In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary-Designee Tom Daschle, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) urged the new administration to emphasize the health of the workforce. Laura Walter writes in EHS Today:
ACOEMâs workforce-centered health reform plan is built on four principles that include investing in preventive health programs for workers; creating new linkages between the workplace, homes and communities to reinforce good health; providing financial incentives to promote preventive health behaviors among workers; and taking steps to ensure that more health professionals are trained in preventive health strategies that can be applied in the workplace.
(And if you missed it last week, check out Celesteâs post about recommendations from APHAâs Occupational Health & Safety section for protecting workers on the job.)
In other news:
Indianapolis Star: A new study by anti-smoking advocates and Purdue University researchers finds that air inside Indiana casinos, even in non-smoking gambling areas, doesnât meet EPA standards for particulate matter.
Hattiesburg American: Following the death of three of its employees in a trench collapse, American Air Specialists will pay $39,500 in penalties â a sharp drop from the $65,450 OSHA first proposed.
Philadelphia Inquirer: Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell has signed that will prohibit healthcare facilities from forcing nurses to work mandatory overtime, starting in July. (via RWJF)
The Oregonian: Officials fear that as many as 52 soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard may have been exposed to hexavalent chromium at a water facility in Iraq. Last month, 16 members of the Indiana National Guard sued KBR, which was in charge of the site, for disregarding and downplaying dangers at the contaminated site.
International Labour Organization: As the ILO celebrates its 90th anniversary, âworking for justiceâ describes both its past and its mandate for the future.
There is a proposed rule regarding Coal Mine Dust and Personal Monitors that we need to ensure passes. Deadline is midnight Eastern Standard Time on March 17, 2009.
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Adminisration
30 CFR Part 74
RIN 1219-AB61
Coal Mine Dust Personal Monitors
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Proposed rule and close of comment period.
SUMMARY: This proposed rule would revise requirements that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) apply to approve sampling devices that monitor miner exposure to respirable coal mine dust. The proposal would establish criteria for approval of a new type of technology, the “continuous personal dust monitor,” which would be worn by the miner and would report exposure to dust levels continuously during the shift. In addition, the proposal would update application requirements for the existing “coal mine dust personal sampler unit” to reflect improvements in this sampler over the past 15 years. This rulemaking is limited to approval requirements and does not address requirements concerning how sampling devices must be used to determine compliance, e.g., who and when to sample. Those requirements are addressed in existing 30 CFR parts 70, 71, and 90.
DATES: MSHA and NIOSH invite comments on this proposed rule from interested parties. All comments must be received by midnight Eastern Standard Time on March 17, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Comments must clearly be identified with “RIN 1219-AB61” and may be submitted to MSHA by any of the following methods:
(1) Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
(2) Electronic mail: zzMSHA-Comments@dol.gov. Include “RIN 1219-AB61” in the subject line of the message.
(3) Facsimile: (202) 693-9441. Include “RIN 1219-AB61” in the subject line of the message.
(4) Regular Mail: MSHA, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 1100 Wilson Blvd., Room 2350, Arlington, Virginia 22209-3939.
copied from http://www.cyberregs.com