Industrial Hygiene


proper handwashing technique

Researchers Develop Low-cost Method for Monitoring Hand Hygiene Compliance

This method of monitoring hand hygiene compliance, which is essential for infection control in hospitals, was released at the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

Nanotechnology in Food Focus of London Seminar

The latest developments in nanotechnology and its potential for use in the food industry is the subject of a seminar on April 30 in London.

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis

DOL Withdraws Diacetyl Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said this step facilitates the convening of a small business advocacy review panel to determine the impact a proposed rule might have on small businesses and how those impacts can be reduced.

Sugar Producer Fined for Combustible Dust Hazards

Other alleged violations of the Florida company include not developing lockout/tagout procedures on packaging machines to prevent accidental machinery start-up; exposing employees to electrical hazards; and using high-pressure compressed air for cleaning purposes.

FDA Forms Nanotechnology Alliance

The Food and Drug Administration recently unveiled a new collaboration initiative with the Houston-based Alliance for NanoHealth (ANH) and its eight member institutions to help speed development of safe and effective medical products in the emerging field of nanotechnology.

Process Safety Management Failings at Refinery Lead to $130,500 in Fines

Included in the penalty amount is one willful violation for the company's failure to appropriately test gas monitors for hydrogen sulfide and combustible gas in the HVAC systems for the control rooms.

APIC Offers Visitor Tips for Patient Safety

To commemorated Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 8-14), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has offered some simple tips for visitors to health care facilities to do their part in ensuring patient safety.

Highest Mesothelioma Rate Found for UK Boomer Carpenters

One in 17 British carpenters born in the 1940s will die of the cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by asbestos, according to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer.



OSHA Interpretation: Not All Firefighters have HAZWOPER Clearance

"Personnel trained to the first responder awareness level may make an effort to identify hazardous substances, but they must do so from a safe distance," wrote Richard E. Fairfax, director of OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs.

First Person: A Tragic Encounter with H2S

I'm disabled becuase of exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas during a welding job in May 2001. Don't let this happen to you.

Sheet Metal Fabricator Faces $273,000 in Fines for Asbestos Hazards

"The sizable fines proposed here reflect the fact that this company knew several of these critical safeguards were necessary yet chose not to provide them," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director in Buffalo, N.Y.

ANSI Approves Acceptance Testing Specs Standard for Electrical Power Systems

"Anyone involved in the energization of electrical equipment should consider this document a must have," says Al Peterson, president of Utility Service Corporation.

Alabama Auto Parts Plant Cited for Lockout/Tagout Failures

In addition, one of the plant's maintenance providers has also been cited, in part for failing to adequately train employees to fight fires, which it contracted to do at the site.

OSHA Fines St. Louis Chemical Company $1.2 Million

Eight of its workers were treated for exposure to the organic chemical para-nitroaniline (PNA) in powder form. The penalty is based on 21 alleged willful citations, 20 of them cited on a per-employee basis.

Warehouse Injury Reduction Focus of New Federal Alliance

The partners said they will work together to develop and distribute safety and health training materials for warehousing to enable employers and employees to implement and follow best practice standards and guidelines.

NY Facility Fined $56,000 Following Confined Space Fatality

The company was issued one willful citation, with a proposed penalty of $35,000 alone, for not providing employees with confined space rescue training at least every 12 months.

Study: Energy Efficiency Practices Good For Building Occupants' Health

Research conducted at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggests that operating buildings more energy efficiently could have benefits for the health of occupants and, surprisingly, also for their comfort.

OSHA's Hex Chrome PEL Upheld

A 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision on Monday rejected all but one claim against the 5 micrograms per cubic meter PEL set in the February 2006 final rule. The judges told OSHA to state its reasons for requiring employees to be notified when monitored exposures exceed the PEL, rather than being notified of all monitoring results as the agency originally proposed.

Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Day Aims to Protect Employees

Making and keeping the workplace safe and healthful will be the focus of the 18th Annual Downstate Illinois Occupational Safety and Health (DIOSH) Day slated for March 4 at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Ill. Workplace safety and health issues will be discussed and information made available to employers, employees and the general public.

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