Hazards

Springfield, IL – Assaulting a nurse in Illinois will be classified as aggravated battery – a third-degree felony carrying a prison sentence of two to five years – under legislation signed into law Aug. 16.

Washington – OSHA’s notice of proposed rulemaking for crystalline silica was published in the Federal Register on Sept. 12, officially opening the rule’s public comment period.

Bluefield, WV – Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) met with miners, stakeholders, and miner safety and health advocates on Sept. 5 to discuss ending “black lung” – a deadly but preventable lung disease also known as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis.

Rockville, MD – Several construction industry trade associations have formed a coalition in response to OSHA’s proposed rule on crystalline silica.

South Bend, IN – A newly identified protein could lead to the development of drugs to help people better cope with rotational shift work and jet lag, a University of Notre Dame study suggests.

Washington – A chemical advisory issued Aug. 30 by OSHA; the Environmental Protection Agency; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offers steps fertilizer facilities and others can take to help reduce ammonium nitrate hazards.

Washington – The Federal Aviation Administration should more strictly enforce air traffic controller scheduling policies to help reduce controller fatigue, concludes a report issued Aug. 27 by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.

OSHA’s revised Hazard Communication Standard is one of the most sweeping regulations the agency has issued in recent years, and compliance deadlines are approaching.

According to NIOSH, about 1.7 million workers are injured every year in workplace assaults.

Washington – OSHA has announced it will issue a proposed rule to revise the agency’s standards on occupational exposure to crystalline silica.