1. Labor Secretary Solis Takes Action on Diacetyl

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced March 16 the withdrawal of an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for occupational exposure to food flavorings containing diacetyl. The withdrawal will facilitate OSHA’s timely development of a standard to protect workers from bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious and potentially fatal lung disease associated with such an exposure.

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2. Fall Protection: Failure is Not an Option

Despite special emphasis programs from OSHA and increasingly sophisticated fall protection equipment, falls from heights remain a serious occupational safety challenge. In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that fatal work injuries involving falls increased 5 percent after a sharp decrease in 2005. The 809 fatal falls in 2006 represent the third highest total since 1992, when the fatality census began. Fatal falls from roofs increased from 160 fatalities in 2005 to 184 in 2006, a rise of 15 percent.

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3. ASSE: Consensus Standards Should Be Referenced in Cranes and Derricks Rule

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) expressed a variety of concerns focused on the failure to reference widely accepted national voluntary consensus standards addressing crane safety in the proposed updated federal Cranes and Derricks in Construction Rule in testimony by ASSE professional member Matt Burkart at a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) public hearing.

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4. Research Suggests Both Physical and Psychological Well-Being Impact Employee Health

A Kansas State University researcher has found a link between physical and mental well-being that employees and employers may be able to capitalize on to improve both the health, and potentially the wealth, of their organizations in these turbulent economic times.

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5. Sustainable Nanotechnology Initiative to Study New Environmental Risks

AECOM Environment and the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) are collaborating on the new Sustainable Nanotechnology Initiative (SNI) at UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management in an effort to understand the environmental risks associated with engineered nanomaterials.

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6. Eye and Face Protection: At Home, At Risk

Home is where we feel safe, comfortable and at ease. But home also is the setting for nearly half of all eye injuries. From flying wood chips to weed whacker debris to even an errant champagne cork, our eye safety is at risk not only on the job, but also in the place we call home.

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Bios International Challenge
Welcome to the Bios International Challenge! Bios International is a specialty manufacturer of precision flow calibration equipment. Bios is accredited to approximately 0.06% by NVLAP (NIST) to ISO 17025, ANSI Z-540 and NIST 150.

You know your business. How well do you know ours? Entries are automatically entered into a drawing to win a Defender or a Definer! The winner may choose a Defender 510, a Defender 520 or a Definer 220! Here is a sneak peek at questions 1&2.

1. Your DryCal is a
a. Primary standard
b. Secondary standard
c. None in the above

2. Which of the followings measure volumetric flow only?
a. Defender 510
b. Defender 520
c. Definer 220
d. All in the above

Take the quiz today!

Understanding NFPA 70E and the Arc Flash Hazard
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009
Time: 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT
Sponsored by: Westex, Inc.
Presenter: Scott M. Margolin, International Technical Director, Westex

During this webinar, attendees will learn about the four primary subjects essential to understanding, and protecting against, the arc flash hazard in an industrial workplace. Causes and consequences of arc flash are examined, with emphasis on historical data, real accidents, body burn injury and non-flame resistant vs flame resistant clothing.
Register Today!

The Courage to Actively Care
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Time: 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT
Sponsored by: Coastal
Featuring: Dr. Scott Geller, Ph.D., Alumni Distinguished Professor, Virginia Tech, Senior Partner, Safety Performance Solutions

During this webinar, Dr. Geller will discuss Interpersonal Intervention and Courage, How Can Courage Be Encouraged, and Culture and The Courage To Actively Care. He will examine excuses and barriers given for the lack of large-scale application of effective interpersonal interventions. Three dimensions of human dynamics related to leadership will be explained: Competence, Commitment, and Courage.
Register Now!

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