OSHA announces top 10 violations of 2010

WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) used the National Safety Council's 2010 Congress and Expo to announce the top 10 violations of 2010, according to a press release.

Thomas Galassi, OSHA's directorate of enforcement programs, made the announcement with Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of OSHA, the release stated.

The list was little changed from 2009, with a couple of violations switching places, the release noted.

According to the release, the top five violations were:

1. Scaffolding
2. Fall protection
3. Hazard communication
4. Respiratory protection
5. Ladders

To see the complete list of violations, click here.

Click here to read the complete release.

Pasadena Convention Center awarded LEED Gold

PASADENA, CA — Because of its commitment to sustainability, the expanded Pasadena Convention Center has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, making it one of only three U.S. convention centers to earn the prestigious Gold designation, according to a press release.

"We are proud to be one of the greenest convention centers in North America," said Pasadena Center Operating Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Ross.

"It is enticing to our clients, knowing they are hosting events in a facility that is actively protecting our precious resources," Ross added.

The Pasadena Convention Center achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies, the release stated.

According to the release, by using less energy and water, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

Click here to read the complete release.

Criminals were working in Nashville schools

NASHVILLE — Metro Nashville Public Schools is pledging to take a hard look at its personnel policies after a routine background check of custodians found 56 with criminal records serious enough to bar them from working in a school, according to the Tennessean.

The district recently outsourced its janitorial work, and the new company, Ohio-based GCA, required district workers to be fingerprinted and undergo background checks before they could reapply for their old jobs: For many longtime employees, it was the first time anyone had checked to see whether they had a criminal record, the article stated.

According to the article, there were three incidents of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury and eight cases of aggravated assault with a razor or pistol, as well as cases of domestic assault, drug possession, robbery, forgery, driving under the influence, sexual battery, indecent exposure and patronizing a prostitute.

In the end, 56 members, or 9.3 percent, of the district's 600-person custodial staff could not be rehired because they flunked the background check, the article noted.

"This was disturbing, to see those results," said district spokeswoman Meredith Libbey. "We are discussing some options."

Click here to read the complete article.

Nuclear facility goes green with LEED Gold

AIKEN, SC — Shaw AREVA MOX Services was recently awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Gold level for its Administration Building, according to Your Nuclear News.

The MOX Administration Building, which houses business operations and support personnel for the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) plutonium disposition program, received 40 out of a possible 43 points in the LEED process, the story stated.

The Administration Building is the first structure at the Savannah River Site to be LEED Gold-certified and the first of three MOX project buildings to pursue LEED certification at the Gold level, the story noted.

NNSA Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Ken Baker said: "Achieving LEED certification on this facility highlights our commitment to transforming a Cold War-era nuclear weapons complex into a 21st Century nuclear security enterprise."

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system that provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance in energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction and other critical areas, the story added.

Click here to read the complete article.

Window washer alive after four-story plunge

NEW YORK — A worker from Domino Window Cleaning is in the hospital after falling four stories from a building and landing on his head while cleaning the windows, according to the Daily News.

Igor Vnuk, who fell around 3:45 p.m. Friday after losing his balance, was not wearing a safety harness, the story stated.

Co-workers rushed to Vnuk's aid before emergency workers arrived at the scene and transported the injured window washer to Bellevue Hospital, the story noted.

It is unclear whether or not Vnuk violated any work codes by failing to don a safety harness, but the New York City Department of Investigations said they were looking into the fall for more answers, the story added.

Click here to read the complete article.

Restaurant high chairs harbor more bacteria than the average toilet seat

LONDON — Baby high chairs found in restaurants have been found to harbor more bacteria than the average public toilet seat, according to the Daily Mail.

Teams took swabs from high chairs in 30 different restaurants and found that, on average, the number of bacteria on a high chair — including some that can lead to serious illness — was 147 per square centimeter, the article stated.

By comparison, the average public toilet seat has just eight per square centimeter, the article noted.

"The test results varied considerably and while some of the high chairs were relatively clean, others had concentrations of bacteria as high as 1,200 bacteria per square centimeter, which is worrying," said Dr Nicholas Moon director of technical affairs at Microban, makers of antibacterial products, which conducted the research across a variety of restaurants.

"This is of concern because a child's immune system tends to be far less robust than an adult's and children tend to touch things and put their hands in their mouth a lot — so they easily infect themselves with any germs they encounter," Moon added.

Click here to read the complete article.

JCPenney achieves LEED distinctions for green building design

PLANO, TX — JCPenney Company Inc. has been awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its home office campus, according to a press release.

The 1.9 million square-foot building serves as a workplace for more than 5,500 associates and is the third largest campus facility in the nation to receive this designation, the release stated.

Adding to this distinction, JCPenney recently received a LEED for New Construction Silver certification for the JCPenney store in Fairview, TX and a LEED for Existing Buildings Silver certification for the JCPenney supply chain facility in Reno, NV, the release noted.

"JCPenney's LEED certifications demonstrate tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive officer (CEO) and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council.

"JCPenney makes a conscious effort to efficiently use natural resources in order to bring an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will benefit future generations to come," Fedrizzi added.

Click here to read the complete release.