The Pump Handle

Eye on OIRA, Coal Ash Edition: Putting Lipstick on a Not-so-cute Little Pig

by Rena Steinzor, cross-posted from CPR Blog EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson was in a tough position on coal ash. If you are African American and low-income, you have a 30 percent greater chance of living near a big pit of this toxic brew than a white...

Published Wed, May 05 2010 5:53 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Regulation, Mining, Environmental Health, Safety, Environmental Protection Agency

One Miner Dead, Another Missing in Kentucky Mine

A roof fall at the Dotiki Mine in Hopkins County, Kentucky has killed at least one miner. A second miner is still missing, and the search for him continues. Dotiki Mine has a terrible safety record, Bloomberg News reports: Alliance’s Dotiki mine...

Published Thu, Apr 29 2010 1:41 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Mining

Using Facebook to react to MSHA chief’s latest on Massey investigation

I can’t keep up with Ken Ward Jr.’s coverage of the trouble brewing, battle, strong difference of opinion between Secretary Hilda Solis/MSHA Asst. Secretary Joe Main and the United Mine Workers (UMWA), family members of deceased coal miners...

Published Fri, May 07 2010 3:27 PM by The Pump Handle

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

Lights in dark corners: what the new science of epigenetics is revealing about cancer prevention

By Paul Whaley and Dr John Newby, PhD; cross-posted from Health & Environment To understand the importance of the new science of epigenetics for health, we have to visit cell development and the cellular processes which, if they go wrong, lead to...

Published Wed, Mar 17 2010 10:04 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health, Cancer

The flu pandemic: the last time and the next time

by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure We are now almost through the period considered to be the traditional flu season (to the end of March in the temperate northern hemisphere) and so far the amount of documented influenza infection is at a relatively...

Published Wed, Mar 24 2010 5:54 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Influenza, Preparedness

The Latino Workers Behind the Statistics

As Department of Labor officials noted in their opening remarks at the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety last week, Latino workers have higher rates of occupational injuries and fatalities than US workers as a whole. They are...

Published Wed, Apr 21 2010 1:27 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, OSHA

North Carolina to get new State Lab. Hope it isn’t a public health hazard.

by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure Congratulations, North Carolina. You are getting brand new $52 million facility for your State Public Health Laboratory and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, each in separate wings of a 220,000 square foot...

Published Wed, Feb 17 2010 6:23 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety

Revelations in tower antenna worker’s death

In April-May 2008, there were a spate of fatalities involving workers doing installations or maintenance on cell phone towers. I blogged about seven of these worker deaths and promised to report back on the outcome of the Federal or State OSHA investigations...

Published Wed, Dec 16 2009 11:56 AM by The Pump Handle

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

Do the tropics have a flu season?

by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure The scientific literature is full of specialized papers that on their face would seem to be of little interest. Here’s a title like that: “Prevalence and seasonality of influenza-like illness in...

Published Mon, Mar 02 2009 7:10 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Infectious diseases, Health

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

NIOSH’s John Howard or an imposter?

I’m supposed to be grading 124 essays written by my students, but in one of my many bouts with Sunday afternoon work avoidance, I happened upon Senator Reid’s webpage. There was a link that said: “Reid meets with Deputy Secretary of...

Published Sun, Oct 25 2009 12:03 PM by The Pump Handle

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

Ground Beef Recall Highlights Persistent Food-Safety Problems

New York-based Fairbank Farms is recalling more than 500,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Gardiner Harris reports in the New York Times that two people – one from New Hampshire and one from New York – have...

Published Tue, Nov 03 2009 8:07 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Food

OIRA’s old habits hard on public health protection

by Rena Steiznor, cross-posted from CPR Blog Original title: “Sunstein Watch: Old Habits Die Hard on the Regulatory Killing Ground; Don’t OMB Economists Have Better Things to Do Than Channel Industry Opposition to EPA Science?” Before...

Published Tue, Oct 20 2009 5:56 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Confined Space @ TPH, Regulation, Environmental Health, Manufacturing Uncertainty, Environmental Protection Agency

Who’s Responsible for Contract Workers’ Safety?

In an article in The American Prospect, Nancy Cleeland tells a story that will sound all too familiar to worker-safety advocates: Vincent Smith II, a 29-year-old who’d moved from rural Pennsylvania to Camden, New Jersey and found work in a chocolate factory...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 7:00 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety

Senate Committee Votes David Michaels’ Nomination out of Committee

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee voted out the nomination of David Michaels, PhD, MPH for the position of Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. The voice vote crossed party lines, with Republican Senators...

Published Wed, Nov 18 2009 8:56 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety

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Eye on OIRA, Coal Ash Edition: Putting Lipstick on a Not-so-cute Little Pig

One Miner Dead, Another Missing in Kentucky Mine

Using Facebook to react to MSHA chief’s latest on Massey investigation

Lights in dark corners: what the new science of epigenetics is revealing about cancer prevention

The flu pandemic: the last time and the next time

The Latino Workers Behind the Statistics

North Carolina to get new State Lab. Hope it isn’t a public health hazard.

Revelations in tower antenna worker’s death

Do the tropics have a flu season?

Worker killed at Valero Energy, an OSHA VPP site

NIOSH’s John Howard or an imposter?

Ground Beef Recall Highlights Persistent Food-Safety Problems

OIRA’s old habits hard on public health protection

Who’s Responsible for Contract Workers’ Safety?

Senate Committee Votes David Michaels’ Nomination out of Committee