-leads-to-big-disaster-3770451.php Read more [...]
Mexico Kills 8 Million Chickens To Contain H7N3 Virus – via @Slashdot
Mexico has so far slaughtered eight million chickens and vaccinated 66 million more in an effort to contain a bird flu outbreak in the west of the country, officials said Tuesday. The country's agriculture ministry had identified the diseased chickens during the vaccination process in the Los Altos region of Jalisco state, which led to the destruction of the H7N3-carrying birds.Please read full and follow at:http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/08/08/2019236/mexico-kills-8-million-chickens-to-contain-h7n3-virus Read more [...]
ICAO Publishes Fifth Addendum to 2011-12 Technical Instructions
The International Civil Aviation Organization recently published Addendum No. 5 to the 2011-12 edition of its Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air. The addendum mainly consists of additions and modifications to variations for countries and … Continue reading → Read more [...]
Lights Out: Are You Ready for Energy-Efficient Lighting Changes?
The next phase of DOE’s energy-efficient lighting
legislation went into effect last month, leaving some businesses uncertain
on how to best proceed in adopting energy-efficient lighting. Is your company ready
for changes to lighting laws? Grainger
has developed a “Test-Your-Readiness” questionnaire to help businesses assess
how well they are prepared to adapt to DOE legislation:
Did you know
NIOSH Proposes Study on Musculoskeletal Disorders
NIOSH has proposed a study
on the effectiveness and cost-benefit of OSH interventions to prevent
musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among workers in the manufacturing sector. The study will focus on two intervention strategies for reducing
MSD symptoms and pain:
1. Articulating spring-tensioned tool support
device that unloads from the worker the weight of the tool that would
Pedestrian Fatalities Increase, NHTSA Urges All to Walk Safe
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data from 2010 shows that pedestrian fatalities increased by 4%. The agency urges the public to "walk with care," use crosswalks wherever possible and urges drives to be conscious of pedestrians at all times. Safety recommendations for both pedestrians and drivers are available on NHTSA’s website, as are additional statistics and information.
Superfund cuts could delay New Jersey cleanup.
President Obama’s plan to cut $37 million from the Superfund program as well as the strong potential for even more cuts in the future would force federal environmental officials to postpone the start of remediation projects at toxic sites nationwide.Please continue reading at:http://www.northjersey.com/garfield/Superfund_cuts_could_delay_Garfield_cleanup.html Read more [...]
Hong Kong cleans up massive plastic spill.
Millions of tiny white plastic pellets have been washing up on Hong Kong’s shores for the past two weeks, after the worst typhoon in over a decade knocked six containers containing 150 tons of plastic pellets off a ship just south of the city.Please continue reading at:http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/08/06/hong-kong-cleans-up-massive-plastic-spill/ Read more [...]
OSHA Publishes Tools on Mercury Exposure in Fluorescent Bulbs
When a fluorescent bulb breaks, mercury in the glass tube is released and mercury vapor enters the air. A small amount of liquid mercury that falls to the ground will continue to evaporate, forming a vapor. Breathing this vapor or skin contact with mercury create exposures. OSHA has published two new educational materials to help protect workers against mercury exposure in fluorescent bulbs:
A
Returning Home After a Disaster: Safety Checks
Just because a
disaster has been controlled, does not mean the area is safe, warns the CDC.
Carbon monoxide poisoning, contaminated food and water, and electrical injuries
are just a few of the many harmful agents that accompany a catastrophe. Click here to read the
Center’s tips for keeping safe after a disaster.
MSHA Issues Hazard Alert for Conveyor Start-Ups
MSHA’s recent hazard alert focuses on the dangers of unexpected conveyor belt start-ups. According to the agency, three miners lost their lives in the past 20 months when a belt conveyor started because its drive motor was not deenergized, locked and tagged. MSHA’s alert provides best practices to avoid such fatalities, some of which include training miners on general tasks assigned, providing a
MSHA Rule Took Effect Today: Underground Coal Mine Operators Must Identify, Correct Hazardous Conditions
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
Former RAAF firefighters exposed to toxic chemicals.
Former RAAF firefighters are being struck down by cancer and neurological diseases they say are caused by the burning of toxic chemicals at bases around the country.
Please continue reading at:
ASSE: Time to Update Federal OSH Job Description
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
Nominate Someone for MACOSH Committee
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.
Red Cross Hurricane App Brings Safety Information to Smartphones
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 Seeking Nominations for NACOSH
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.
