Safety
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Shell, BASF Offer Millions In Class Action Suit
February 15, 2013 12:57 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsShell Brasil SA and BASF SA have offered more than $20 million to settle a class-action lawsuit with former workers allegedly contaminated at a pesticide plant in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil's top labor court said Friday. The court said on its website that the two companies have offered to provide 884 workers with lifelong health plans with a "global value" of 52 million reals ($26 million).
Airbus To Drop Lithium-Ion Batteries In A350
February 15, 2013 10:18 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAirbus abandoned its plans to use lithium-ion batteries for its new A350 airplanes due to the uncertainty surrounding the technology following the grounding of Boeing's 787, the company said. The European aerospace group said Thursday it would revert to conventional nickel-cadmium batteries for the A350.
BMW Recalls More Than 30,000 SUVs To Fix Brakes
February 15, 2013 10:17 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBMW is recalling more than 30,000 SUVs to fix an oil leak that can knock out the power-assisted braking. The German automaker says the recall covers X5 SUVs in the U.S. from the 2007 through 2010 model years. The vehicles were made between Sept. 12, 2006, and March 18, 2010. They have eight-cylinder engines.
Entergy NY Reactor Shut Down After Pumps Fail
February 15, 2013 10:12 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAn Entergy Corp. nuclear reactor in the New York suburbs has been shut down because two pumps that send water from a drain tank to the steam generators stopped working. Entergy said Wednesday the shutdown of Indian Point 2 went safely. They said there were no injuries and no release of radioactivity.
New EPA Rules On Cadmium Exposure Raise Liability Risk
February 15, 2013 9:17 am | by Michael Gruver, Lawyer, Kaye Scholer and Glenn Pogust, Partner, Kaye Scholer | Articles | CommentsCadmium is a chemical element with many possible industrial applications and one huge challenge: cadmium is highly toxic. Recently, the health risks associated with cadmium exposure has led to increased public attention.
Chrysler Adds 278,000 Trucks To Axle Recall
February 14, 2013 2:09 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChrysler said Thursday that it is recalling 278,000 pickup trucks and SUVs because their rear axles can lock up unexpectedly. The recall covers many Ram 1500 pickups from the 2009 through 2012 model years as well as Dodge Dakota pickups from 2009 through 2011. Also included are Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUVs from 2009.
Poland's Dreamliners Grounded Through October
February 14, 2013 2:07 pm | by Monika Scislowska, Associated Press | News | CommentsPolish airline LOT said Thursday it is keeping its Boeing 787 Dreamliners grounded through October while the U.S. company tries to solve a potential safety threat. The late date suggests some airlines are growing skeptical about the plane's chances of resuming flight soon.
Lexus, Porsche Top Dependability Rankings
February 13, 2013 12:45 pm | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsIf there's one thing you can count on, it's your car. Vehicles are more dependable than ever, says J.D. Power and Associates. The consulting company's latest study, which measures problems experienced in the last year by owners of 3-year-old vehicles, found that reported problems fell 5 percent to the lowest level since it collecting data in 1989.
U.N. Agency Moves To Kill Aircraft Battery Exemption
February 12, 2013 10:24 am | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsA U.N. agency that sets global aviation safety standards is moving to prevent aircraft batteries like the one that caught fire on a Boeing 787 last month from being shipped as cargo on passenger planes, people familiar with the effort said.
AL Plant Cited For Safety Violations
February 12, 2013 10:20 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFederal labor officials have cited a south Alabama manufacturing plant for 15 safety violations. Department of labor spokesman Michael D'Aquino says Tenax Manufacturing Alabama LLC has been cited for safety violations after an August 2012 inspection of its plant in Evergreen. The company manufactures construction netting and fencing products.
Boeing Warns That 787 Deliveries Could Slip
February 11, 2013 2:25 pm | by Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsBoeing acknowledged Friday that it may not be able to deliver 787s as fast as hoped. The company said it has told customers expecting the next 787 deliveries that those planes have either been delayed, or are at risk for a delay. Boeing is still building the long-range, fuel-efficient planes, and it reiterated that it has no plans to slow production.
Boeing Sends 787 On Test Flight From Seattle
February 11, 2013 10:12 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing sent a 787 up on a test flight Saturday, the first since the new airliner was grounded three weeks ago because of a battery fire. According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, the aircraft flew for 1,131 miles, slightly more than the 919 planned. The Federal Aviation Administration granted permission for test flights on Thursday.
OSHA Proposes $123K Fine For NY Manufacturer
February 11, 2013 10:10 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed $123,000 in fines for operators of an upstate New York plant that makes roof insulation panels. OSHA alleged Friday that Hunter Panels LLC committed 23 serious safety violations at its Kingston plant.
Six Things To Consider Before Implementing An EQMS
February 11, 2013 8:08 am | by Mike Roberts | Articles | CommentsWhat does quality management software do? From a 30,000 foot view, it helps companies ensure the production and delivery of high quality products and processes. More specifically, though, it streamlines, standardizes, and centralizes cross-functional data from across the value chain.
Worker Crushed To Death At WV Mine
February 8, 2013 3:15 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA West Virginia coal miner has been crushed to death under a piece of equipment at a Raleigh County coal mine, state and federal regulators said Friday. The victim's identity was not immediately released, but officials say it happened Thursday night at Pocahontas Coal Co.'s Affinity Mine.
Feds May Expand Pontiac Brake Light Recall
February 8, 2013 10:03 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsU.S. safety regulators are looking at expanding a small recall of Pontiac G6 midsize cars so it includes up to 550,000 vehicles. About 8,000 of the cars were recalled by General Motors in 2009 because the brake lights and cruise control didn't work properly.
Proper Data Security
February 8, 2013 8:08 am | by Dean Wiech, Managing Director at Tools4ever | Articles | CommentsIn today’s complex corporate and business network environments, controlling access to sensitive data is of utmost concern. The amount of security-related data stored across a network is immense for many organizations, and relating all this data to the user’s account information in Active Directory can be tricky and time consuming.
NTSB: 787 Battery Approval Should Be Reconsidered
February 7, 2013 12:18 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsA top federal safety official says the government should reconsider its approval of the kind of batteries used in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner because they can explode into fires, a specter that manufacturer testing did not pick up. NTSB Board Chairman Hersman says Boeing's safety testing of the batteries before they won approval from the FAA showed that a short-circuit in one of the battery's eight cells could be retained in that cell.
Dutchman Brings Glow To Night-Driving
February 6, 2013 4:41 pm | by ReutersVideo | Videos | Comments'Glowing lanes' on highways could spell the end of costly street lighting, according to a Dutch designer. Daan Roosengaarde's 'Smart Highway' involves photoluminescent paint markings on roads that are charged in sunlight and glow at night to denote lanes. Reuters' Jim Drury reports.
NTSB: Plane Batteries Not Necessarily Unsafe
February 6, 2013 2:02 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe use of lithium ion batteries to power aircraft systems isn't necessarily unsafe despite a battery fire in one Boeing 787 Dreamliner and smoke in another, but manufacturers need to build in reliable safeguards, the nation's top aviation safety investigator said Wednesday.
Japan 787 Probe Finds Thermal Runaway In Battery
February 5, 2013 1:37 pm | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsAn investigation into a lithium ion battery that overheated on a Boeing 787 flight in Japan last month found evidence of the same type of "thermal runaway" seen in a similar incident in Boston, officials said Tuesday. The Japan Transportation Safety Board said that CAT scans and other analysis found damage to all eight cells in the battery that overheated on the All Nippon Airways 787 on Jan. 16.
Boeing Asks Permission To Conduct 787 Test Flights
February 5, 2013 10:18 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFederal regulators say they are evaluating a Boeing request to conduct test flights of its 787 Dreamliners, which were grounded nearly three weeks ago after a battery fire in one plane and smoke in another. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the request, but officials declined to elaborate.
Mitsubishi Recalls Electric Cars For Brake Problem
February 5, 2013 10:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMitsubishi is recalling about 1,400 of its i-MiEV electric cars in the U.S. because a brake pump can fail. The automaker says the recall affects 2012 models made from Dec. 2, 2011 through Sept. 7, 2012. A defective vacuum pump can stop working. That can reduce braking power, increase stopping distances and raise the risk of a crash.
Air India Still Flying Troubled 787s
February 4, 2013 1:01 pm | by CBS News | Videos | CommentsAir India continued to fly some of its 787 Dreamliner jets after the United States and other countries grounded the fleet as the probe into the aircraft's battery problems continues. Travel editor Peter Greenberg speaks to the "CBS This Morning" co-hosts about why some 787s are still allowed to fly.
787 Grounded, But Batteries Can Fly
February 4, 2013 10:09 am | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsAt the same time the government certified Boeing's 787 Dreamliners as safe, federal rules barred the type of batteries used to power the airliner's electrical systems from being carried as cargo on passenger planes because of the fire risk. Now the situation is reversed.
