NIOSH Warns on Common Chemical Substances
- NIOSH has updated profiles on three chemical substances typically found on worksites that it considers immediately dangerous to life or health values.
- The three are: hydrogen bromide (HBr); Hydrogen chloride (HCl); and, Hydrogen iodide (HI).
- Employers must require workers entering IDLH conditions to wear a NIOSH-approved full facepiece self-contained breathing apparatus or a combination supplied air respirator with the apparatus, the agency said.
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Michigan State Senator Seeks to Extent MIOSHA Complaint Window
- Michigan State Sen. Mary Cavanagh has introduced a bill that would mandate reforms to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA).
- S.B. 623 would extend the period for employees who claim they are being discriminated against filing reports with MIOSHA.
- The state’s complaint window would increase from 30 days to 180 days, aligning MIOSHA policy with federal OSHA complaint standards.
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NC School Systems Urged to Review State OSHA Compliance
- North Carolina’s school systems are being encourage to regularly review their written safety plans and protocols with legal counsel to make certain they meet state-level OSH-NC standards.
- According to Poyner Spruill attorney Tom Davis, that’s because local educational agencies in that state, including public school systems, are not subject to federal regulation, inspection, or enforcement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
- In a recent blog post, Davis noted that North Carolina General Statute 95-129 requires every employer, including school systems, to provide workplaces free from “recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious injury.”
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Canadian Occupational Health Groups Set Collaboration
- The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) and the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) have signed a partnership framework agreement aimed at strengthening their scientific collaboration in their efforts to serve the world of work.
- This agreement, signed for a period of five years, formalizes a mutual determination to mobilize scientific knowledge for more effective prevention of work-related accidents and occupational diseases, the groups said.
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