Business & Industry

Washington – The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is severely understaffed, has weakened worker protections and is resource-starved, according to a new report from Garrett Brown, a 20-year veteran of the agency.

Washington – Many industry stakeholders used a public comment period, which closed Feb. 11, to voice opposition to OSHA’s proposed rule on reducing the permissible exposure limit for crystalline silica.

Washington – OSHA has extended the comment period for its proposed rule on recordkeeping by two days to March 10.

Des Plaines, IL – Culture change and training are needed to help prevent violence against nurses, according to a recent study from the Emergency Nurses Association.

Boston – Eating a Mediterranean-style diet may help improve the heart health of young workers, according to a new study from Harvard University and Cambridge Health Alliance.

Washington – A new special issue of the Journal of Safety Research features research projects from the 2011 National Occupational Injury Research Symposium.

Arlington, VA – A new voluntary consensus standard for determining whether personal protective equipment meets performance standards has been approved by the American National Standards Institute.

Washington – The Spray Foam Coalition – part of the American Chemistry Council’s Center for the Polyurethanes Industry – has adopted a new code of conduct aimed at improving health and safety among its member companies.

Falls Church, VA – With the federal government occupied with budgetary issues and having to deal with a “broken” rulemaking process, states may end up taking their own steps to craft occupational safety and health legislation and regulation, according to the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Washington – Fifteen people have been appointed to the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.