Hazardous Materials Managers News

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.

A new ISO International Workshop Agreement IWA 11:2012, Guidelines for evaluating cookstove performance, defines criteria for clean, efficient and safe cookstoves. The agency says, "IWA 11 represents a critical first step toward a common understanding of how to define and verify clean stoves and fuels among all affected countries and stakeholders, and to encourage innovation to find even better

NFPA has issued a safety alert on self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) facepiece lenses, warning that they may undergo thermal degradation when exposed to intense heat. NFPA recommends that fire departments, fire academies and emergency service organizations inspect all SCBA facepiece lenses before and after each use. Those with cracks, bubbling, discoloring, gaps or other imperfections

EU-OSHA recently released a report stating that all
educators should receive training about OSH in their working lives, and should
learn how to incorporate risk education into their daily work. “Teachers
not only need the basic knowledge and ability to embed risk education into
their classroom teaching, they also need instruction and training about health
and safety in the school environment,

Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) is seeking public comment to help create a reverse logistics policy concerning hazardous materials. According to the agency, reverse logistics occurs when a consumer product is returned to goes backward in the supply chain, and when it involves HazMat items, the chances for error increase. PHMSA reports return policies are usually

At Safety 2012, David Galt, senior legal editor for BLR, offered seven tips that safety professionals can follow when trying to convince management, and particularly the CFO, to invest in safety: Step 1: Identify the business value drivers. To do this, review annual reports, learn business terminology and observe what Galt called "the winners"–those who get resources and people from management.

In Niagara Falls, NY, in the 1800s, William T. Love
attempted to connect the upper and lower Niagara River by a canal, but the
project was never completed. This canal later turned into a dumping ground and
subsequent public health disaster. Chemicals in the Love Canal led to birth
defects, miscarriages and cancer in many of the residents living near the
contaminated site.

However, thanks to a

Summertime often equates to less days at the office and more days around the globe. However, this change in pace should not equate to a change in safety and health. Here to give travelers and healthcare providers health and safety tips are the CDC’s Director, Tom Frieden, and its Travelers’ Health Branch Chief, Gary Brunette. Together they will host a live Twitter chat on July 13 at 2:00 p.m.

NIOSH’s new Emergency Medical Services Resources web page offers information for emergency medical service (EMS) workers and how they can stay safe and healthy on the job. The website, which originated from a project with NIOSH, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Office of Emergency Medical Services, provides reports and publications pertaining to occupational injuries to

Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has a new safety video that examines the concept of inherent safety and its application across industry: “Inherently Safer: The Future of Risk Reduction” stems from an explosion in 2008 that killed two workers and injured eight others at the Bayer CropScience chemical plant in Institute, WV. The video is available to stream or download on and may be viewed on the CSB’

OSHA is offering a 3-day training event for federal agency personnel who are responsible for ensuring the safety and health of other federal workers. Scheduled for July 31 – Aug. 2, 2012, the event will be held in Arlington Heights, IL, and offer seminars on workplace violence, ergonomics, hazard communication focused on the global harmonizing system and more. OSHA says, "This training event is

NIOSH and OSHA have teamed to produce "Protecting Workers Who Use Cleaning Chemicals," an  infosheet for building maintenance workers, janitors and housekeepers. Many employers are switching to green cleaning products because they are thought to be less hazardous to workers and the environment. The document provides information to employers on practices to help keep workers safe when working

There’s nothing like
grilled grub in the summertime. While peak grilling season is underway, the
NFPA wants to remind everyone about safe grilling techniques:

Propane and charcoal BBQ grills
should only be used outdoors.
The grill should be placed well
away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging
branches.
Keep children and pets away from
the

Since distracted driving events account for an increasing percentage of crashes, the Transportation Practice Specialty has established a Distracted Driving Taskforce. The taskforce has developed a list of tips to combat distracted driving among those who drive regularly as part of their job.In today’s fast-paced world when so many of us are expected to be “connected” at all times, how do you

U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s (CSB) 2012-2016 strategic plan includes a Most Wanted Program that the agency will use to focus its outreach initiatives surrounding key recommendations. It also outlines three key goals:

Goal 1: Conduct incident investigations and safety studies concerning releases of hazardous chemical substances. This drives the agency’s core mission by ensuring that it selects

Unfortunately, it often takes a devastating event like the recent
Colorado wildfires to remind the public how quickly disaster can strike. To lessen
damage and fatalities in future wildfire disasters, OSHA offers wildfire preparedness tips
and evacuation
plans for workers. According to the Administration, it is essential to
discuss in advance what conditions will activate the plan and who will be

MSHA, in collaboration with Consol
Energy BMX, Pennsylvania state agencies and emergency response teams, recently put on a mock mine
emergency to determine what aspects of mine rescue are successful and what need
improvement.  Consol Energy BMX shut down their facility for a day to simulate
the very realistic fire that trapped workers underground. The simulation tested a new seismic location

More than half of factory workers who thought they had excellent or good hearing actually suffered hearing loss and didn’t even recognize the problem. That’s the key finding of a new research study conducted by the University of Michigan School of Nursing, which suggests that healthcare providers need better methods of testing and protecting hearing among factory workers.

Of 2,691 noise-exposed

A new study shows that sitting for long periods
of time can reduce life expectancy, and this even affects individuals who get
physical exercise on a daily basis. “Sedentary
behavior is something we need to take note of beyond telling people to get 30
minutes of activity a day,” says lead researcher of
the study, Peter Katzmarzyk, to the Wall
Street Journal. “We have people who can meet that