Safety Standards

The owner of an Allentown-area chemical plant that exploded last year and killed five people pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court yesterday to charges of violating federal safety standards. Irl "Chip" Ward Jr., 51, president of Concept Sciences Inc., surrendered to U.S. Magistrate Judge Arnold C. Rapoport in response to a 12-count indictment handed down last week. Following an eight-minute hearing, Ward's attorney, Norman Greenspan, read a prepared statement saying that Concept Sciences and Ward, who has a doctorate in chemistry, would "vigorously defend themselves against the allegations.

A federal inspection sparked by three unusual deaths this year at a state facility for the developmentally and physically disabled found that, despite improved conditions, the facility still fails to comply with health and safety standards. The New Lisbon Developmental Center has been given 60 days to apply for an appeal before it loses $37.6 million in federal Medicaid payments, nearly half of its $80 million budget, according to a letter sent Tuesday to the state by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The General Accounting Office has found that the Federal Aviation Administration needs to do a better job of inspecting foreign airlines flying in U.S. airspace. The GAO, the agency that provides oversight of government agencies for Congress, said last week that the FAA had taken steps recently to make sure the foreign airlines were meeting international safety standards, but had more work ahead of it. The FAA has the right to inspect aircraft from foreign countries under provisions of the 1944 Chicago Convention, the treaty establishing a framework for regulating safety and technical aspects of international civil aviation.

Monthly taxi inspections began at the Philadelphia International Airport yesterday in an effort to ensure that the vehicles meet safety standards. Robert Kirn (left) of the Public Utility Commission takes notes during his inspection of Kahmmone Boualaphan's cab. Taxis that violate regulations will get citations.

To Alan Janofsky, his new Chevrolet Astro minivan was a dream vehicle - with enough room to use in his wholesale cosmetics business and for his two daughters to spread out on trips. But the van frightened his wife, Barbara. "I have a feeling if we ever get hit broadside, it's going to flip over," she recalls warning as they drove it home from the dealership in November 1985. "It's your imagination," he said. Eight months later, Barbara Janofsky's fears came true.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame has asked for more talks with the Indiana agency that fined the school $77,500 for the October accident that killed a student filming football practice atop a hydraulic lift toppled by high winds. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the fine last month, saying the school ignored safety standards that could have prevented Declan Sullivan's death. Winds were gusting to 53 mph on Oct. 27 when the 20-year-old junior from Long Grove, Ill., went up in the lift.

The sales of pickup trucks and minivans have mushroomed in recent years. Pickups now account for nearly a fifth of all the vehicles sold in this country. Minivan sales nudged a half million in the first nine months of this year. The Ford Division of Ford Motor Co. will sell more trucks than cars in 1986, a first for a peacetime year. These vehicles are in their heyday because more and more people are using them as pleasure cars. The pickup now spends more time at the shopping center than it does at the feed store.

TOKYO - Japan's government admitted yesterday that its safeguards were insufficient to protect a nuclear plant against the earthquake and tsunami that crippled the facility and caused it to spew radiation, and it vowed to overhaul safety standards. The struggle to contain radiation at the Fukushima Daiichi complex has unfolded with near-constant missteps - the latest including three workers drenched with radioactive water despite wearing supposedly waterproof suits. The March 11 tsunami that slammed into Japan's northeast, wiping out towns and killing thousands of people, knocked out power and backup systems at the coastal nuclear power plant.

THE SEPT. 11 terrorist attacks laid bare long-known flaws in airport security and rendered them intolerable. President Bush opposes a complete federal takeover of airport security but, to see the security problems addressed, might sign legislation establishing such a takeover. That shouldn't be necessary. All Americans want better airline security. Airport screeners and their supervisors are routinely cited for failing to perform critical work according to procedures, training and the law. But so are government agencies.

GOTTA GETTA GUN Just in time to help with last-minute gift decisions, the January/February issue of Mother Jones magazine offers a handy chart comparing teddy bears and semi-automatic assault weapons. Among the differences: Federal safety standards cover teddy bears, including specifications as to sharp edges and points, small parts, hazardous materials and flammability. The domestic manufacture of guns is covered by no safety standards. The Toy Manufacturers Association has had a safety committee for 60 years.

TOKYO - Japan's nuclear safety chief said Wednesday the country's regulations are flawed, outdated and below global standards, and he apologized for their failure when a tsunami crippled one plant last year. Haruki Madarame admitted Japanese safety requirements such as for tsunami and power losses were too loose and many officials have looked the other way and tried to avoid changes. "I must admit that the nuclear safety guidelines that we have issued until now have various flaws," he said.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame has asked for more talks with the Indiana agency that fined the school $77,500 for the October accident that killed a student filming football practice atop a hydraulic lift toppled by high winds. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the fine last month, saying the school ignored safety standards that could have prevented Declan Sullivan's death. Winds were gusting to 53 mph on Oct. 27 when the 20-year-old junior from Long Grove, Ill., went up in the lift.

TOKYO - Japan's government admitted yesterday that its safeguards were insufficient to protect a nuclear plant against the earthquake and tsunami that crippled the facility and caused it to spew radiation, and it vowed to overhaul safety standards. The struggle to contain radiation at the Fukushima Daiichi complex has unfolded with near-constant missteps - the latest including three workers drenched with radioactive water despite wearing supposedly waterproof suits. The March 11 tsunami that slammed into Japan's northeast, wiping out towns and killing thousands of people, knocked out power and backup systems at the coastal nuclear power plant.

Lax testing of food quality in school cafeterias is giving troubling new meaning to the term "mystery meat. " Congress is making a welcome push for higher food-testing standards following reports from government investigators and newspapers that shone a light on glaring gaps in safety standards. That comes in the face of numerous challenges to improving the food-safety system in general, as millions of people are sickened and 5,000 die annually from food-borne illnesses. Tracking the source of food contamination remains a major concern, as well as the efficiency of enacting recalls.

Federal regulations for the type of aerial lift that toppled into a busy Center City intersection Monday say the machine should not be moved while the arm is extended and people are inside the basket. Police and witnesses say that's exactly what the lift operator did while performing a survey of the stone exterior of First Presbyterian Church. As he moved the machine from his perch 125 feet above the pavement, one of the lift's wheels rolled onto a sidewalk utility panel, which gave way under the weight.

Problems at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center surrounding the mistreatment of dozens of veterans with prostate cancer should have been exposed as far back as 2002 - when red flags first arose. But it took until mid-2008 to raise the alarm, at which point federal officials finally launched an investigation into claims that patients' radiation doses were inadequate or excessive, or that some implanted radiation seeds simply missed the mark. This is far from the minimum standard of care when it comes to battling this form of cancer through so-called brachytherapy.

Had they met current dam safety standards, at least eight of the 18 Burlington County dams that failed earlier this month should have been able to withstand rains heavier than the ones that broke them. It's unclear what seven others should have been able to withstand; they were unknown to state dam safety officials and therefore were unclassified - and unregulated. When the dams burst, they unleashed their lakes downstream, sending almost 800 residents running from inundated homes, wreaking more than $50 million in damage, and prompting the declaration of a federal disaster zone.

A renovated Smith Memorial Playground is a doable dream. But it's not as simple as ordering a new plastic slide and a few swings. The dream is to renovate the playground and playhouse in a cost-effective way that provides a safe, attractive, exceptional play spot, while remaining true to Smith's history and character. It's worth sharing some of the challenges that are being addressed so that this dream can be converted to reality. First, sitting on 6 1/2 acres, Smith is neither an ordinary nor a small playground.

Four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon asked NASCAR to improve its safety crews, joining a growing list of drivers unsatisfied with the current rescue efforts. Gordon became angry after Sunday's race in Watkins Glen, N.Y., when rescue workers were slow to get to him following his wreck near the finish line. Once the crew got onto the track, the ambulance drove toward his car instead of Gordon, who already was walking away. He angrily gestured for the crew to come get him. Then, the ride to the care center was in bumper-to-bumper fan traffic because there was no clear route for the ambulance to take.

If you are from Philadelphia but have never heard of the Smith Memorial Playgrounds and Playhouse in East Fairmount Park, chances are your parents have. Or your grandparents. Since 1899, the playground has been a gathering place of delight for the city's children. But now, playground officials have temporarily closed the 104-year-old playground area - most popular for its 95-year-old, 55-foot "giant slide. " The problem is old, damaged equipment and erosion problems around the site.