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AcuSafe News™ is an extension of the AcuSafe™ website (http://www.acusafe.com/), the Internet resource for safety and risk management information, products, training, and professional exchange. We hope you visit the website and find AcuSafe News™ and the AcuSafe site to be valuable tools.

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RMP UPDATE
Do You Know That Your Risk Management Plan's Executive Summary Is Published?

The RTK NET, a nonprofit environmental group, has published most of the RMP executive summaries on the Internet, in text format coupled with an easy to use search engine. The EPA has made the same sort of search more difficult by making a visitor first select a specific RMP before doing a search - for just that one site. Due to security concerns, this link has been deactivated pending an EPA report on status of RMP and the public.

HOT TOPICS
Trade-Offs Keep Air Travel From Being Fail-Proof

The tragic crash of the Alaska Airlines MD-80 in February has heightened the public's focus on airline maintenance and risk. A California newspaper recently published an article on this subject that may be of use for AcuSafe News readers. It is especially useful for relating some of the concepts of risk management to fellow employees or your supervisor in a way that is easier to grasp. AcuSafe has quoted portions of this article and provided a link to the full story.

HUMAN FACTORS FOCUS
California Ordinance Mandates Written Program for Human Factors

Refineries and chemical plants in Contra Costa County near San Francisco will be faced with developing detailed written plans for implementing Human Factors programs at their facilities in order to comply with a county ordinance. This ordinance could set a precedent at other local, state, or federal levels. We have reviewed the guidance being issued by the County Health Department. Read More on this emerging regulatory area and get a full copy of the guidance document. Is this a trend for the rest of the U.S.?

RESOURCES
Some Continuous Releases may be Reportable to the NRC

The EPA's interim guidance on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 101(10)(H) Federally Permitted Release Definition for Certain Air Emissions was published in the Federal Register Dec. 21, 1999. The guidance answers specific questions raised by industry groups. When a facility has a release that is not in compliance with its permit or control, the facility must comply with CERCLA section and EPCRA 304 notification requirements. Click here to read more and get a link to the full document.

CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD UPDATE
Chemical Safety Board gets Back on Track

The Chemical Safety Board appears to have put its internal turmoil behind it and is moving forward with a budget and strategic plan. Read a summary of recent events, highlights of the budget, and obtain links to some of the resource documents.

INCIDENT NEWS
Wharton's Risk Management Center Issues Accident Analysis from RMP Data

In what may be the first formal analysis of data submitted to the EPA under the RMP Rule, the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center has issued a report summarizing chemical accident data. The full report is available at AcuSafe. Click on this link to read more, get a summary, as well as a link to the report.

EVENTS UPDATE
ASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition

This conference for Safety and Health Professionals is coming June 25 - 28 2000 in beautiful Orlando, Florida. There will be networking opportunities with over 4,000 safety and health professionals. Some of the sessions are titled:

• Going Beyond "Pay Attention": Controlling Attention Attitude & Judgment for Injury Prevention
• CEO's, VPP, & the Bottom Line
• Moving to the Second Generation in Behavior-Based Safety
• Environmental Issues Affecting the Profession, Part I

Click on this link to find out more.

A free calendar detailing important conferences, events, meetings, and regulatory deadlines is available on AcuSafe. The calendar is updated regularly, so we suggest you bookmark it for future reference - http://www.acusafe.com/Calendar/index.html. Our readers are encouraged to contribute other events of interest.