Industrial Hygiene


SAMHSA Announces New Smoke-Free Meeting Policy

This policy is based on extensive scientific data, summarized in the U.S. Surgeon General’s report, "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke."

NY Mayor Signs New Construction Safety Laws, Issues 9/11 Health Report

One piece of legislation signed last week requires site safety managers to include in their plans a statement that workers have successfully completed a 10-hour OSHA course on construction safety and health within five years of working on the site.

New Pa. Smoking Ban Law Takes Effect Sept. 11

With the Sept. 11 effective date of Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act fast approaching, the Department of Health is reminding businesses about online resources to help them comply with the law that will ban smoking in most public places, including restaurants, workplaces and a portion of casino floors.

Lead Paint Test Kit Vendors: EPA Wants to Hear from You

The agency is asking lead-detection kit merchants to apply to have their test kits reviewed, and plans to recognize the accurate kits.

Cal/OSHA Gauges Heat Illness Enforcement, Training Efforts

In addition to the enforcement activities, Cal/OSHA has conducted more then 649 heat illness seminars, onsite consultations, and outreach events throughout the state this year.

Risk Management Violations, Facility Refurbishment Cost Company $70,000

"We can't take chances with public health," said EPA's Mike Bussell. "Preventing a release of something as potentially dangerous as anhydrous ammonia protects the lives of workers, responders, and nearby residents."

Routine Inspections Result in First-Time CWA Violations for 3 Operators

The inspections were conducted to assess compliance with the EPA's nationwide storm water Construction General Permit, which requires operators of construction sites to plan for and implement storm water controls and to protect surface waters from common construction pollutants.

EPA Extends Comment Period for Soil Fumigant Safety Restrictions

In response to requests from groups representing manufacturers and users of the pesticides, the agency is extending the public comment period by an additional 45 days, closing on Oct. 30.



At Loggerheads? GAO Says CSB Must Have Chemical Accident Reporting Rule

Although it has not committed to having a reporting regulation, CSB has said it will publish a Request for Information concerning adoption of such a regulation, presenting various options for rulemaking and seeking the views and opinions of stakeholders regarding the best path forward.

A&WMA to Host Air Quality Conference

The Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) will present the Symposium on Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology, Nov. 3-6, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

September is the Cruelest Month

In his epic work "The Waste Land" (1922), T.S. Eliot wrote convincingly that “April is the cruellest month,” but a case can be made for September. Throughout American history, all varieties of disasters have transpired in this ninth month of the year—from shipwrecks to plane crashes to terrorist attacks—the aftermath of which have changed the way we live, work, and simply function as a society. Some of these changes have been subtle, others, such as the events of 9/11 seven years ago, drastic.

Controlling Diacetyl Exposures

On Sept. 24, 2007, OSHA issued a Safety and Health Information Bulletin, Respiratory Disease Among Employees in Microwave Popcorn Processing Plants. The purpose was to inform employees and employers about the potential hazards of food flavorings containing diacetyl, recommend exposure controls to reduce exposures to food flavorings containing diacetyl, and inform employers of applicable mandatory OSHA standards.

Australia's Workers Urged to Focus on Safe Work Week

All working Australians should concentrate on and be involved in safety at their workplaces Oct. 19-25, the Australian Safety and Compensation Council says.

ACCSH to Consider GHS Proposal for Classifying, Labeling Chemicals

The committee's two-day meeting in Washington, D.C., also will include a construction standards update from OSHA's directorate of construction.

ACHMM to Collapse Building in Minneapolis for Training

The live-action afternoon demolition will be part of the group’s national conference, Sept. 7-10.

Former NIOSH Director Howard Takes an ILO Position

The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) SafeWork program today welcomed the acceptance by Dr John Howard, former director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, to serve as chair of the Steering Committee for the 5th edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety.

OMB Clears Chao's Risk Assessment Rule

Opposed by AIHA, ACOEM, APHA, and a group of 80 environmental and health scientists, the proposed rule apparently is about to be published with a comment period.

BC Safety Authority Reports 19 Percent Incident Decrease for 2007

Safety Authority president and CEO Harry Diemer said the numbers show that industry in the province is taking public safety seriously, but he added there is always room for improvement.

Study: Arsenic Exposure Tied to Increased Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

In a study involving a representative sample of U.S. adults, higher levels of arsenic in the urine appear to be associated with increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes.

NRC Reports Lowest Average Occupational Dose Ever For Power Plant Workers

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's compilation of 2007 nuclear power plant worker doses at U.S. reactors shows the average annual collective dose per plant is 97 person-rem, the lowest ever, and is two-thirds of the dose recorded 10 years ago.

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