Newsday, 17 April 2016 For the first time since 1990, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) this year will increase its fines to account for inflation. The increase was authorized in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 signed into law in November. Industry experts estimate the increase could be as much as 80 percent, making it more imperative than…
Plastics News, 15 April 2016 “Under the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules, permitted exposures to silica in the construction industry would be cut to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an eight-hour period from 250 micrograms. In other industries, which have a 100 microgram standard, it will also be reduced to 50 micrograms….
Released from the EPA, 8 April 2016 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $221,158 to the New Mexico Environment Department. The state will use the funds to protect residents of New Mexico—particularly school-age children—from harmful exposures to radon gas and other indoor air pollutants that may cause cancer. EPA regularly works with organizations to reduce the environmental health risks…
Introduced October 8, 2015 This bill amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to specify that an unlawful employment practice is established when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in investigations, proceedings, or litigation under such Act was a motivating factor for any unlawful employment practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing…
AIHA Recognizes 15 OEHS Professionals as New Distinguished Fellows The new distinguished Fellows will be honored during the second annual Mark of Excellence Awards Breakfast taking place on Wednesday, May 25 at the 2016 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) in Inner Harbor Baltimore, Md. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Release No. SPR-16-0401-01 CONTACT: Chanta’ Stewart, AIHA Communications (703) 846-0700;cstewart@aiha.org FALLS…
From: KTIC, 25 March 2016 As John Oehlerking was busy applying anhydrous ammonia Tuesday on his farm near Elmwood, Nebraska, he had more on his mind than the usual precautions and care typically given the fertilizer. Oehlerking wondered if he would even have access to the popular, and low-cost, nitrogen fertilizer in the future. If the Occupational Safety and Health Administration…
From EPA, 30 March 2016 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined G.D. Friend, Inc. (operating as Everlast Home Energy Solutions) $28,564 for failing to comply with the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule while performing renovation work at two residential properties in Southern California. This rule seeks to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards that occur during repair…
From VOA Learning English, 31 March 2016 “The diseases afflict more than a billion people around the world but the media gives little attention to them. They are Neglected Tropical Diseases or NTDs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 17 of them, including rabies, leprosy, river blindness, dengue and Chikungunya. About 534,000 people a year die from them, according…
From: The Hill, 24 March 2016 “Millions of construction and manufacturing workers will be protected from harmful silica dust under long-delayed rules from the Obama administration. The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Thursday it is cutting in half the level of silica workers could be exposed to on the job. Silica has been linked to lung cancer,…
The Hill, 3 March 2016 “The Supreme Court handed the Obama administration a victory Thursday when Chief Justice John Roberts refused to block a contentious air pollution rule. Roberts’s order rejecting a plea from a group of 20 states asking the court to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards came despite the court’s 5-4 ruling last…