Safety

U.N. Agency Moves To Kill Aircraft Battery Exemption

February 12, 2013 10:24 am | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | Comments

A 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 | Comments

Federal 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 | Comments

Boeing 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 | Comments

Boeing 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 | Comments

The 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 | Comments

What 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 | Comments

A 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 | Comments

U.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 | Comments

In 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 | Comments

A 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 | Comments

The 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 | Comments

An 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 | Comments

Federal 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 | Comments

Mitsubishi 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 | Comments

Air 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 | Comments

At 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.

Owners Of Bangladesh Factory Where 7 Died Arrested

February 1, 2013 10:29 am | by Julhas Alam, Associated Press | News | Comments

Two owners of a Bangladesh garment factory where seven workers were killed in a weekend fire were arrested Thursday as police investigated allegations of murder and negligence. Police were questioning Smart Export Garment Ltd. Chairman Sharif Ahmed and Managing Director Zakir Ahmed after a court placed them on a two-day remand.

ANA To Seek Damages From Boeing For 787 Woes

January 31, 2013 2:03 pm | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

Japan's All Nippon Airways is prepared to recoup from Boeing whatever damages it suffers from flight cancellations and other costs caused by the worldwide grounding of 787 jets, a senior executive said Thursday. All Nippon Airways Co. Chief Financial Officer Kiyoshi Tonomoto said the airline was focused on investigating the cause of the 787 battery problems, and it was not yet in damage negotiations with Boeing Co.

Where GM 'Beats The Heck' Out Of Cars

January 30, 2013 4:10 pm | by AssociatedPress | Videos | Comments

Before a brand new General Motors car or truck goes to a dealer, the company has to "beat the heck out of a vehicle before the customer can" on a proving ground, where vehicles are smashed, weathered, and driven to the extreme, says James Bell, V.P. of GM Consumer Affairs.

Boeing Focuses On 787 Fix; 4Q Profit Tops Estimate

January 30, 2013 1:42 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Boeing Co. said Wednesday that its top priority this year is fixing the battery problems that grounded its 787. The company made the pledge while reporting a fourth-quarter profit that topped Wall Street estimates, as rising profits from commercial jets offset a smaller profit from defense work.

Toyota Recalls 1.29M Vehicles For Air Bags, Wipers

January 30, 2013 10:25 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

Toyota is recalling 907,000 vehicles, mostly Corolla models, around the world for faulty air bags and another 385,000 Lexus IS luxury cars for defective wipers. Initially, the Japanese automaker had said there were no accidents related to either problem. In total, it received 46 reports of problems involving the air bags from North America, and one from Japan, and 25 reports of problems related to the windshield wipers.

U.S. Investigators Ask Boeing For Battery History

January 30, 2013 10:21 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, Joan Lowy, AP Business Writers | News | Comments

U.S. investigators said Wednesday they asked Boeing Co. to provide a full operating history of lithium-ion batteries used in its grounded 787 Dreamliners after Japan's All Nippon Airways revealed it had repeatedly replaced the batteries even before overheating problems surfaced.

Bangladesh Probing If Factory's Exit Was Locked

January 28, 2013 10:21 am | by Farid Hossain, Associated Press | News | Comments

Bangladesh's government is investigating allegations that the sole emergency exit was locked at a garment factory where a fire killed seven women. The fire Saturday at the Smart Export Garment Ltd. factory occurred just two months after a blaze killed 112 workers in another factory, raising questions about safety in Bangladesh's garment industry, which exports clothes to leading Western retailers.

Boeing 787 Probe Shifts To Monitoring System Maker

January 28, 2013 10:15 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

The joint U.S. and Japanese investigation into the Boeing 787's battery problems has shifted from the battery-maker to the manufacturer of a monitoring system. Japan transport ministry official Shigeru Takano said Monday the probe into battery-maker GS Yuasa was over for now as no evidence was found it was the source of the problems.