News from the Safety Industry

The Gulf Research Program was established in 2013 as part of the settlement of criminal charges against two companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The federal government entrusted the National Academies with $500 million to enhance human health, environmental resources, and the safety of offshore energy systems in the Gulf of Mexico region.

The agency's stay provides temporary relief for pipeline and liquefied natural gas facility operators from certain federal pipeline safety regulations, including compliance with operator qualification requirements, but it does not relieve operators of their safety responsibility to use trained, non-impaired workers to perform operation and maintenance tasks.

Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Canada's minister of Health, said more must be done to improve care and equitable access "so that every Canadian has the best possible quality of life right up to the end of their lives."

The complaint alleged that analysis of environmental samples collected from the defendants' facility during numerous inspections showed the facility contained a resident strain of Listeria monocytogenes. FDA most recently inspected the facility in late 2017, and its inspection showed the ready-to-eat food products that defendants manufactured and distributed were adulterated.

"My administration has made fighting the opioid epidemic one of its top priorities, and this collaboration with Michael Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies will allow us to take an in-depth look at the areas where we can supplement our programs to successfully assist more Pennsylvanians," Gov. Tom Wolf said.

The price of workers' compensation insurance in Washington state will take the largest drop in more than 10 years on Jan. 1, 2019, as the state Department of Labor & Industries on Dec. 3 announced a 5 percent decrease in the average amount employers pay for the coverage.

December 4, 2018 U.S. Department of Labor Returns to Normal Enforcement In Northern Mariana Islands Following Typhoon Yutu

AKOSH's enforcement inspections under the program will focus on the types of hazards commonly found in hospitals and other health care settings: slips, trips, and falls; bloodborne pathogens; tuberculosis; workplace violence; and ergonomics.

The Houston workshop includes lunch, and participants will receive a certificate of participation. Proceeds will benefit the SPE Gulf Coast scholarship fund.

"This owner's intentional disregard of the manufacturers' safety instructions and failure to take proper safety measures resulted in serious injuries to an employee," said OSHA Jacksonville Area Office Director Michelle Gonzalez.