Acetaminophen's safety called into question by FDA (7/1/09)
Examiner.com - USA
The reason for the government's interest in this common, popular analgesic is because of the numerous reports of liver damage it has caused. Routinely used for pain and fever reduction, acetaminophen overdose or misuse has been pinpointed in at least 56,000 emergency room cases, more

GM trucks, SUVs prone to losing power steering (1/15/09)
BusinessWeek - USA
Several popular models of General Motors trucks and SUVs are liable to lose their power steering as drivers make slow turns in parking lots... The problem has forced the nation's biggest automaker to settle lawsuits and led one state police force to briefly label the condition a hazard, more

Nursing Home Abuse News and Updates (1/15/09)
Compiled by Bee Becker
Spokesperson for SafetyForum Nursing Home Abuse Action Group (NHAAG)  More...

Study finds high pollution levels in casino restaurants (1/15/09)
Las Vegas Sun - Las Vegas,NV,USA
UNLV testing shows 12 of 16 at levels that exceed EPA standards... more

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with Wolf Paving Co. Inc (1/15/09)
Media Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
The agreement, which includes two environmental projects costing $96,900 and a $20,080 penalty, resolves EPA allegations that Wolf Paving failed to comply with particulate (smoke, ash, dust) emission limits... more

Energy 'Czarina' Has List of Bush Policies to Undo (1/15/09)
Washington Post - United States
The Supreme Court ruled almost two years ago now that the EPA has some authorities to look at greenhouse gas emissions... The current administration declined to do that. more

Farm agrees to pay for Clean Water Act violation (1/15/09)
Ventura County Star - Camarillo,CA,USA
Officials from a Moorpark farm have agreed to pay a $75,000 fine and clean out part of Calleguas Creek after it dumped dirt in the watershed, a violation of the Clean Water Act, more

Refinery cited in past years (1/15/09)
Deseret News - Salt Lake City,UT,USA
The Silver Eagle refinery in Woods Cross where a fire Monday injured four workers had been cited for 13 serious safety violations in recent years, including one that was deemed by inspectors to put workers at a high level of risk, according to officials with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. more

OSHA Cites Arms Plant for Lead Exposure, Firing Range Hazards (1/15/09)
Occupational Health Safety - Dallas,TX,USA
OSHA has proposed $115,500 in fines against Kahr Arms of Worcester, Mass., for alleged willful and serious violations of workplace health and safety standards at its Goddard Memorial Drive manufacturing plant and testing facility. more

Murrysville company fined in electrocutions (1/15/09)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has levied $42,000 in fines against a Monroeville company after an investigation into the electrocution of two roofers July 17 at a Murrysville job site. more

Nursing Home Abuse News and Updates (1/14/09)
Compiled by Bee Becker
Spokesperson for SafetyForum Nursing Home Abuse Action Group (NHAAG)  More...

First notable injury reported on Universal's The Simpsons Ride (1/14/09)
Tourism Central Florida - Orlando,FL,USA
State law allows the big parks to handle their own safety regulation, though they do report basic details of notable injuries -- typically defined as those requiring immediate hospital stays of at least 24 hours. more

Wolf Paving settles with EPA The Business Journal of Milwaukee (1/14/09)
Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
Wolf Paving Co. Inc. of Oconomowoc has agreed to perform work and fines totaling about $117,000 to settle allegations that it violated federal air pollution laws. more

Company agrees to pay $39500 in OSHA fines (1/14/09)
Hattiesburg American - Hattiesburg,MS,USA
A Hattiesburg-based company whose three workers died in a trench collapse March 21 has agreed to pay the federal government $39,500 in penalties for safety violations, officials said Monday. Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said American Air Specialists Inc. has agreed to pay the penalty fine for the four "serious" and one "willful" safety violations in the trench collapse. more

New Children's Product Safety Law Goes Into Effect Soon (1/13/09)
Boston Channel.com - MA, USA
A major push is on to protect children from toxic toys. Starting in February, there will be fewer lead-tainted products on store shelves. more

Nissan Recalls Frontier, Pathfinder, Xterra Models (1/13/09)
Consumer Affairs - USA
Nissan is recalling 242,000 Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra vehicles fromo the 2005-2009 model years to fix a potential air bag problem. more

Court refuses to reverse Pinto pollution case (1/13/09)
East Valley Tribune - Mesa,AZ,USA
...the justices refused to disturb a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that said a waterway being polluted does not mean a new company can come in and add its own wastes. The judges blocked the EPA from issuing the legally required permits... more

EPA orders local company to cease discharges (1/13/09)
El Dorado News-Times - El Dorado,AR,USA
The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Arklatex Operating Co., Inc., to cease discharges of pollutants at two of its oil field production and brine disposal facilities in Union and Ouachita counties. more

Food Company Pays for OSHA Violation That Led to Worker Death (1/13/09)
Safety.BLR.com - Old Saybrook,CT,USA
Employees at the facilities often were exposed to the toxic gas when working on or near the hydrolyzers... the company did not take sufficient steps to implement controls or protective equipment to reduce exposure... more

Boston firefighters request safety inspections (1/12/09)
NECN - Newton,MA,USA
Boston firefighters call for action after a second fire engine crash over the weekend. The Boston firefighters union is requesting safety inspections for their emergency vehicles. more

January is Radon Action Month (1/12/09)
Galesburg Register-Mail - Galesburg,IL,USA
Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking. It is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas... The EPA estimates one in 15 homes in the United States have an elevated radon level. more

Run-flat settlement deal to go before federal judge (1/12/09)
Daily Record (subscription) - Baltimore,MD,USA
Under the terms of the proposed deal, Michelin North America Inc. and American Honda Motor Co. will pay $3 million to the plaintiffs’ attorneys and cover replacement costs in proportion to the wear on the tires as an extension of Michelin’s 36-month/36,000-mile warranty. more

Recreational Accidents Resource Center Released by Accidents (1/12/09)
TransWorldNews (press release) - Monroe,GA,USA
Accidents.com is pleased to announce the release of its Recreational Accidents Resource Center, which offers valuable legal information for victims of bicycle accidents, water park accidents, swimming pool accidents, amusement park accidents, diving accidents, and sports accidents. more

EPA Initiates Enforcement Action over Hazardous Waste Problems at Nevada Gold Mines (1/12/09)
Coastal Post - Bolinas,CA,USA
Conservation Groups Urge EPA to Investigate Nine More Mines The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated enforcement action at the Gold Quarry and Jerritt Canyon Mines after investigations found serious problems with the handling and disposal of hazardous waste. more

Nursing Home Abuse News and Updates (1/10/09)
Compiled by Bee Becker
Spokesperson for SafetyForum Nursing Home Abuse Action Group (NHAAG)  More...

Oklahoma Pipeline Company to Pay Penalty for Jet Fuel Spill (1/9/09)
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
The Explorer Pipeline Company has agreed to pay a $3.3 million civil penalty in order to resolve an alleged violation of the Clean Water Act stemming from a July 14, 2007, spill of over 6,500 barrels (approximately 275,000 gallons) of jet fuel from its interstate pipeline at a location near Huntsville, Texas... more

Court Cancels EPA Clean Water Act Exemption for Pesticides (1/9/09)
Environment News Service - USA
Environmental groups today celebrated their victory as an appeals court vacated a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that has allowed pesticides to be applied to U.S. waters without a Clean Water Act permit. more

EPA sues Lyons cement plant (1/9/09)
Rocky Mountain News - Denver,CO,USA
The Environmental Protection Agency has sued a Louisiana-based company for allegedly failing to control air pollution from a Boulder County cement plant. The EPA action against the Cemex cement plant in Lyons is the latest step from regulators to bring it into compliance with numerous alleged infractions of clean air laws. more

Senator promises TVA crackdown after coal ash spill (1/9/09)
GovExec.com - Washington,DC,USA
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Thursday vowed an oversight crackdown on the Tennessee Valley Authority in the wake of last month's massive coal spill at one of its power plants and accused TVA President Tom Kilgore of negligence in the disaster. more

Fort Wayne company fined for pollution violation (1/9/09)
Chicago Tribune - United States Fort Wayne metal-coating plant has been ordered to pay a $13,500 fine by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for sending too much pollution into the air. Ottenweller Co. also agreed to install new equipment to reduce volatile organic compounds released when the company mixes paints. more

Ezetimibe/Simvastatin - Update of Safety Review (1/9/09)
FDA MedWatch
The FDA has completed its review of the final clinical study report of ENHANCE and issued an update. more

Safety Campaign: Peg Perego Primo Viaggo SIP 30/30 infant child restraint systems (1/9/09)
U.S. DOT NHTSA
The plastic adjustment cover on certain Peg Perego Primo ViaggoSIP 30/30 infant child restraint systems manufactured between July 1, 2007 and March 14, 2008, could have an exposed mold flash with a sharp edge... Peg Perego will notify registeredowners and provide a free repair kit. more

CEO calls OSHA violations 'complete joke' (1/9/09)
Lansdale Reporter - Lansdale,PA,USA
A recent investigation — prompted by a comprehensive 2005 inspection — cited the company for five willful, four repeat, one serious and two other-than-serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. more

2007-'08 Mitsubishi Outlander Recalled Because of Faulty Brake Lights (1/8/09)
Edmunds.com/Inside Line - Santa Monica,CA,USA
Mitsubishi is recalling 21,493 Outlander vehicles equipped with LED stop lamps because the brake lamp switch may malfunction and cause them not to light up during brake application, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall is expected to begin in February. more

Recall issued for Pathfinder, other Nissan SUVs (1/8/09)
Examiner.com - USA
The National Highway Transportation Safety (NHTSA) announced late Monday that Nissan is recalling 242,700 Pathfinder, Xterra and Frontier vehicles covering 2005-2009 models to replace potentially faulty sensors that could result in non-deployment of driver and front-passenger airbags. more

EPA orders restoration of Sage Creek near Cody (1/8/09)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a compliance order to John A. Porter for violations of the Clean Water Act in a section of Sage Creek near Cody, Wyo. Porter allegedly violated the Act in April of 2008 by excavating and placing fill material in the creek and adjacent wetlands without a permit. more

Oakland lumped in with region as an air pollution area (1/8/09)
Spinal Column Online - Waterford,MI,USA
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pegged Oakland County as one of several counties in southeast Michigan that has failed to meet daily national air quality standards for fine particulate pollution. The so-called non-attainment designation is now forcing state and regional officials to devise a way to bring the region into compliance. more

Original builders of Liberty Village to pay $1.3M to settle violations (1/8/09)
Lynchburg News and Advance - Lynchburg,VA,USA
The original builders behind the construction of Liberty Village on Candlers Mountain Road will pay more than $1.3 million to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and of permit restrictions between 2001 and 2003 at the site. more

Environmentalists want EPA to regulate coal waste (1/8/09)
GovExec.com - Washington,DC,USA
As the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hears testimony on Thursday about the massive coal ash spill at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant in December, advocacy groups are calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the disposal of coal ash produced by electric power plants. more

EPA reaches agreement with Ottenweller on clean-air violations (1/8/09)
U.S. EPA.gov (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
The agreement, which includes two environmental projects costing $44,000 and a $13,500 penalty, resolves EPA allegations that the Ottenweller facility emitted excessive amounts of organic hazardous air pollutants in violation of federal regulations and its state operating permit. more

January/February 2009 FDA Patient Safety News is now available (1/8/09)
FDA MedWatch
FDA Patient Safety News (PSN) is a monthly video news show for healthcare professionals. It covers significant safety alerts, recalls, new product approvals, and offers important tips on protecting patients. more

Crash Raises Questions About School Bus Safety (1/7/09)
KHSL - USA
Tuesday's school bus crash in Concow has some North State parents wondering how safe a school bus really is. more

Baxter named in class action over anti-coagulant Heparin (1/7/09)
Madison County Record - Edwardsville,IL,USA
A class action suit against the maker of a blood thinning drug claims the company is substituting safer ingredients - cooked, dried pig intestines - with more dangerous ones. more

Nissan Recalls 2005-'09 Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra (1/7/09)
Edmunds.com/Inside Line - Santa Monica,CA,USA
Nissan is recalling 242,720 2005-'09 Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra vehicles sold in certain states because heavy road salt can rust a crash sensor, causing the front airbags to be disabled. more

Fall Injuires at Shopping Areas and Theme Parks (1/7/09)
InjuryBoard.com - Tampa,FL,USA
Recently we have seen tourists and other shoppers falling and getting hurt because outlet malls and even theme parks are not complying with the law by properly maintaining their public stores and parking areas. more

EPA sues Cemex (1/7/09)
Agency says Lyons plant violated Clean Air Act
Daily Camera - CO,USA
A Lyons cement plant failed to install the best pollution controls while tainting Boulder County’s air for possibly more than a decade, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. more

OSHA cites Manchester, N.Y., contractor for fall hazards at former Dulski Building in downtown Buffalo, N.Y. (1/7/09)
CCH - USA
OSHA has proposed $89,000 in fines against Ajay Glass & Mirror Co. Inc., a Manchester, N.Y., contractor, for allegedly exposing employees to falls of up to 50 feet at a Buffalo worksite. more

Sunoco refinery in Westville, NJ faces substantial repeat asbestos fines (1/7/09)
Mesothelioma News - Dallas,TX,USA
The Sunoco oil refinery in Westville, New Jersey has been cited by OSHA for 34 health and safety violations. Nine of the citations are for repeat violations, many involving the labeling and safe handling of asbestos. more

Owner of NY Crane Rigging Co. Indicted on Manslaughter (1/7/09)
AFL-CIO - Washington,DC,USA
The owner of the crane rigging company who was involved last March in New York City’s high-rise crane collapse that killed six workers and a woman in a nearby building was indicted yesterday on multiple charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and reckless endangerment. more

Tyson pleads guilty, fined for OSHA violation (1/7/09)
Reuters - USA
Meat company Tyson Foods Inc pleaded guilty, agreed to pay a $500,000 fine, and will serve a one-year probation for a violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) which led to a worker's death, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. more