The Pump Handle

FDA’s Joshua Sharfstein to Speak at GW

Our DC-area readers interested in food and drug safety may want to attend this event. Next Tuesday (1/12) at noon, Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner for the FDA, will present, “Public Health and the FDA” here at the GW...

Published Wed, Jan 06 2010 11:23 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Food, Drug Safety

Battling for Bayer

Cross-posted from Sustained Outrage: a Gazette Watchdog Blog by Ken Ward, Jr. Bayer CropScience hasn’t said yet if it will challenge $143,000 in fines issued by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 13 serious and 2 repeat violations...

Published Mon, Mar 02 2009 9:12 AM by The Pump Handle

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

DOL IG releases more info on Martin County coal waste impoundment, redactions continue

reported by Mine Safety and Health News: Martin County: New Information Released, But Information on Mine Seals Still Redacted A Labor Dept.’s Inspector General report on the whistle-blower complaints surrounding the 2000 Martin County Coal Co. impoundment...

Published Sun, Nov 22 2009 12:22 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH, Mining, Environmental Health, Legal, Conflict of Interest, FOIA

Peer review needed on NIOSH firefighter reports

Jay Lowry, the editor of FirefighterHourly.com is calling on NIOSH to obtain the input of front-line firefighers before publishing its investigation of firefighter deaths. In “NIOSH Firefighter Reports Need Overhaul”, Lowry writes: While the...

Published Sat, Nov 14 2009 1:21 PM by The Pump Handle

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

Nano Genie out of the Bottle

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (a partnership between the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts) compiles an inventory of nanotech-enabled consumer products, and they recently announced that they’ve...

Published Wed, Sep 02 2009 2:03 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health, Consumer Product Safety Commission

MSHA demands flame-resistent conveyors…well, not exactly

Underground coal mine operators can use conveyor belts, which do not satisfy the requirements set forth for the approval of flame-resistant conveyor belts (30 C.F.R. Part 14) if the conveyor belts have been warehoused, but are not in active use before...

Published Mon, Oct 26 2009 9:59 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Confined Space @ TPH, Regulation, Mining, Safety, Legal

Bargaining Away Worker Safety?

“Is the state agency charged with enforcing job safety failing to do its job?” is the question posed by KCET’s (Los Angeles) SoCal Connected in a special investigation airing on Thursday, January 14. The full program will be posted on...

Published Wed, Jan 13 2010 12:23 PM by The Pump Handle

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

Better Guidelines for Funding Transit Projects

Yesterday, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed new guidelines that would make it easier for worthwhile new public transit projects to receive federal funding. Back in 2005, the Bush administration issued budget restrictions requiring that...

Published Thu, Jan 14 2010 7:51 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health

“Falls” lead the injury pack

by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) has been conducted since 1957 and is one of the main instruments to get a glimpse at the health of the US population. The NHIS is a “multistage area probability...

Published Mon, Feb 22 2010 12:02 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Safety

When old folks get the shaft

by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure Being over 65 I’m an older adult, according to the author’s definition (as reported in the press release, at least), and like everyone else I frequently take elevators. Maybe not as frequently as...

Published Thu, Feb 11 2010 7:10 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Safety

MSHA sets a low bar for mine operators

MSHA’s Assistant Secretary Joe Main announced at public events last week in Austin, TX and Charleston, WV his “Rules to Live By” campaign. It’s described as “a new outreach and enforcement program designed to strengthen efforts...

Published Mon, Feb 15 2010 10:21 AM by The Pump Handle

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

Asbestos: Cover Up of a Century

During National Asbestos Disease Awareness Week (April 1-7), we’ll be cross-posting a piece every day from the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. By Kenneth A. Cook, Co-founder and President, Environmental Working Group; cross-posted from Asbestos...

Published Sat, Apr 03 2010 11:13 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health

When an OSHA “national” emphasis program isn’t

I’ve been following the news coverage of the catastrophe at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington (here, here, here, here). Mr. Daniel Aldridge, 50, Mr. Darrin J Hoines, 43, Ms. Donna Van Dreumel, 36, Mr. Matt Bowen, and Ms. Kathryn Powell...

Published Sun, Apr 04 2010 10:21 AM by The Pump Handle

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

Historic Healthcare Legislation

President Obama has just signed a historic piece of legislation that will bring near-universal healthcare coverage to our country within the next few years. It’s most important achievement will be to cover 32 million people are currently uninsured. In...

Published Tue, Mar 23 2010 8:57 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Healthcare

Fighting Malaria with Fewer Chemicals

In Yale Environment 360, Sonia Shah highlights a promising trend: communities in Mexico, China, Tanzania, and elsewhere are adopting non-chemical methods to control the populations of mosquitos that transmit malaria. They’ve seen their numbers of...

Published Wed, May 12 2010 3:05 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Health

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