Power sector carbon intensity lower than ever
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) recently released the 2018 Carnegie Mellon Power Sector Carbon Index at CMU Energy Week.
The latest data revealed the following findings: U.S. power plant emissions averaged 967 pounds of CO2 per megawatt hour (MWh) in 2017, down 3.1 percent from the prior year and 26.8 percent from the annual value of 1,321 pounds of CO2 per MWh in 2005.
"The power industry has made significant progress in reducing emissions for over a decade, as new technology, state and federal policies and market forces have increased power generation from natural gas and renewables and decreased power generation from coal," said Paul Browning, president and CEO of MHPS Americas.
For more information, visit http:// engineering.cmu.edu or call (412) 268-2483.
Second annual Safe + Sound Week to be held in August
The second annual Safe + Sound Week will be held Aug. 13-19. The event is a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the value of workplace safety and health programs, which can help employers and workers identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause an injury or illness, improving a company's financial bottom line.
Throughout the week, organizations are encouraged to host events and activities that showcase the core elements of an effective safety and health program, including management leadership, worker participation, and finding and fixing workplace hazards.
For more information, visit www. osha.gov/safeandsound.
DOE, NAM form sustainability partnership
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) recently created the Sustainability in Manufacturing partnership. Through this partnership fostered by DOE's Better Plants program, DOE and NAM will work together to help U.S. manufacturers drive energy productivity improvements and accelerate adoption of energy-efficient technologies.
The partnership will provide DOE and NAM with the opportunity to engage directly with manufacturers, identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements, and serve as a platform to recognize companies and leaders that have led the way in the application of innovative strategies.
"Manufacturers accept the responsibility to better the future of our communities, our environment and our children, which is why over the past decade, we have reduced emissions by 10 percent even as our value to the economy has increased 19 percent," said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.
For more information, visit www. energy.gov or www.nam.org.
BSEE proposes to update regulations for safety improvement
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is proposing to update regulations covering offshore oil and gas drilling operations to improve reliability, safety, efficiency and environmental stewardship, and reduce unnecessary burdens on operators.
BSEE carefully analyzed all 342 provisions of the 2016 Well Control Final Rule and determined 59 were appropriate for proposed updating and revision.
BSEE compared each of the proposed changes to the 424 recommendations arising from reports from 14 different organizations developed in the wake of -- and in response to -- the Deepwater Horizon incident. Nothing in this proposed rule would alter any elements of other rules promulgated since Deepwater Horizon, including the Drilling Safety Rule (2010), SEMS I (2010) and SEMS II (2013).
The proposed revisions would amend the testing protocol for blowout preventers, modify capability requirements for remotely operated vehicles, remove duplicative verification requirements and codify recent revisions to industry standards.
For more information, visit www. bsee.gov or call (202) 208-6184.
High blood pressure, cholesterol associated with noisy jobs
High blood pressure and high cholesterol are more common among workers exposed to loud noise at work, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study recently published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
Researchers at CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also found one-quarter of U.S. workers -- an estimated 41 million people -- reported a history of noise exposure at work.
"Reducing workplace noise levels is critical not just for hearing loss prevention -- it may also impact blood pressure and cholesterol," said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. "Worksite health and wellness programs that include screenings for high blood pressure and cholesterol should also target noise-exposed workers."
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh or call (800) CDC-INFO [232-4636].