Industrial Hygiene


Leading UK Retailer Convicted in Asbestos Case

Marks and Spencer plc will be sentenced Sept. 26 after being found guilty along with contractors of violating asbestos control regulations during reconstruction work.

Grain Bin Maker Fined $142,400 for Plethora of Serious Safety Violations

The company was cited for one willful, one repeat, 20 serious, and one-other-than serious violation, following a combined safety and health inspection at the company's facility.

AIHA Offers Mold Resources for Homeowners

Water is not the only danger of flooding. The mold that may occur after water has receded can be far more hazardous to the homeowner and family.

Rebuttal: Textile Group Says Shop Rag Study Launders Results

TRSA contends the science behind research results released this week is insufficient and mainly a transparent effort to push disposable paper industrial wipers as substitutes for reusable cloth shop towels.

Study: Laundered Shop Towels May Be Contaminating Workers

“Without knowing it, manufacturing workers may be ingesting certain heavy metals at elevated levels from this unexpected source," said Barbara Beck, Ph.D., DABT, principal at Gradient, the firm that conducted the research. "For some of these metals, the amounts ingested may be greater than allowed in drinking water on a daily basis."

The hose that failed, shown at the top in this CSB photo, had been in service for seven months and was susceptible to corrosion from phosgene, according to the agency.

CSB Seeks Comments on DuPont Belle Draft Report

The agency investigated three releases at the West Virginia plant within a 48-hour period in January 2010, including a phosgene gas release that killed a worker who was near the location where phosgene cylinders were stored.

An awareness campaign is planned to ensure the 2013 registration deadline is met.

First ECHA Report Says REACH Succeeding

Fears that REACH was too complex and set overly demanding deadlines for industry and regulators were overblown, says the first required report on how the REACH and CLP regulations are working.

NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard

NORA Symposium's Plenary Sessions Being Broadcast Live

They can be viewed beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT both July 12 and July 13. Taking place in Cincinnati, the 7th Symposium will showcase excellence in OSH research and how it may be applied to prevent injuries and illnesses.



$1 Million Fine in Confined Space Double Fatality

Britain's Health and Safety Executive prosecuted two companies and secured guilty pleas July 4 in connection with the deaths in May 2009.

3M Announces IH Scholarship Winners

Four students are receiving $5,000 scholarships through the 25th annual Industrial Hygiene Scholarship Program from 3M's Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division.

Pet Food Research Firm Fined $167,000 for Failing to Provide Respirators to Workers

Four willful violations, with proposed fines of $161,700, were cited for two instances of allegedly failing to provide a respirator to protect workers exposed to total dust in the production facility.

DOL Resolves OSHA Citations Against Explosives Maker Following Blast that Killed Two Workers

OSHA cited Black Mag LLC in October 2010 for more than 50 willful, egregious, and serious violations of safety standards in connection with a May 14, 2010, explosion at the company's Colebrook, N.H., facility in which two employees died while manufacturing a gunpowder substitute.

MSHA Announces Results of May Impact Inspections

Coal mines were issued 339 citations, 12 orders, and two safeguards, while metal/nonmetal operations were issued 62 citations and 13 orders in May.

Dean R. Lillquist

AIHA to Host Virtual Book Club

Those intending to take the CIH exam may have reason to join authors Allan K. Fleeger and Dean R. Lillquist on July 19 when they discuss the IH Reference and Study Guide, 3rd Edition.

MSHA Publishes Final Rule for Rock Dust

The rule requires mine operators to maintain the percentage of incombustible content of the combined coal dust, rock dust, and other dust at 80 percent in all accessible areas of underground bituminous coal mines.

W.Va. Firm Fined $154,000 Following Deaths of Three Workers in Explosion

"This tragedy could have been prevented," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "It is imperative that employers take steps to eliminate hazards and provide a safe working environment."

Methylene Chloride Exposure Leads to Firm's $49,000 Penalty

"Methylene chloride exposure can have very serious health effects, such as cancer and cardiac distress," said Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA's area office in Marlton, N.J.

New NIOSH Fact Sheet Highlights Trenching Safety

From 2000−2009, 350 workers died in trenching or excavation cave-ins—an av¬erage of 35 fatalities per year.

The China National Coal Association is the hose of the China Coal and Mining Expo taking place Oct. 28-31 in Beijing.

Commerce Announces Coal Mining Trade Mission to China, Mongolia

The Oct. 23-28 executive-led mission will include individual and government meetings to boost exports to an industry on which China will spend billions of dollars in the next five years to improve safety, according to the department.

Condo Owner Gets Prison Term for Failing to Notify Employees of Asbestos Risk

The owner and manager of a California condominium complex were sentenced for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards during the renovation of a 204-unit apartment building in Winnetka, Calif., in 2006 – work that caused asbestos to be released into the complex and the surrounding community.

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