Safety
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
FAA Safety Oversight Of Aircraft Repairs Faulted
May 6, 2013 2:21 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe government's oversight of hundreds of domestic and overseas repair stations that service U.S. airliners is ineffective and doesn't target the factors most likely to present safety risks, the Department of Transportation's inspector general said Monday.
Pressure On Bangladesh, Retailers To Fix Factories
May 6, 2013 2:14 pm | by Farid Hossain, Stephen Wright, Associated Press | News | CommentsIn the aftermath of a building collapse that killed more than 530 people, Bangladesh's garment manufacturers may face a choice of reform or perish. The shoddily constructed building's collapse has put a focus on the high human price paid when Bangladeshi government ineptitude, Western consumer apathy and global retailing's drive for the lowest cost of production intersect.
TX Fertilizer Plant Targeted By Thieves In Past
May 6, 2013 2:11 pm | by Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press | News | CommentsBurglars occasionally sneaked into and around a Texas fertilizer plant in the years before a massive, deadly explosion — sometimes looking for a chemical fertilizer stored at the plant that can be used to make methamphetamine, according to local sheriff's records.
China City Quashes Protest Against Petro Plant
May 6, 2013 10:28 am | by Didi Tang, Associated Press | News | CommentsResidents say they are worried the plant would pollute the air and water, and question why the plant is being built in a region prone to earthquakes. Pengzhou is in the same fault zone as the 2008 Wenchuan quake that left 90,000 people dead or missing, and for an earthquake last month that killed at least 196 people.
TX Plant That Blew Up Carried $1M Policy
May 6, 2013 10:22 am | by Christopher Sherman, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Texas fertilizer plant that exploded last month, killing 14 people, injuring more than 200 others and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage to the surrounding area had only $1 million in liability coverage, lawyers said Saturday.
Texas Fire Official: 'Debris Could Give Answers'
May 3, 2013 5:08 pm | by The Associated Press | Videos | CommentsKelly Kistner, an assistant state fire marshal in Texas, said that investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a deadly fertilizer plant explosion that killed at least 14 people. He said that debris there could provide answers.
Fire At TX Formosa Plant Leaves 16 Hurt
May 3, 2013 5:08 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA fire at a South Texas petrochemical plant has left 16 workers hurt — including two critically — and the ethylene purification area shut down. A spokesman for Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A. said Friday that the cause of the fire at the Port Comfort plant remains under investigation.
Officials: No Breakthrough Yet In TX Explosion
May 3, 2013 9:56 am | by Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press | News | CommentsInvestigators working to figure out what caused a massive, deadly fertilizer plant explosion in Texas have talked to more than 370 people and received more than 200 tips as they continue to search for a breakthrough. Two weeks after the April 17 blast that killed at least 14 people, agents compare their work to solving a puzzle or completing an archaeological dig.
LA Gov: $340M More From BP For Gulf Restoration
May 3, 2013 9:50 am | by Janet McConnaughey, Associated Press | News | CommentsBP PLC has agreed to pay $340 million to restore four of the barrier islands that act as hurricane buffers for Louisiana's mainland and create two fish research hatcheries in the state, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday. The money is part of $1 billion the oil giant agreed two years ago to pay for early restoration work after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Challenging Lighting Environments
May 3, 2013 8:00 am | by Rob Bresnahan, Larson Electronics LLC | Articles | CommentsNot all operating environments are the same and the differences in a location's environmental characteristics can have a significant impact on how lighting equipment performs. Differences in humidity, wetness, and temperature ranges, the presence of corrosives, and the presence of flammable or explosive gases and vapors can pose a serious challenge for electrical lighting.
If Cars Could Talk, Accidents Might be Avoidable
May 2, 2013 1:36 pm | by Ted | Videos | CommentsWhen we drive, we get into a glass bubble, lock the doors and press the accelerator, relying on our eyes to guide us -- even though we can only see the few cars ahead of and behind us. But what if cars could share data with each other about their position and velocity, and use predictive models to calculate the safest routes for everyone on the road? Jennifer Healey imagines a world without accidents.
Mayor: Blast-Damaged Texas Town Will Rebuild
May 1, 2013 10:15 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe mayor of a Texas town devastated by a deadly fertilizer plant explosion says he expects the community to rebuild and he'll do the same. West Mayor Tommy Muska said Tuesday that his hometown of about 2,700 has received donations from across the country since the April 17 accident.
Porsche 911, Viper Probed For Safety Problems
April 30, 2013 1:48 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. safety regulators are investigating coolant leaks in Porsche 911 sports cars that could cause roadway spills and send vehicles careening out of control, and complaints that a rear suspension part can fail on the iconic Dodge Viper muscle car.
GE Sues Utility As Dredging Restarts On Hudson
April 30, 2013 1:44 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Electric Co. said it sued a utility for a share of costs associated with the $1 billion-plus Superfund cleanup of the upper Hudson River on Monday, the day the fourth season of dredging began to remove contaminated sediment from the river.
Subaru Recalls More Than 10,000 Forester Wagons
April 30, 2013 10:02 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSubaru is recalling just over 10,000 of its 2014 Forester wagons because the floor mats can interfere with the clutch, brake or gas pedals. The recall affects Foresters made from January 2013 through March. The company says the floor mats can curl when exposed to heat.
Collapsed Building Owner May Face 7 Years In Jail
April 29, 2013 2:20 pm | by Chris Blake, Farid Hossain, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Bangladesh court on Monday gave police 15 days to interrogate the owner of a building that collapsed last week, killing at least 382 people, as rescuers used heavy machinery to cut through the destroyed structure after giving up hopes of finding any more survivors.
Anhydrous Ammonia, Ammonium Nitrate At AR Plant
April 29, 2013 2:16 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsOf the 180 facilities in Arkansas that are listed as storing fertilizer, just one has both anhydrous ammonia and ammonium nitrate, according to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. The two compounds were stored at a Texas fertilizer plant where a deadly explosion occurred April 17.
Honda Recalls Nearly 46,000 Fit Sports
April 29, 2013 2:15 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHonda is recalling nearly 46,000 Fit Sport small cars in the U.S. and Canada to fix a problem with the electronic stability control system. The recall affects cars from the 2012 and 2013 model years. Honda says the stability control system can let the car tilt too far before it applies the brakes to prevent a crash.
Boeing: New Battery System Ensures 787 Safety
April 29, 2013 10:15 am | by Yuriko Nagano, Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing Co.'s chief engineer for the 787 Dreamliner said Saturday that changes to the lithium-ion battery system are fully sufficient to ensure the aircraft's safety, although the company has been unable to find the cause of the original battery failures earlier this year that led to groundings of the plane worldwide since mid-January.
Nissan Recalls 2013 Altima For Spare Tire Defect
April 29, 2013 10:12 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNissan Motor Co. is recalling 123,308 Altima sedans because their spare tires may be over- or underinflated. Altimas from the 2013 model year that were made between March 21 and March 26 are affected. Tires that are significantly over- or underinflated can increase the risk of a crash. Nissan says it has no reports of accidents or injuries related to the defect, which was discovered by a dealer.
Lawsuits From Fertilizer Plant Blast Now Total 6
April 29, 2013 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe deadly Central Texas fertilizer plant explosion has now spawned six lawsuits, including one from the family of a volunteer firefighter killed in the blast. Fourteen people died and more than 200 were injured by the April 17 blast in the small Central Texas town of West. Dozens of buildings were destroyed or severely damaged.
Welder Apparently Electrocuted At AZ Plant
April 26, 2013 5:02 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA man doing welding work on the rooftop of a Glendale manufacturing plant is dead of an apparent electrocution. Authorities say the man was badly burned and fell 20 feet to the ground after he somehow touched live wires around 11:20 a.m. Thursday.
Machine Guarding
April 26, 2013 4:56 pm | by Tapeswitch Corporation | Product Releases | CommentsThe AIE is a double key, stainless steel, access interlock suitable for machine guarding on hinged and sliding doors, gates and fences.
Big Brands Rejected Bangladesh Factory Safety Plan
April 26, 2013 10:26 am | by Julhas Alam, Kay Johnson, Associated Press | News | CommentsAs Bangladesh reels from the deaths of hundreds of garment workers in a building collapse, the refusal of global retailers to pay for strict nationwide factory inspections is bringing renewed scrutiny to an industry that has profited from a country notorious for its hazardous workplaces and subsistence level wages.
Oil Spill Judge: What Is Gross Negligence?
April 26, 2013 10:24 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe judge who will allocate responsibility for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has told lawyers to give him their views about whether a series of negligent acts can add up to gross negligence. The Justice Department and private plaintiffs' attorneys contend that BP PLC acted with gross negligence before the blowout on April 20, 2010. If U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier agrees, BP's civil penalties could soar.
