Safety
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
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.
MI Worker Killed At Nissan's TN Plant
April 26, 2013 10:22 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNissan Motor Co. officials say an employee of a supplier died in a fatal accident at its vehicle assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn. The employee of Lake Orion, Mich.-based Complete Automation was killed Thursday in the factory's paint plant. Bob Light, a spokesman for Complete Automation, said the employee was killed when a large electrical panel fell while it was being moved.
Japan To Allow Airlines To Resume 787 Flights
April 26, 2013 10:17 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapan's transport minister said Friday the government is poised to allow Japanese airlines to resume flying grounded Boeing 787s once they complete installation of systems to reduce fire risk in problematic lithium ion batteries. The approval could come as early as Friday evening following an expected formal safety order from the U.S. federal regulators, Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta said.
OSHA: OH Plant 'Could Have Prevented' Worker Death
April 25, 2013 2:09 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal agency has cited an Ohio aluminum plant with eight safety violations following the death of a worker who was crushed by a hot metal rack stacked with heavy aluminum. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, said Thursday that Extrudex Aluminum acted with knowing disregard or plain indifference to hazards at the company's plant in North Jackson in northeastern Ohio.
Mitsubishi Motors IDs Cause Of Battery Problem
April 24, 2013 1:58 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMitsubishi Motors Corp. said Wednesday it has identified the cause of a battery malfunction of its Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and will take recall procedures as soon as the effectiveness of preventive measures is confirmed.
TX Plant Blast Loss Likely Exceeds $100M
April 24, 2013 1:56 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAn insurance industry trade group estimates losses from a deadly fertilizer plant explosion in a tiny Texas town will likely exceed $100 million. Insurance Council of Texas spokesman Mark Hanna said Wednesday that insured losses after the explosion in West, Texas, included dozens of damaged homes, businesses and cars — as well as the costs of resettling displaced residents.
Poland's Boeing 787s To Resume Flight In June
April 23, 2013 2:13 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPolish national airline LOT said Tuesday its Boeing 787s, which had been grounded for months due to battery problems, will resume flying in June and that it will seek compensation from the U.S. plane maker. The world's total fleet of 50 Boeing 787s has been grounded since Jan. 16.
NTSB Probes Safety Testing Of Boeing 787 Batteries
April 23, 2013 10:28 am | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsAs airlines prepare to resume flying Boeing's beleaguered 787 Dreamliners, federal investigators looked Tuesday at how regulators and the company tested and approved the plane's cutting-edge battery system, and whether the government cedes too much safety-testing authority to aircraft makers.
Investors Who Stood By Boeing Reap Reward
April 22, 2013 2:17 pm | by Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsInvestors who stood by Boeing during its 787 crisis have been rewarded. Some investors bailed out, spooked by the latest snag with a plane considered to be a key to Boeing's future. Others were confident that Boeing Co. would quickly fix the battery problem and raved about its long-term prospects.
Haliburton Seeking Settlement Over Gulf Oil Spill
April 22, 2013 2:12 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsBP's cement contractor on the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 announced Monday that it is trying to negotiate a settlement over its role in the disaster, a focus of trial testimony that ended last week. Halliburton Chief Financial Officer Mark McCollum said during a conference call to discuss first-quarter earnings that talks were at an "advanced stage."
FAA Approves Resumption Of Boeing 787 Flights
April 22, 2013 10:13 am | by Joan Lowy, Joshua Freed, Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing's beleaguered 787 could be flying again within a week after federal officials approved a fix for its batteries, even though the root cause of a fire on one plane and smoke on another still isn't known. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it would send airlines instructions and publish a notice next week lifting the 3-month-old grounding order that day.
Safety Rules Limited For Small Fertilizer Plants
April 22, 2013 10:11 am | by Jack Gillum, Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | CommentsThere were no sprinklers. No firewalls. No water deluge systems. Safety inspections were rare at the fertilizer company in West, Texas, that exploded and killed at least 14 people this week. This is not unusual. Small fertilizer plants nationwide fall under the purview of several government agencies, each with a specific concern and none required to coordinate with others on what they have found.
Five Common Chemical Irritants In The Workplace
April 22, 2013 8:00 am | by Grady Winston, Blogger & Entrepeneur | Blogs | CommentsIndustrial work environments requiring physical labor pose a variety of risk. Injuries can occur from lifting, straining or moving, but also from contact with irritants and chemicals in the warehouse or distribution center. The safety and security of employees should be the number one priority of any business.
Federal Inspectors At Scene Of Texas Blast
April 19, 2013 4:03 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA dozen investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board are inspecting the site of this week's fertilizer plant explosion in the Central Texas town of West. A spokeswoman for the federal agency that's charged with investigating chemical accidents says the group arrived in the small farming town on Thursday and was "inspecting the areas of impact" midday Friday.
Nissan Recalls SUVs To Fix Brake Problem
April 19, 2013 4:03 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNissan is recalling more than 19,000 Nissan and Infiniti SUVs because a brake part can fail and make it harder for the driver to stop the car. The recall affects Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti JX SUVs from the 2013 model year. The automaker says an iron brake caliper part wasn't made properly and can crack or fail.
Overhead Lifeline Systems
April 19, 2013 3:36 pm | by Kee Safety, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsThe KeeLine® Overhead Lifeline Systems can provide fall protection and support for one or two workers at elevated heights during construction and maintenance.
'SWAT Robots' Soon To Protect First Responders
April 19, 2013 10:18 am | by Clarke Canfield, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Maine company that's developed high-tech tanks for the military and Hollywood has a new contraption — a ballistic police shield that sits atop a miniature, remote-controlled tank-like vehicle made to protect first responders. Brothers Mike and Geoff Howe said the "SWAT robot" keeps SWAT teams and other first responders safe.
OSHA Last Inspected TX Fertilizer Plant In 1985
April 19, 2013 10:15 am | by Sam Hananel, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration most recently inspected the Texas fertilizer plant that exploded Wednesday night in 1985. Records reviewed by The Associated Press show that OSHA issued the West Chemical & Fertilizer Co., as the plant was called at the time, a $30 fine for a serious violation for storage of anhydrous ammonia.
