Department of Energy Cites Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC for Worker Safety and Health Violations

Department of Energy Cites Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC for Worker Safety and Health Violations | Department of Energy Skip to main content Energy.gov Find information about your town or city. Search form Search Energy.gov Public ServicesTax Credits, Rebates & SavingsHomesVehiclesBuilding DesignManufacturingNational Security & SafetyEnergy EconomyFunding OpportunitiesState & Local GovernmentScience & InnovationScience & TechnologyScience EducationInnovationEnergy SourcesEnergy UsageEnergy EfficiencyMissionNews & BlogMaps & DataAbout UsFor Staff & ContractorsOfficesAll OfficesProgram OfficesStaff OfficesLabs & Technology CentersField SitesPower Marketing AdministrationOther Agencies You are hereHome » Department of Energy Cites Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC for Worker Safety and Health Violations Department of Energy Cites Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC for Worker Safety and Health Violations November 9, 2012 - 5:50pm Addthis News Media Contact(202) 586-4940

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a Preliminary Notice of Violation (PNOV) to Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC (SRNS) for violations of the Department’s worker safety and health regulations.  The violations are associated with a July 1, 2011, incident that occurred while a worker was using a Tele-Tower® scaffold to perform facility modifications in the Purification Area Vault of Building 105-K in the K-Area Complex at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The SRNS worker fell from the scaffold and was hospitalized with injuries to his head and torso. 

The PNOV cites four violations of Energy Department worker safety and health regulations in the areas of: (1) identification, assessment, prevention, and abatement of hazards; (2) scaffold safety; (3) training and information; and (4) occupational medicine.  SRNS is cited for failure to comply with 10 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 851, Worker Safety and Health Program.  The Department has grouped and categorized the deficiencies as two Severity Level I violations and two Severity Level II violations.   

In response to the event, SRNS temporarily suspended all work on mobile scaffolds at SRS while the appropriate investigations and assessments were completed.  SRNS has implemented comprehensive corrective actions that address most aspects of the violations in the PNOV, including revising company procedures to ensure proper assembly and use of scaffolds and improving worker training.  In light of the promptness and extent of SRNS’ response to the event and consistent with the factors established in Appendix B to 10 C.F.R. Part 851, General Statement of Enforcement Policy, the Energy Department elected to grant partial mitigation of the base civil penalty of $225,000.  As a result, the Department is proposing an adjusted civil penalty of $159,375.

The Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 authorizes the Department of Energy to take regulatory actions under 10 C.F.R. Part 851, against contractors for violations of its worker safety and health requirements.  The Energy Department’s Enforcement Program encourages contractors to identify and correct worker safety and health deficiencies at an early stage, before they contribute to or result in more serious events. 

Additional details on this and other enforcement actions are available at www.hss.doe.gov/enforce.

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Department of Energy Cites Bechtel National, Inc. for Worker Safety and Health Violations

Department of Energy Cites Bechtel National, Inc. for Worker Safety and Health Violations | Department of Energy Skip to main content Energy.gov Find information about your town or city. Search form Search Energy.gov Public ServicesTax Credits, Rebates & SavingsHomesVehiclesBuilding DesignManufacturingNational Security & SafetyEnergy EconomyFunding OpportunitiesState & Local GovernmentScience & InnovationScience & TechnologyScience EducationInnovationEnergy SourcesEnergy UsageEnergy EfficiencyMissionNews & BlogMaps & DataAbout UsFor Staff & ContractorsOfficesAll OfficesProgram OfficesStaff OfficesLabs & Technology CentersField SitesPower Marketing AdministrationOther Agencies You are hereHome Department of Energy Cites Bechtel National, Inc. for Worker Safety and Health Violations May 31, 2012 - 2:28pm Addthis News Media Contact(202) 586-4940

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a Preliminary Notice of Violation (PNOV) to Bechtel National, Incorporated (BNI) for two material handling incidents that occurred on July 16, 2010, and March 16, 2011, at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Project.  The PNOV cites three violations of the Department’s worker safety and health regulations.  The Department has proposed a $150,000 civil penalty.

In the first material handling incident on July 16, 2010, a millwright sustained a severe foot injury.  The second incident, on March 16, 2011, involved improper rigging of equipment needed to lift and move a panel of formwork that weighed over 5,000 pounds. 

The PNOV cites two Severity Level I violations and one Severity Level II violation of 10 C.F.R. Part 851, Worker Safety and Health Program, which governs worker safety and health within DOE.  A Severity Level I violation is one that could result in the death or serious injury of a worker.  A Severity Level II violation is one that is less serious but could threaten worker health and safety.  The violations in the PNOV were in the areas of hazard identification, hazard prevention and abatement, procedural compliance, and employee training and information. 

Since these two incidents, BNI has modified its work planning practices, employee and supervisor safety training, and management oversight of field activities in order to better perform its work activities in the dynamically changing construction environment at WTP.  The Energy Department granted partial mitigation of the proposed civil penalty based on these corrective actions.

The Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 authorizes the Department to take enforcement actions when contractors violate worker safety and health requirements.  The Department’s Enforcement Program encourages contractors to identify and correct worker safety and health deficiencies at an early stage, before they lead to more serious events.

Additional details on this and other enforcement actions are available on the Office of Enforcement and Oversight website at www.hss.doe.gov/enforce.

Addthis Related Articles DOE Cites Bechtel National Incorporated for Price-Anderson Violations DOE Cites Bechtel National Inc. for Price-Anderson Violations DOE Cites Bechtel National Incorporated for Price-Anderson Violations What We Do For You Energy EconomyEnergy Economy InnovationInnovation Nuclear Security & SafetyNuclear Security & Safety Energy.gov Careers & InternshipsContact UsEmail Updates Popular Topics SavingsHeating & CoolingIndustrial Heating & CoolingSolarHome WeatherizationAppliances & ElectronicsAbout this siteWeb PoliciesPrivacyNo Fear ActInformation QualityOpen GovEnergy DepartmentBudget & PerformanceDirectives, Delegations & RequirementsFOIAInspector GeneralPrivacy ProgramSmall BusinessFederal GovernmentThe White HouseUSA.gov

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Carbon NanoTubes Implanted for Brain Computer Interfaces - Human Biosystem Health and Safety

The other day, I was talking to a neuroscientist from another country. We were discussing the potential for computational devices to achieve workable computer brain interfaces. One of the concepts I had come up with previously, and had written an article on was the placement of small carbon-nanotube devices to be used as nodes and motes to help in the future communication process of thought swapping. My acquaintance was worried that these carbon-nanotubes implanted in the brain could cause cancerous tumors, and he was worried about medical issues along that line of thinking.

Yes, the issue with carbon nano-tubes could be a problem but perhaps for another reason, when carbon molecules of this type come into contact with blood, it slowly dissolves them. This should not surprise us, as humans are made of carbon of course, amongst other things like water. We could coat these molecules or add various atoms making them totally inert and thus not have to deal with it.

One challenge might be in adding energy to these micro-molecular structures, as it is very important not to fry or destroy the organic coatings on the neurons or fatty coatings on the axons. That should concern us as we press forward.

Also using very minutely focused energy we may be able to cause the brain to protect itself increasing those coating layers, thus holding energy from escaping, which would make our nano-devices used as motes and nodes work harder to read the sequence firing as a thought comes through, but strengthen the brain and make it more energy efficient. If the carbon-nanotubes do not interact with the fatty coatings or brain cells, and the brain doesn't go in there to attack them, which is also a problem, because the brain "will" protect itself, it's extremely good at that - then we should be okay.

The brain is somewhat sensitive and must be protected as we know from concussion, shock, and yes, cell phones running on microwave frequencies. For instance, we note that some religious folks bow and pray many times per day, each time they are rocking back and forth their brains hit the inside of their skull sending a shock wave back and forth, that works good for cross brain memory imprintation, but they are also damaging their brains while they do this. Those who seem the most devout may actually pray more and thus, have the worst cases of brain damage, perhaps even red marks or bleed through on their foreheads, much worse than anything a cell phone could ever do to the brain up close like that at let's say 3-5 watts, luckily the cell phones are less than that now.

Anyway, back to my point above, if these carbon based pieces were coated properly, and very small finding their way into their proper position as a 3D grid format, they could be very low-power and work in a similar way, each individual would first need to have their brain mapped, so that the system would know the types of thoughts it is reading.

Perhaps, I should be more concerned with the damage to the human brain while testing future prototypes, however, with 7 billion people on the planet, I'm just not all that worried about it, especially if we can test to see that no damage is being done, and simply recall those little devices from the brain if things are not working out. I have no problem experimenting on live humans, chimpanzees, or anything else, not concerned in the least, because we can end such experiments immediately and retrieve the devices if need be. The benefits for all mankind would be astronomical, give unlimited brain life spans, etc.

Okay so, back to the issue of carbon molecules in the brain and the need for oxygenation, well we could use these devices to help the brain better deliver oxygen to the brain as well perhaps, offsetting these molecules trying to rob oxygen from the brain. In any case, if you have had similar thoughts along this line of thinking, and would like to join the discussion, then please shoot me an e-mail at your earliest convenience and please consider all this, and think on it. What are your thoughts?

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 24,300 articles will be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..

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EU sets sights on treaty change, new safety net - Reuters

* EU leaders agree on treaty change, permanent safety net * Treaty change moves are a success for Germany

* Trichet raises concerns, long battle ahead to implement

(Adds Sarkozy, details)

By Ilona Wissenbach and Timothy Heritage

BRUSSELS, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The European Union on Friday set in motion plans to amend the EU's main treaty to create a permanent system to fight financial crises, and said a summit deal on new budget rules would strengthen the euro.

The moves, intended to head off any sovereign debt problems, face a long and potentially divisive battle before they take effect and EU sources said the head of the European Central Bank had expressed reservations about some of the proposals.

But the agreement on limited treaty change at a two-day summit in Brussels, and the endorsement of tougher budget rules [ID:nLDE69I1FB], was a victory for Germany's push for greater financial stringency following Greece's debt crisis.

"We are doing everything to ensure that there will never be a repeat of the crisis we have had," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. "One can already say that the euro will be strengthened."

She won guarded praise in the German media for a compromise that bought time to find a lasting remedy to the bloc's debt problems, offering her some respite from criticism that she had bowed too easily to French demands to water down proposals for semi-automatic sanctions on budget rule-breakers.

Any failure to reach a deal and any sign that the EU was backtracking on efforts to tighten fiscal discipline could have unsettled investors already worried by debt problems in countries such as Portugal, Greece and Ireland. [ID:nLDE69R0V7]

Leaders of the 27 EU states committed the bloc to treaty changes to create a permanent mechanism that will replace a 440-billion euro ($611 billion) emergency safety net for indebted euro zone countries when it expires in mid-2013.

Herman van Rompuy, the president of the EU Council grouping national governments, will draw up proposals to amend the Lisbon treaty in cooperation with the executive European Commission and the leaders hope to agree on the changes in December.

"The European Council has sealed a solid pact to strengthen the euro. That's one of the most important decisions that we have taken in the last months," Van Rompuy told reporters.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For analysis on mechanics of treaty change, see [ID:nLDE69Q0H2] For more on how treaty change may work, see [ID:nLDE69S0GV] For a link to all treaty change stories click [ID:nLDE69R14T] For an interactive timeline on the euro zone crisis, click on link.reuters.com/kar27p

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*We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.

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Rand Paul Attacked on Mine Safety, &apos;Aqua Buddha&apos; - The Washington Independent

Last night the Kentucky Senate race between Attorney General Jack Conway (D) and ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) took a turn to serious issues, like the worship of “Aqua Buddha.” While the GQ article linking Paul to a secret society at Baylor University that mocked Christianity has been out in the open for quite some time, Paul professed outrage during last night’s debate at Conway’s decision to make it a campaign issue by releasing a new TV ad based on Paul’s college years and meant to throw doubt on his faith:

“Jack, have you no decency? Have you no shame?” Paul asked Conway during the fourth of five scheduled debates between Kentucky’s U.S. Senate candidates.

Paul said Conway’s actions were “a disgrace” that should disqualify Conway from the heated contest Kentuckians will decide Nov. 2.

The debate was full of barbed exchanges such as these, but Conway held his ground and continued to ask Paul why he would voluntarily join a group like the one he participated in at Baylor. Paul refused to answer and declined to shake Conway’s hand at the end of the debate.

On a related note, there’s a new PAC with a tongue-in-cheek name, Americans for America — tagline: “If you’re not with us… You must Hate America” — that’s attempting to run its own radio commercials against Paul that tie the candidate’s laissez-faire attitude towards mine safety to the recent near-disaster in Chile. It’s a bit of a stretch, but it leaps on Paul’s previous comment that “accidents happen” in a bid to galvanize the state’s sizable coal worker population to take a long look at Paul’s stance on workplace safety regulations.

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