August 2010
BP to Pay $50.6 Million to Resolve US Labor Department litigation
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced that BP Products North America Inc. will pay a full penalty of $50.6 million stemming from the 2005 explosion at its Texas City, Texas, refinery that killed 15 workers and injured 170 others...
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis Comments on Decline in Fatal Occupational Injuries During 2009
Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released today show a decline in workplace fatalities in 2009 compared with 2008. Last year, 4,340 workers died from work-related injuries, down from a final count of 5,214 fatal work injuries in 2008. Last year, 4,340 workers died from work-related injuries, down from a final count of 5,214 fatal work injuries in 2008. In response, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement...
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Administrator Highlights Importance of Agency's Science Laboratory in New Jersey; Announces New Resources for National Environmental Response Team Lab Facilities
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson toured the Agency's Edison Environmental Center in Edison, NJ. Jackson was joined by Congressman Frank Pallone and Edison Mayor Antonia Ricigliano to highlight the Agency's commitment to science, and protecting human health and the environment...
Click here to view the rest of the story.
EPA to Take Action on Chemicals Used in Dyes, Flame Retardants, and Industrial Detergents Efforts to Limit Exposure and Reduce Harm to People
As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's commitment to strengthen and reform chemical management, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released action plans today to address the potential health risks of benzidine dyes, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and nonylphenol (NP)/nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). The chemicals are widely used in both consumer and industrial applications, including dyes, flame retardants, and industrial laundry detergents...
Click here to view the rest of the story.
CONSUMER ALERT: EPA Advises Care When Selecting Pesticides for Bedbug Control
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to alert consumers that there has been an increase of individuals or companies who offer to control bedbugs with unrealistic promises of effectiveness or low cost. Because bed bug infestations are so difficult to control, there have been situations where pesticides that are not intended for indoor residential applications have been improperly used or applied at greater rates than the label allows...
Click here to view the rest of the story.
EPA Proposes Improvements to Chemical Reporting Actions to Help Keep Children, Families Safer
As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's commitment to strengthen and reform chemical management, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing several actions to improve reporting on chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The Inventory Update Reporting Rule enables EPA to collect and make current information on volumes of chemical production, manufacturing facility data, and how the chemicals are used...
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Advanced Planning for Back-to-School Can Save Money and Help the Environment
Even with a tight economy parents and students still need the back-to-school shopping trip for clothes, backpacks, computers and school supplies. A survey conducted by the National Retail Federation found that this year consumers expect to spend an average of $606 for back-to-school needs. A little advanced planning can help both the environment and your pocketbook. Here are a few tips from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that can point you in the right direction...
Click here to view the rest of the story.
July 2010
Statement of US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on Passage of Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010 by House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the passage of the Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010 by the Committee on Education and Labor of the U.S. House of Representatives...
Click here to view the rest of the story.
US Labor Department's OSHA & Association Whistleblowers.gov Offers Quick Worker Access to Whistleblower Protection Information
Workers who "blow the whistle" on prohibited or unlawful practices in the workplace as well as safety and health discrimination play an important role in assuring compliance with federal laws. Today, OSHA unveils a dedicated Web address for its whistleblower protection program - www.whistleblowers.gov. The site is designed to provide workers, employers, and the public with easily accessible information about the 18 federal whistleblower protection statutes that OSHA currently administers.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
OSHA Review Project Eliminates Outdated Requirements, Brings Standards Up-to-Date
OSHA has announced Standards Improvement Project (SIP)-III, a proposed rule to revise and remove requirements within several OSHA standards that are outdated, duplicative or inconsistent. This rulemaking will help keep OSHA standards up-to-date and will help employers better understand their regulatory obligations.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
New OSHA Training Emphasizes Workers' Rights
"Introduction to OSHA," a new training component emphasizing workers' rights, is required content in every OSHA 10- and 30-hour Outreach Training Program class. OSHA developed the information in support of the Secretary of Labor's goal of strengthening the voice of workers.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
EPA Releases Rulemaking Guidance on Environmental Justice
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing an interim guidance document to help agency staff incorporate environmental justice into the agency's rulemaking process. The rulemaking guidance is an important and positive step toward meeting EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's priority to work for environmental justice and protect the health and safety of communities who have been disproportionately impacted by pollution.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
EPA Recognizes Rochester's Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning for Outstanding Community Leadership
The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning has been selected as a winner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Justice Achievement Award for its leadership in community-based efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning in the city of Rochester, New York. The Coalition has influenced major lead-related public policy changes, including a local lead ordinance requiring inspections for lead paint hazards.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
EPA Launches a Collaborative Web Site for Integrated Environmental Modeling
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is launching a new on-line tool for scientific collaboration and knowledge sharing that was built by Purdue University with support from the agency. TheIntegrated Environmental Modeling Hub (iemHUB) allows environmental researchers to analyze environmental problems and combine environmental models so that a better understanding of the environment can be developed - everything from keeping beaches clean to predicting climate effects.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
June 2010
US Labor Department's OSHA & Association of Energy Service Cos. Renew Alliance to Promote Safety and Health in the Oil and Gas Well Industry
Enhanced workplace safety for oil and gas well workers is the goal of an alliance renewal signed today by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Association of Energy Service Conservation.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Directive Effective June 18
OSHA announced today that the Severe Violators Enforcement Program directive is effective June 18th. The agency announced in April that it was implementing the program to focus on employers who continually disregard their legal obligations to protect their workers.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
New OSHA Training Emphasizes Workers' Rights
"Introduction to OSHA," a new training component emphasizing workers' rights, is required content in every OSHA 10- and 30-hour Outreach Training Program class. OSHA developed the information in support of the Secretary of Labor's goal of strengthening the voice of workers.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
EPA Proposes Updating Drinking Water Rule to Better Protect Public Health
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to revise a national primary drinking water regulation to achieve greater public health protection against waterborne pathogens in the distribution systems of public water systems. Waterborne pathogens can cause a variety of illnesses with symptoms such as acute abdominal discomfort or in more extreme cases, kidney failure, hepatitis or chronic concerns.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
EPA Releases Health Risk Assessment of Processing and Disposal of Onondaga Lake Sediment in Town of Camillus
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a supplemental Human Health Risk Assessment that evaluates the safety of disposing of contaminated sediment from Onondaga Lake in Wastebed 13 in Camillus, NY designated to receive this type of material. The risk assessment, conducted in response to concerns raised by residents and requests from elected officials, looked at potential risks associated with the operation of the new facility. The assessment found no significant health risks to local residents.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
EPA Withdraws Emission Comparable Fuels Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has withdrawn the Emission Comparable Fuels (ECF) Rule, a rule that was finalized in December 2008. The rule sought to remove regulatory costs by reclassifying fuels that would otherwise be regulated as hazardous waste, but generate emissions similar to fuel oil when burned
Click here to view the rest of the story.
May 2010
Dept of Labor's OSHA Seeks to Partner with Local Building Inspectors
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis has sent letters to the mayors of the selected cities, proposing that OSHA work with and train local building inspectors on hazards associated with the four leading causes of death at construction sites. Under this program, building inspectors would notify OSHA when they observe, during the course of their work, unsafe work conditions. OSHA, in turn, would send a federal agency compliance officer to that workplace for a safety inspection.
Click here to view the rest of the story
EPA Releases BP's Response to Directive on Dispersants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released BP's response to EPA's directive on dispersants. EPA's directive to BP required them to evaluate available, pre-approved dispersants for toxicity and effectiveness and report back to EPA within 24 hours. After receiving their response late Thursday night, EPA immediately called a meeting with BP to discuss the issue on Friday, May 21. EPA will continue to work over the next 48 hours to ensure BP is complying with the directive.
Click here to view the rest of the story
EPA Expands Public Participation on Hazardous Waste Cleanup
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an initiative to help communities more effectively participate in government decisions related to land cleanup, emergency preparedness and response, and the management of hazardous substances and waste. The Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) plan lays out specific steps EPA is taking to provide communities with better information and opportunities to understand and influence decisions on environmental cleanups.
Click here to view the rest of the story
City of Oswego, NY., Agrees to Invest $87 Million in Upgrades to Sewer System to Comply with Clean Water Act
To resolve long-standing problems with unpermitted sewer overflows, the city of Oswego, N.Y., will invest an estimated $87 million in improvements to its west side sewer system, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation was also a partner in the agreement.
Click here to view the rest of the story
OSHA Seeks Members to Serve on Committee for Improving Construction Worker's Safety, Health
OSHA is accepting nominations for individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH). The group advises the Secretary of Labor on developing safety and health standards and policies that affect the safety and health of construction workers and the construction industry.
Click here to view the rest of the story
April 2010
EPA Awards $2 Million to Small Businesses to Develop Ground-Breaking Technologies
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $2.38 million to 34 small businesses to develop innovative, sustainable technologies to protect human health and the environment. These efforts will help improve air quality, protect our water, work to decrease the effects of climate change, and support green jobs.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
US Department of Labor's OSHA Takes Action to Protect America's Workers with Severe Violator Program and Increased Penalties
Every day, about 14 Americans fail to come home from work to their families. Tens of thousands die from workplace disease and more than 4.6 million workers are seriously injured on the job annually. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in an effort to address urgent safety and health problems facing Americans in the workplace, is implementing a new Severe Violator Enforcement Program and increasing civil penalty amounts.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
US Labor Department's OSHA, Mexican Consulate Form Alliance in Houston
Enhanced workplace safety for construction workers in the states of Texas and Louisiana is the goal of an alliance signed today at the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Consulate General of Mexico in Houston to promote safety and health rights in the workplace for Mexican and other Spanish-speaking workers.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
OSHA Program Protects Federal Workers
Hazardous federal worksites are the focus of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Federal Agency Targeting Inspection Program 2010 (FEDTARG10). The nationwide program emphasizes workplace safety and health for federal workers and contractors supervised by federal personnel.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
March 2010
IMO Adpots Proposal for Emission Control Area/Move safeguards health of port communities and those beyond
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) today officially accepted the proposal to designate waters off the North American coasts as an Emission Control Area (ECA) - a move that will result in cleaner air for millions of Americans. Large ships that operate in ECAs must use dramatically cleaner fuel and technology, leading to major air quality and public health benefits that extend hundreds of miles inland. The ECA was proposed in March 2009 and the IMO adopted it in the fastest possible timetable.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Boat Sewage Ban Proposed in New York State Canal System
In an effort to improve the water quality of upstate New York, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given preliminary approval to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) proposal to establish a "No Discharge Zone" throughout the New York State Canal System. If the proposal is approved, the discharge of sewage from boats into canal waters will be prohibited. Boat sewage discharge can contain harmful levels of bacteria and chemicals such as formaldehyde, phenols, and chlorine, which negatively impact water quality and impair marine life. EPA is asking the public to comment on this plan.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health meeting scheduled for Apr 14 & 16
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) April 14 and 16, 2010, in Houston. For more than 35 years, ACCSH and OSHA have collaborated to reduce injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in the construction industry caused by such hazards as falling objects, unstable trenches, power tools, and silica inhalation.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Washington Briefs: OSHA warns 15,000 employers about injury rates
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent letters to about 15,000 employers with high injury rates, urging them to take immediate steps to protect their workers.
"Receipt of this letter means workers in that particular establishment are being injured at a higher rate than in most other businesses of its kind in the country," said OSHA Administrator David Michaels.
OSHA identified high-injury workplaces by analyzing injury and illness data reported by employers.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
February 2010
US Labor Dept's OSHA and Scaffold Industry Association form alliance to promote safety and health in construction industry
Enhanced workplace safety for construction workers in the states of Louisiana and Texas is the goal of an alliance signed today by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Scaffold Industry Association (SIA), South Central Regional Chapter in Houston.
"We welcome this opportunity to join with the SIA toward emphasizing employer awareness of hazardous working conditions in the construction industry," said Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas, Texas. "It is hopeful that this cooperative effort will help prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities."
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Secretary Hilda L. Solis presents US Department of Labor budget request for fiscal year 2011
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today, through a national online discussion with stakeholder groups, the general public and the news media, outlined the president's fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget request for the U.S. Department of Labor, which is built around the vision of "good jobs for everyone." The budget launches innovative ways to prepare workers for 21st century jobs, and makes new investments in programs that protect workers' rights, safety and health in the new economy. It reaches out to diverse audiences to ensure that all people from all communities are included in the jobs of the future.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Supreme Court Denies 3 High-Profile Environmental Cases
In its first set of orders since returning from a monthlong recess, the Supreme Court declined yesterday to consider three separate industry challenges to federal environmental regulations.
Environmentalists hailed the court's decision not to review a year-old ruling requiring farmers to secure Clean Water Act approval for the use of pesticides already permitted under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. U.S. EPA is now reviewing the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System to devise a permitting system that complies with the ruling.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
January 2010
New OSHA videos provide respirator and facemask safety guidance
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has developed two new videos for healthcare workers that feature training and guidance on respirator safety.
OSHA's "Respirator Safety" video demonstrates how to correctly put on and take off common types of respirators, such as N95s. "The Difference between Respirators and Surgical Masks" video explains how they prevent exposure to infectious diseases.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
DOL/OSHA schedules conference on Latino worker safety and health
Following a Labor Day announcement from Secretary Hilda Solis, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will convene a National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety, April 14-15 at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston. The conference is co-sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
DOL Doles Nearly $190 Million for Green Jobs
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced nearly $190 million in training grants for green jobs, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants are designed to teach workers the skills required in emerging industries, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. This set of green grants is the third awarded in as many weeks by DOL.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Cornerstone Training Institute and Safety Council of Central and Western NY Join Forces to Provide Local Workers with Asbestos Training
The Safety Council of Central and Western New York has used some of its grant money to provide workers with asbestos removal training at Cornerstone Training Institute. The classes will be provided to the first 24 registrants of the Asbestos Handler Initial class to be held at Cornerstone from January 18th - January 21st, 2010.
Read the rest of the story at Ctienvironmental.com.
December 2009
US Department of Labor's OSHA fines Huntington, W.Va., printing company nearly $160,000 for workplace safety and health hazards
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Chapman Printing Co. for workplace safety and health violations. Proposed penalties total $158,400.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) Announces 2010 International Asbestos Awareness Conference
The Asbestos Diseases Awareness Organization (ADAO) has announced the dates for their sixth annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference, to be held in Chicago April 9-11, 2010. Every year, the ADAO conference brings together renowned doctors, scientists, researchers and most importantly, asbestos victims and their families in a united forum to promote asbestos awareness, education and collaboration.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
November 2009
US Labor Department's OSHA issues Compliance Directive to Address Flu Prevention for Health Care Workers
For the protection of frontline health care and emergency medical workers at high risk of infection, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today issued a compliance directive to ensure uniform procedures when conducting inspections to identify and minimize or eliminate high to very high risk occupational exposures to the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
US Department of Labor Welcomes GAO's Report on Under-Reporting of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) welcomes the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) report on the under-reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses and OSHA's audit process.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
Military Defense Contractor Faces Class Action Lawsuit
KBR, formerly Kellogg, Brown, and Root and previously a subsidiary of Halliburton, faces injury lawsuits filed by both military and civilian personnel for burning toxic waste, including asbestos, as a cost-saving means of avoiding proper toxic waste disposal. Since 2003, toxic waste was burned in open-air burn pits that produced thick palls of chemically fetid smoke that, according to the class action lawsuit, endangered or caused long-lasting health problems in a minimum of 100,000 people.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
October 2009
State Worker-Safety Efforts Scrutinized
The Labor Department said Tuesday that it would step up oversight of all state workplace-safety programs, a signal of more-stringent enforcement following a report critical of Nevada's response to a string of workplace deaths.
The action follows calls from unions and senior congressional Democrats -- including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and U.S. Rep. George Miller of California -- for a tough response to 12 construction deaths that occurred on the Las Vegas Strip between December 2006 and June 2008 amid a building boom.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety Course Now Compulsory in Seven States
It is now law on the books of the seven states that require construction workers to complete the OSHA 10-hour construction safety training course before they can work on certain construction projects. The states with an OSHA law already in effect are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, and most recently, Missouri. The state of Nevada OSHA training law becomes effective January 1st, 2010.
Click here to view the rest of the story.
|
