“The industry survey confirms that there are readily available safe alternatives to using flammable natural gas for pipe cleaning,” said CSB Investigator Dan Tillema, P.E. “At the same time, a disturbing number of companies continue to use natural gas which creates the serious risk of a fire or explosion.”
The agency is seeking comment on, among other things, whether it should include an explicit reference to combustible dust or other hazardous material in the regulatory language of the final rule.
Following a thorough investigation, the agency issued two willful and 12 serious citations with total proposed penalties of $135,900. The alleged violations include arc flash hazards, insufficient hand protection, and industrial truck training deficiencies.
A year ago, the two organizations announced a proposed strategic alliance. Now, talks are taking place with key professional associations to see whether they would provide funding to ACGIH to continue its work on exposure standards.
This event always has drawn international attendees and exhibitors, and this year’s conference & expo are no exception. AIHA geared up for this April 20 by signing an extended agreement for technical cooperation with National Safety Council India.
Cryptococcus "is inhaled into the lungs of people who may have been near trees or soil where the microbes live,” says Dr. Christina Hull of the ubiquitous C. neoformans species (pictured), the spherical cells of which are 3 to 7 microns in diameter. Abandoned buildings also are often hotbeds.
Thirty-four percent of respondents said they have an infection control plan to increase interventions in the event of an outbreak of CDI, a condition frequently associated with previous antibiotic use and most commonly contracted by the elderly and those with recent exposure to hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care institutions.
"This was a horrific and preventable situation," said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. "The employer was aware of the hazards and knowingly and willfully sent workers into a confined space with an explosive and toxic atmosphere."
"This is a landmark day in the history of Kansas City," EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said of the 25-year improvement plan. "This agreement charts a course for the largest infrastructure project in the city's history, and what we believe to be one of the largest municipal green infrastructure projects undertaken anywhere in the nation."
The Connecticut-based metal finishing company also was cited for not establishing a regulated work area and ensuring contaminated protective clothing remained in the work area, and for not conducting cadmium exposure sampling.
The union, which represents some 390,000 active members, said May 11 that it filed its petition last month with OSHA.
JOEH LLC, a partnership of ACGIH and AIHA, has appointed Mark Nicas, Ph.D., MPH, CIH, to the job. He'll start July 1, about five weeks after the 2010 AIHce.
Specifically, the facility failed to adequately train workers on respirator selection, use, storage, and maintenance; did not supply positive-pressure filtered air to all work cabs; did not label containers of coke-contaminated clothing; allowed food and beverages to be consumed in an area with visible accumulations of coke-oven emissions; and more, according to investigators.
In its fifteenth OSHA inspection since 1974, the company was charged with nine willful, four repeat, and 17 serious violations, including hazards of confined space entry and combustible dust.
As you prepare for the upcoming AIHce 2010 in Denver, here are a few fast, fun, and educational facts about the city that might help you plan your itinerary or even impress your friends.
The 2010 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo is set to reach new heights this year, not least because it will take place at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver, the Mile-High City, May 22-27. Co-sponsored by the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, the event's 71st outing will feature an impressive lineup of speakers, educational sessions and professional development courses (PDCs), and new programming, all supporting this year's theme: New Frontiers in Science and Practice.
The last time the nation's foremost industrial hygiene groups gathered in Denver in a large-scale way, American astronaut Neil Armstrong was still two months away from stepping down from the Apollo 11 landing craft, making "one giant leap for mankind."
Denver has spent more than $8 billion in the past decade on new attractions, including doubling the size of the convention center.
As with the previous 70 AIHce events, the 2010 version will be chock-full of educational and networking opportunities, including an assortment of roundtable discussions, "Tech Talks," poster sessions, pre- and post-conference workshops, and more.
You can sign up by May 14 for the best deal on a full day of live sessions from AIHce 2010 on Wednesday, May 26, and never have to leave your office.