Press Release – FAA Proposes $140,000 Civil Penalty Against K-Mart

Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:54 am (PST)

Press Release – FAA Proposes $140,000 Civil Penalty Against K-Mart,Inc.

For Immediate Release November 19, 2010 Contact: Kathleen BergenPhone: 404-305-5100WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a$140,000 civil penalty against K-Mart, Inc., of Royal Oak, Mich., forallegedly violating Department of Transportation hazardous materials regulations.The FAA alleges K-Mart offered two packages to UPS for transportation by air from Caguas, Puerto Rico to its returned goods center in McDonough,Ga.

The first shipment, Sept. 21, 2009, contained 15 three-ounce containers of nail color, which is classified as paint, a flammable liquid. The second shipment, Oct. 26, 2009, contained 18 five-ounce containers of aerosol sun block, a flammable gas. Neither shipment was declared to contain hazardous materials.

K-Mart allegedly offered the shipments for transportation by air when they were not packaged, marked, classed, described, labeled or in condition for shipment as required by regulations. UPS employees at the Louisville sort center discovered both packages leaking. K-Mart, Inc., has 30 days from receipt of the FAA's civil penalty letter to respond to the agency.

USFA Releases Thanksgiving Day Fires in Residential Buildings Report

Nov 12, 2010

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report recently examining the characteristics of Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings. The report, Thanksgiving Day Fires in Residential Buildings, was developed by USFA's National Fire Data Center.

The report is part of the Topical Fire Report Series and is based on 2006 to 2008 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). According to the report, an estimated 2,000 Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of five deaths, 25 injuries, and $21 million in property loss.

The leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings is, by far, cooking. In addition, these fires occur most frequently in the afternoon hours from noon to 4 p.m. Smaller, confined fires account for 71 percent and larger, nonconfined fires account for 29 percent of Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings. Finally, smoke alarms were not present in 20 percent of nonconfined Thanksgiving Day fires that occurred in occupied residential buildings.

The topical reports are designed to explore facets of the U.S. fire problem as depicted through data collected in NFIRS. Each topical report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. Also included are recent examples of fire incidents that demonstrate some of the issues addressed in the report or that put the report topic in context.


To view the report, click here

From ohsonline.com

"position entails work of considerable difficulty"

If you want brevity in your position descriptions for any of our EHS related classifications, you might consider this recent offering from the city of West Allis.

Thanks to Bob Grieshaber for the submission.