Industrial Hygiene


Hydraulic Institute Closes '09 Releasing 3 New Standards

The standards are designed for anyone involved in pumps, including users, consultants, contractors, construction firms, manufacturers of pumps, seals, motors, instrumentation, controls, and pump software developers and systems integrators.

The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act created BARDA within HHS and made it the hub of federal efforts to develop and acquire medical countermeasures to protect the U.S. civilian population against CBRN and naturally occurring threats to public health.

Contracts to Develop Field Tests for Radiation Exposures

The nine contracts worth up to $400 million have been awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and can lead to prototype devices for responders.

Power Company to Spend $93M to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations

The settlement is expected to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by almost 35,000 tons per year -- the equivalent to the emissions from 500,000 heavy-duty semi trucks, which is more than all the trucks registered in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio combined.

California Dairy Gives County a Gas Detection System, Settling Case

As part of a settlement, an alleged violator may voluntarily agree to undertake an environmentally beneficial project related to the violation in exchange for mitigation of the penalty to be paid. This company chose to donate a RAE Systems gas monitoring system and 42 radiation pagers.

EPA Studying Outdoor Air Near Schools

The agency's Schools Air Toxics Initiative, which is monitoring the air around 63 schools in 22 states, is checking for several contaminants associated with industrial and mobile sources such as cars, trucks, and airplanes.

Nitric Acid Manufacturer Agrees to $5M Groundwater, Soil Cleanup

As part of a new consent decree, the Arizona-based company said it will continue to remove nitrate and perchlorate from groundwater and perform long-term groundwater monitoring, in addition to paying $.12 million for EPA's past response costs.

Review Articles Explore Nanotechnology Applications in Food Safety

The Institute of Food Technologists released three review articles in the Journal of Food Science that were presented at the IFT Annual Meeting in 2009. The articles provide greater detail on nanotechnology science and its application to food.

Worker's Suffocation in Confined Space Leads to $120,700 Fine

Specifically, the employer did not evaluate permit-required confined space conditions by testing the atmospheric conditions in the boot pit for oxygen and carbon dioxide levels prior to entry, OSHA said.



OSHA Seeks FACOSH Nominations

The committee's 16 members advise the secretary of Labor on all occupational safety and health matters related to federal employees.

Sherwin-Williams Co. Merits Recognition, OSHA Says

The company's proactive approach toward safety is a model for others to follow," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo.

Chemical Exposures in U.S. Population Measured in CDC Report

The Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals shows most Americans have measurable levels of many chemicals in their blood or urine, including PFOA, perchlorate, and MTBE.

This CFD photo show the memorial for 21 Chicago firefighters, including Fire Marshal James Horan, who died Dec. 22, 1910, in the Great Stockyard Fire.

Chicago Fire Department Selects QRAE Four-Gas Monitor

The department has more than 200 of the units deployed at 102 firehouses and is encouraging all firefighters to obtain level A or B technician certification.

Painting Firm Penalized for Lead-Contaminated Eating Areas, PPA, More

"Few Americans are aware of lead's deadly effects or the fact that lead taken home on clothing and work tools can infect an entire family," said OSHA Area Director Richard Gilgrist in Cincinnati.

Study Finds Stopping MRSA Before It Becomes Dangerous Is Possible

Most scientists believe that staph infections are caused by many bacterial cells that signal each other to emit toxins. The signaling process is called quorum sensing because many bacteria must be present to start the process.

Sunoco Refinery Fined $32,000 for Process Hazards

OSHA's Philadelphia Area Office initiated the investigation following an ethylene complex explosion in May 2009 at the company's refinery in Marcus Hook, Pa.

OSHA Busts Feed Plant for Combustible Dust Hazards, Other Violations

The agency began a health inspection in June after receiving information that fires had occurred in the Ohio plant, and that large amounts of dust from the manufacturing process had accumulated throughout the worksite.

pipeline

Pipeline Company Celebrates Safety Milestone

During the past 10 million hours, the company has safely completed a number of major construction projects, from replacing a segment of line underneath the Susquehanna River in Maryland to lifting an underwater line in southern Mississippi to replace block valves, to boring a new line under I-65 near Birmingham while traffic continued above.

Refinery Fined $222,500 for Workers Burned by Boiler Spray, Other Hazards

The accident investigation, which was conducted by OSHA's Puerto Rico Area Office, resulted in citations for exposing workers to the hazards of hot water and steam condensate, not developing and documenting procedures to prevent the unintended release of hot water and steam, and not training workers on the safe application, usage, and removal of energy control devices.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson laid out new principles for revising the Toxic Substances Control Act in late September.

Momentum Builds for Meaningful TSCA Reform

The leaders of 13 states' environmental agencies issued an eight-point statement of principles Dec. 2 as EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, shown here, testified at a U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing about the need to reform the law.

An image of emergency medical personnel.

OSHA Issues Guidance for Safeguarding Emergency Medical Responders

Titled "Best Practices for Protecting EMS Responders During Treatment and Transport of Victims of Hazardous Substance Releases," the new guidance document addresses adequate training and personal protective equipment for emergency medical services responders who assist victims of hazardous substance release incidents.

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