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Tag archives for OSHA
Worker fatality in my hometown results in $12,000 penalty, third chance for employer to improve safety
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on February 24, 2012 On July 27, 2011, just a few miles from my home in San Marcos, TX, Mr. Margarito Guardado Resinos, 34, and Mr. Nelson Pineda were working together to erect a pre-engineered steel building frame on property owned by Thermon Manufacturing. The workers were employed by Jetka Steel Erectors of Katy, TX, a firm hired by…
What’s taking so long?
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on February 17, 2012 “What’s taking so long?” might be uttered by a youngster waiting for a parent to assemble a swing set, or an art patron waiting for a conservator to restore a masterpiece. When the wait is finally over and the eager child or art lover see the final product, they realize the time was well spent.…
Scientists urge White House to intervene in stalled worker safety rule
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on January 25, 2012 A group of 300 scientists, physicians and public health experts are urging President Obama to direct his Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to complete its review of a proposed Labor Department health standard on the carcinogen crystallline silica. OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has been reviewing the proposed rule for nearly…
Washington State adopts rule to protect healthcare workers from hazardous medications
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on January 11, 2012 Washington State becomes the first in the nation to adopt specific workplace safety rules to protect healthcare workers who are potentially exposed to anti-neoplastic drugs and other hazardous medications. The new rule, issued earlier this month by the State’s Department of Labor & Industries, stems from legislation passed in April 2011 and signed into law…
Whether 50 or 5,000 or more, would pipeline jobs be safe jobs?
Posted by The Pump Handle on December 16, 2011 by Elizabeth Grossman As Congress nears recess, legislative approval of the Keystone XL pipeline is still a possibility. Congressional Republicans and the American Petroleum Institute have said the Keystone XL pipeline could create 20,000 new jobs, as has the Teamsters union. House Speaker John Boehner has said “tens of thousands” of jobs would be created.…
Chronic polluters also chronic workplace health and safety violators
Posted by The Pump Handle on November 17, 2011 By Elizabeth Grossman We have learned from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documents obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request and released by the Center for Public Integrity earlier this month that there are currently about 465 United States industrial facilities on what the EPA calls its “watch list.” The list is made up of…
APHA meets in DC: Not where we used to be, but not where we need to be
Posted by Liz Borkowski on October 31, 2011 The American Public Health Association is having its annual meeting in DC this week, and the theme is “Healthy Communities Promote Healthy Minds & Bodies.” The APHA YouTube channel features several clips from yesterday’s opening session, including former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who spoke about the Affordable Care Act, and APHA President Dr. Linda…
Ten years later World Trade Center dust has not yet settled: NYCOSH conference highlights persistent gaps in regulation
Posted by The Pump Handle on September 23, 2011 by Elizabeth Grossman It’s now ten years since the streets of lower Manhattan roiled with clouds of toxic dust and debris from the horrific events of September 11, 2001, but it was clear from discussions and presentations at the September 16 conference hosted by the New York Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) that…
How much did federal officials know about air quality at Ground Zero?
Posted by Liz Borkowski on September 12, 2011 As Jori Lewis notes in the case study about World Trade Center recovery workers’ health and safety, those who showed up at Ground Zero on the days and weeks after 9/11 got some misleading information about the risks they faced. Most notably, the EPA issued reassuring statements about the air quality – when, according to…
Fatal worker injury in my hometown
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on August 3, 2011 Margarito Guardado Resinos, 34, and Nelson Pineda were working together to erect a pre-engineered steel building frame at a construction site in San Marcos, TX. The two were employed by Jetka Steel Erectors of Katy, TX, a firm hired by Bailey Elliot Construction of Austin to erect a new building for Thermon Manufacturing at the…