December 2009 - The Pump Handle - The Network of Care

Worker killed at Valero Energy, an OSHA VPP site

The Houston Chronicle’s Cindy George reports on the explosion last night (12/4) at Valero Energy’s Texas City, TX refinery. One worker, Tommy Manis, 40, was killed and two other workers were injured. The site is one of OSHA’s designated...

Published Sat, Dec 05 2009 1:22 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH, Regulation

Senator Brown urges OSHA action on diacetyl

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is urging Labor Secretary Solis to expedite rulemaking to protect workers from exposure to diacetyl. In a letter dated November 25, the Senator writes: “I am concerned that OSHA has not acted fast enough to compel employers...

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 3:06 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH, Regulation, Flavoring Workers' Lung (Popcorn/Diacetyl)

David Michaels Confirmed to Head OSHA

Last night, the Senate confirmed David Michaels as the new Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. Congratulations, David! All of us at George Washington University and The Pump Handle will miss working with you, but we’re...

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 6:33 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Uncategorized

MSHA fails to correct hostile work environment

Caution: for adult eyes only. I’ve just read a horrendous case of an employer’s failing to correct a hostile work environment with glaring and gross instances of sexual harassment. The employer? The U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and...

Published Thu, Dec 03 2009 3:05 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH, Legal

Breaking news from MSHA: black lung is bad

For the last several weeks, MSHA officials have been planning a series of public events to launch a campaign to end black lung disease. The first event was held this morning in Beckley, WV, and the Charleston Gazette’s Ken Ward allowed me to feel...

Published Thu, Dec 03 2009 9:42 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH, Regulation, Mining, Black Lung

25 Years After Bhopal, Too Little Progress

Twenty-five years ago, thousands of residents of Bhopal, India awoke in the middle of the night struggling to breathe. A Union Carbide pesticide plant had leaked 40 tons of methyl isocyanate, a highly toxic substance that had escaped in gas form and spread...

Published Thu, Dec 03 2009 9:34 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health

Chemical Policy Reform, It’s Not A Secret

On November 13, 2009, the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign presented a webinar on “Chemicals Policy Reform and its Importance for Business“. More than 200 participants from diverse sectors listened as professionals from industry...

Published Thu, Dec 03 2009 7:26 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Chemicals Policy

Sign of bad things to come from Obama’s OMB: Sunstein hires staunch anti-reg economist

I’ve already complained about the slow pace of regulatory change on OHS issues in the now 10-month old Obama Administration, but my mind sunk when I heard yesterday this news: OMB/OIRA’s regulatory czar Cass Sunstein has hired for his reg...

Published Wed, Dec 02 2009 10:25 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH, Regulation, Environmental Health

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day, and this year’s theme is Universal Access and Human Rights. MMWR offers the following statistics to illustrate the scope of the issue: An estimated 16.5 million women worldwide were HIV positive at the end of 2008 Approximately...

Published Tue, Dec 01 2009 8:59 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: AIDS

December 2009 - The Pump Handle

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