Does exposure to nanoparticles pose a health threat to workers? Pending further research to clarify the risks, nanotechnology companies need to consider what steps they will take to protect the health of employees exposed to engineered nanoparticles, according to a study in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Three employees were killed by steam and hot ash when boiler tubes ruptured in the lower vestibule/dead air space of boiler Unit #3 in the plant's boiler house in Salem, Mass.
"Employees and management at the Wallingford facility take a proactive approach to safety and health, so they can identify and remove work-related hazards before they harm employees," said Marthe Kent, OSHA's regional administrator for New England.
"Facilities that process particularly toxic chemicals, such as lead, must follow reporting rules to ensure area residents and emergency response personnel are informed of possible chemical hazards locally," said Nathan Lau, Communities and Ecosystems Division Associate Director for EPA's Pacific Southwest region.
The company was also cited for failing to implement a mechanical integrity program for pressure relief devices and fixed equipment, and failing to correct deficiencies associated with vessel and piping wall thicknesses.
The Wisconsin-based manufacturer of monitoring equipment, especially for noise monitoring, enhances 3M's presence in the IH and safety markets, the company said.
On Jan. 16, 2002, two workers were killed and eight others were injured when they inhaled hydrogen sulfide gas leaked from an underground process sewer at the Georgia-Pacific Naheola mill in Pennington, Ala. Among the injured were workers who attempted to assist their colleagues from the deadly cloud. The gas was the product of a sudden, uncontrolled chemical reaction taking place in the sewer as the men worked above.
The writing of this article follows on the heels of a meeting between the author and the chief deputy attorney general of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The purpose of that meeting was to investigate and discuss the circumstances of a fatal Pennsylvania mining accident.
Working a summer job many years ago on a crew of a county road repair department was my first full-time outdoor employment. Flagging for our paving machines and dump trucks that first day was a brutal education, but not because of the pace, the dust, the heat, or the toil. It was rough because I hadn’t known to bring my own jug of water. On Day Two and every work day thereafter, I was much better prepared.
The International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) and a coalition of consumer, health, and environmental groups filed a legal petition on May 1 with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demanding the agency use its pesticide regulation authority to stop the sale of numerous consumer products now using nanosized versions of silver.
"Employers have an essential and unavoidable responsibility to see to it that areas with flammable liquids and chemicals which carry significant health risks are made safe for their employees," said Richard Gilgrist, OSHA's area director in Cincinnati.
The new data, including lists of toxic substances found at facilities covered by the compensation program, will help claimants get benefits faster, DOL said.
"We take time this May 7th to say thanks to those men and women, who every day work to make your workplace safer and healthier," said ASSE President Michael Thompson.
Three employees contracted from a temporary help company were injured after they were instructed by supervisors to clean the inside of a tank that contained concrete slurry waste.
This summer, Americans can expect an increase in the number of air quality alert days, as a result of EPA's new ozone health standard.
The work of Dr. James S. Webber, a research scientist at the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, focuses on the analysis of asbestos and other hazardous microparticles in the environment.
EPA has proposed a significant reduction in the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead emissions from the 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air to a range of 0.10 to 0.30 micrograms per cubic meter.
The ergonomics document involved numerous contributors and showcased simple solutions for typical construction tasks that cause musculoskeletal disorders.
Industry associations say methods used to measure asbestos under MSHA's new rule "may indicate that asbestos is present in a mine when in fact it is not."