Manufacturing

Villejuif, France – Occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene may increase the risk of head and neck cancer in women, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the journal BMJ Open.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency is offering a blueprint for prioritizing and evaluating chemicals that may pose risks to workers and other individuals.

Washington – OSHA has issued a final rule lowering occupational exposure limits for beryllium. The standards apply to general industry, construction and shipyards.

Washington – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied OSHA’s petitions for a rehearing and rehearing en banc of the court’s ruling that the agency failed to follow federal rulemaking requirements when it used a memorandum to announce a revised definition of retail facilities exempt from the Process Safety Management Standard.

St. Louis – Prolonged exposure to fumes from the chemical element manganese may put welders at risk for developing symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study from the Washington University School of Medicine.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized amendments to its Risk Management Program rule in an effort to improve chemical process safety and keep first responders safer.

Although nobody can say for certain when the next revision to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard will take place, the agency hosted a meeting in November to gather stakeholder feedback on efforts to align the standard with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

Olympia, WA – The Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention Program at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has released six industry-specific checklists and summary reports aimed at helping employers identify risk factors that may contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to ban certain uses of the chemical trichloroethylene because of health risks associated with the toxic chemical when used as a degreaser and spot removal agent in dry cleaning.

OSHA’s final rule on occupational exposure to beryllium is scheduled for publication in January, according to the Department of Labor’s fall regulatory agenda, released Nov. 17.