S+H Staff

Emmitsburg, MD – A new U.S. Fire Administration guidance document encourages fire departments to partner with other local and state departments to formulate communitywide preparations and infrastructures to respond to and withstand wildland fires.

San Diego – Irritants commonly found in musical instruments can cause a common skin condition known as contact dermatitis, and sharing instrument mouthpieces can lead to the spread of disease, according to research presented March 16 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Fact sheets from NIOSH describe injury costs in the transportation, warehousing and utilities sector.

Washington – Despite reports suggesting that more effective enforcement could have prevented the April 2010 Upper Big Branch mine explosion in West Virginia, Mine Safety and Health Administration chief Joseph A. Main said he has not seen any facts that prove his agency could have stopped the deadly blast.

Washington – The National Transportation Safety Board hosted a forum on March 27 to discuss distracted driving research, policies and enforcement.

National Harbor, MD – OSHA struggles with how to manage its Voluntary Protection Programs and is in the process of implementing changes, assistant agency administrator Richard Fairfax said March 27 during a keynote address at a conference for the textile service industry trade group TRSA.

St. Paul, MN – Minnesota has experienced a decrease in roadway fatalities and serious injuries since the state changed to primary enforcement of its safety belt law, according to a report from the University of Minnesota.

The agency does have “couth training” to teach inspectors how to get along with people, and in some cases, OSHA has fired people for their behavior, according to Fairfax.

Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) will fill the vacancy on the House Education and the Workforce Committee left by the passing of Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ).

Washington – OSHA had an “incredibly successful” year in 2011 and will build on its past accomplishments this year, agency administrator David Michaels told staff last month.