Washington – A Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration final rule issued April 17 revises agency regulations to match the maximum and minimum civil penalties for hazardous materials violations established by law in 2012.

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is requesting public input on a proposal to enhance the safety and durability of rail tank cars used to transport hazardous materials.

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration should better track the incidence rate of spills from cargo tank truck “wetlines” – the series of pipes used to load and unload liquids – to help identify risks, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.

Washington – A Sept. 24 proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration would prohibit hazardous materials carriers and associated companies from further operations if they do not pay civil penalties for violations within 90 days.

Washington – Crude oil shipped from the Bakken Formation – located in North Dakota, Montana and nearby Canadian provinces – may be more flammable than “traditional” heavy crude oil, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration warned shippers, sellers and emergency responders in a Jan. 2 safety advisory.

Washington – A new advisory bulletin from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recounts one of the largest pipeline spills in the past five years and encourages pipeline owners and operators to take new preventive measures against leaks.

Washington – The House has approved an amendment to fund pipeline safety measures as part of the 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act.

Washington – Pipeline operators may be required to notify the National Response Center no later than one hour after an incident involving natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, under a recently proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has established new review criteria for state excavation damage prevention programs, under a final rule published in the July 23 Federal Register.

Washington — Developments in automation in the transportation industry have prompted a pair of Requests for Information from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration.

Washington — Federal regulation of small distribution systems for propane and other liquefied petroleum gas should be revised for clarity, efficiency, enforceability and applicability to risk, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.

Washington — The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recently published a set of FAQs on training requirements.

Washington – A series of free, confidential health screenings will be available for coal miners as part of the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Atlanta — Occupational exposures may have contributed to 11 percent to 21 percent of all asthma-related deaths among 15- to 64-year-olds between 1999 and 2016, according to a recently released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington — Incomplete initiatives aimed at improving employer reporting of injuries are among the top management and performance challenges facing OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, according to a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General report released in November.

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for coal miners through its Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

East Lansing, MI — Estimating that up to half of the 600,000 or so adult cases of asthma in Michigan may be caused or aggravated by on-the-job exposure, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has launched a campaign intended to raise awareness of work-related asthma.

Macclesfield, England — Employees with asthma miss an average of almost 10% of their work hours, and most are restricted from performing their duties because of their symptoms, both of which negatively affect their emotional well-being, according to the findings of a recent study.

London — Workers who use cleaning and disinfecting products may be more likely to develop asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – 50% and 43%, respectively – than those who don’t, results of a recent study led by British and Italian researchers show.

Washington — NIOSH has planned a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners via the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Toronto — Findings over the past decade – including the results of case studies in the past two to three years – have strengthened the link between the lung disease sarcoidosis and on-the-job exposures to, most notably, silica and silicates, dust from the World Trade Center, and metals, according to a recent research review.

Charlottesville, VA — Coal miners with black lung disease commonly face various mental health issues, including thoughts of suicide, results of a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia show.

Washington — Proposed legislation would create funding for health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease by extending, for 10 years, a recently expired excise tax rate increase on coal production.

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners as part of the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Triangle, VA — United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts is calling on Congress to advance proposed legislation that would ease access to health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease.

Melbourne, Australia — A recent study of stone countertop industry workers reveals an “alarmingly high” occurrence of silicosis, indicating that government-mandated screening tests may be inadequate to diagnose the disease.

Washington – OSHA has extended to March 31 the comment period for a request for information on potential changes to the agency’s Process Safety Management Standard.

Washington — Concerned about what it views as an agency oversight related to petroleum refining, the American Petroleum Institute is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to reassess a draft revised final risk evaluation that states perchloroethylene – as a whole chemical substance – poses “unreasonable risk” to workers under certain conditions.

When asked about their biggest challenge in the coming year, security integrators and manufacturers alike often say the same thing: attracting workers.

Once relegated to simple locks and card reader panels, access control is assuming a starring role in overall business operations.

IoT, DIY/MIY, cyber security, active shooters — SDM 100 dealers talk about the issues that will have the biggest impact, either positive or negative, on their businesses this year.

Each of these companies not only improved their 2021 RMR by double digit percentage points over 2020, but also moved several spots up on the SDM 100 ranking as a result. 

Birmingham, AL – An Alabama roofing contractor was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and 30 hours of community service for lying to OSHA about providing workers with fall protection equipment.

Philadelphia – A Pennsylvania-based roofing contractor who lied to OSHA in the aftermath of an employee death was sentenced March 29 to 10 months in prison.

Silver Spring, MD – The Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR), together with the Roofing r2p Partnership and the RF Radiation Work Group, have developed the Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation Awareness Program for the Construction Industry, intended to inform employers and labor organizations about the risks of radiofrequency radiation.

Washington – OSHA on Dec. 3 announced a request for information regarding potential changes to its Process Safety Management Standard and related enforcement policies.

Washington – The Office of Management and Budget has concluded a review of a draft rule that would update OSHA's Process Safety Management Standard, and the safety agency has formally requested input from the public.

Washington — A planned update to OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout standard (1910.147) has been pushed to “long-term actions” under the Department of Labor’s Spring 2023 regulatory agenda.

Historically, PPE has been designed with a man’s body size and shape in mind. But when Safety+Health reached out to the International Safety Equipment Association regarding progress on designing personal protective equipment for women, manufacturers’ representatives were quick to respond.

Tecasafe Plus with Coolderm Technology FR fabric delivers enhanced comfort no matter the conditions.

Workrite Uniform Co. teamed up with Westex and 3M to develop a line of insulated flame-resistant garments: 3M Thinsulate Platinum outerwear.

Protective clothing is available for many different functions – from helping a construction worker be more visible at night to shielding a utility worker from a serious arc flash injury.

Arlington, VA — In response to more than 500 incidents on longwalls in underground coal mines over the past decade, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.

Washington — Hotel workers can avoid on-the-job injury and illness by keeping their feet on the floor, ensuring fresh air is circulating and not mixing cleaning products.

Washington — “We want all forklift operators going home after each shift without injury. That’s the ultimate objective.” Chuck Pascarelli, chair of the Industrial Truck Association, made the remark June 13 during a National Forklift Safety Day event at the National Press Club.

Arlington, VA — Requiring impact guards on the sides of large trucks would save “up to 10 times” more lives than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, one safety group says.

Silver Spring, MD — Two new resources from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training are intended to help prevent falls among roofing workers.

Portland, OR — In an effort to prevent worker deaths and injuries stemming from runover and backover incidents, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has issued a hazard alert.

Tumwater, WA — Janitorial workers can be exposed to needlesticks and should be aware of potential danger spots, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries says in a new tip sheet.

Lexington, KY — Spurred by 56 worker deaths involving confined spaces in the state between 1994 and 2022, the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance Program has issued a hazard alert.