Occhealth Bulletin
26 April 2010
News review - April 2010
Category: Reviews
President Obama promises mine safety review
Twenty nine lives were lost as a result of the methane gas explosion in the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia earlier this month. Following this tragedy, President Barrack Obama has promised a full investigation into the disaster. He has directed the Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Joe Main and Kevin Stricklin to lead the investigation by working closely with state mining officials. They will work with congress to “strengthen enforcement of existing laws and close loopholes that permit companies to shirk their responsibilities”. The federal government will also take a look at health and safety records of mines and inspectors will be sent to those with ongoing health and safety issues. MSHA practices and procedures will also be reviewed. To watch the video clip of President Obama’s remarks regarding the Mine Safety Review or to read the full transcript click here.
Free health and safety training materials courtesy of Susan Harwood training grant program
The Susan Harwood program provides grants for non-profit, community or faith-based organizations to support health and safety training and education for employers and their workers. Each year, OSHA launches a competition for accessing grants following the publication of the solicitation for grant applications (SGA) opportunity in the Federal Register. To keep up-to-date with news and announcements about this program take a look at the relevant pages on the OSHA website. Training materials, developed by the successful grantees as part of their project activities, are now available from the OSHA website for employers and their workers to review. A variety of materials are available on numerous topics (eg falls, pandemic influenza) addressing issues faced by the intended audience of a particular project. Browse the materials by topic, by language or by grantee to access files in formats such as PowerPoint and PDF. Some materials are also available in other languages than English such as Spanish and Mandarin. Click here to access the materials.
The Institute of Medicine announces a workshop for healthcare workers
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is due to hold a public workshop entitled “Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Workers” on June 3, 2010 in Washington, DC. The workshop is intended to provide “recommendations on research and standards-setting directions for PPT [personal protective technology] for healthcare workers to prevent the transmission of pandemic influenza and other viral respiratory infections”. The workshop is based on one of two studies that IOM is undertaking on behalf of NIOSH regarding personal protective technologies (PPT). For more information about the workshop, and how to register, click here.
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