November 2003
Features
By John B. Vincent, Q.S.S.P.
HOW should you go about establishing or revising a respiratory protection program for a small or medium-size business? Many managers and newly appointed safety administrators who call us looking for advice seem overwhelmed at the prospect of wading through reams of government documents and possibly misinterpreting the regulations or selecting the wrong equipment.
By Fred Elliott
EACH year, thousands of people in the United States are blinded from work-related eye injuries that proper use of eye and face protection could prevent, OSHA says.
By Dr. Terrell Perry
MANY companies are feeling the pressure to employ technology-based training solutions instead of continuing their reliance on traditional classroom training. Some even have taken the plunge with pilot projects, producing both favorable and unfavorable results.
By Jane F. Barrett
ON Dec. 11, 2002, four defendants, Ronald Brentson, Frank Hopf, Jr., Equilon Pipeline Company, LLC, and Olympic Pipeline Company pleaded guilty in federal court to committing a federal crime--the failure to keep records documenting that employees of the companies received training required by regulations promulgated pursuant to the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act (HLPSA).
By Jay A. Parker, CIH, Brian Shockley, QSSP
RESPIRATOR Assigned Protection Factors (APFs) represent a critical aspect of respirator performance and are an essential part of any respiratory protection program. APFs are used to determine the Maximum Use Concentrations (MUC) for each type of respirator.
By Chad Reynolds
AN estimated 58 people lose their life each week as a result of electric shock. In an electrical system, the grounding system is the primary protection against electrical shock hazards. It provides a low-resistance pathway to ground to protect against electrical faults.
By Bob Henderson
OXYGEN deficiencies, explosive atmospheres, and exposure to toxic gases and vapors injure or kill hundreds of workers every year during confined space entry procedures.
By Kathleen Merrick
IT'S every facility manager's worst nightmare: plant failures, workers injured on the job, or a pending lawsuit over facility safety. Do you have an organized and accurate documentation process to prove you have taken the appropriate preventive measures for safety compliance and equipment maintenance?
By Peter J. Ebersold, Trista A. Budd
A variety of field instrumentation is in wide use today by environmental engineers and consultants. Questions often arise regarding the theory of operation of various types of instruments and what is the proper or "best" application at a particular field site.
By David Lamensdorf
BEEP Beep Beep . . . beep beep beep. These are often the sounds first responders hear from their radios as they try and communicate with one another during an emergency. In most cases, these personnel are in high-risk situations, surrounded by smoke and fire, hordes of people, or the risk of chemical or biological exposure.
Departments
By Valerie Weadock
YOU'RE working late one night when you hear a co-worker fall to the floor in an office nearby. You run down the hall, only to find him lying slumped on the floor and unresponsive. Without help, your co-worker has only minutes to live and the clock is already ticking.
By Jerry Laws
TWO years ago this month, our cover story fretted that three years had gone by since OSHA had promised to issue Assigned Protection Factors for respirators. Why such a long delay? Some end users may not understand or value APFs, but manufacturers consider them an essential element of a sound respiratory program.
By James Feldman
CREATIVE ideas are what turn ordinary companies into market leaders. These companies see the end result first and then build a path to achieve those results.