SAN FRANCISCO – The fumes that may have been emitted from Gloria Ramirez’ body as she lay dying in the emergency room of Riverside Hospital last February may have resulted from an unusual chemical reaction triggered by her having applied DMSO to her skin as a pain reliever. That is the theory espoused by chemists …
SAN FRANCISCO – Over 1,000 people attended Cal-OSHA’s second conference on workplace security on November 3. They represented a wide array of employers, employees, consultants and lawyers. There seemed to be general agreement that there are no easy answers for issues this complex. In the morning, a number of speakers explained aspects of the problem …
SAN FRANCISCO – November 14 was the last day for comments about proposed 5197 for control of occupational tuberculosis to be sent to the Cal-OSH Standards Board. Here, as promised, are some of the written and spoken comments submitted to the board by or on the day of the public hearing in late October. Subsection …
SAN FRANCISCO – Readers may wonder why the last story, concerning the impact proposed General Industry 5197 will have on hospitals, quoted Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (KFH) so extensively. Because COR left the hearing before testimony was given on ventilation and respiratory requirements, we relied on interviewing Len Welsh of the Division of Occupational Safety and …
SAN FRANCISCO – Fed-OSHA on October 20 sent a compliance memorandum to its field offices to clarify when employers must provide and pay for workers’ personal protective equipment (PPE). If the equipment is personal in nature and can be used away from the worksite, such as non-specialty safety glasses, safety shoes and cold-weather outer wear …
SAN FRANCISCO – The new, shorter OSHA Field Reference Manual is used for inspections by OSHA compliance officers. It covers responsibilities of regional administrators, area directors and compliance officers; how inspections are scheduled; how complaints are handled; inspection procedures, including documentation; types of violations and the elements compliance people must consider in determining the type …
SAN FRANCISCO – The 15-person Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) met October 12-13 with nine new members and six who were reappointed. On the agenda were construction-specific issues in Fed-OSHA’s draft notices of proposed rulemaking for ergonomics, recordkeeping and in the proposed rule for abatement verification. OSHA also briefed the committee on …
SAN FRANCISCO – The Center to Protect Workers’ Rights is affiliated with the AFL-CIO and has funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Ergonomic issues in construction have been one of its central concerns. Construction fatalities are another concern. Director Knut Ringen amplified the numbers in a letter to Engineering News-Record …