Industrial Hygiene


Study Finds Diesel Exhaust Causes Functional Effect in Human Brain

Dutch, Swedish, and British researchers conducted the research with 10 male volunteers.

W.R. Grace, Affiliates Reach Tentative $3B Settlement on Asbestos Claims

When it filed for bankruptcy protection in April 2001, the company said it had been named in 325,000 asbestos personal injury claims.

Ansell, Mallinckrodt Partner to Promote Lab Safety

"It is critical for laboratory technicians to be able to quickly access the proper storage and handling methods for each chemical used in the laboratory," said Russell Thorpe, Mallinckrodt's global marketing director - laboratory chemicals.

Super Bugs and Other Emerging Hazards

It seems that each year, new hazards in the home, workplace, and community are identified that endanger our health and well-being. Bloodborne pathogens such as bird flu and the mutant bacterial staph, MRSA, continue to threaten our health. New toxicity hazards have been discovered in chemicals that have been used for decades.

Army Turns to Safer, Tougher, 'Greener' Paint

The new chromium-3-based coating system is a safer to human health and the environment and more effective than the standard chromium-6-based paint used previously, the Army says.

Hospital Cited for Hazardous Exposures to Formaldehyde

The facility faces $255,800 in proposed penalties for failing to train employees who may work with formaldehyde and failing to conduct airborne exposure evaluations, among other things.

Chemistry Council, EPA Focus on Nanoscale Materials Guidance

"The technology should be developed in a way that minimizes potential risks to human health and helps preserve the potential market for the technology," said Jack N. Gerard, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council.

Hearings Start April 28 on Washington State Heat Illness Rule

The cost-benefit analysis says providing water as required could cost employers $5.7 million to $15.8 million per year, with training expected to cost about half as much.



Paid Black Lung Benefits Totaled $41 Billion Through FY2004

The original cost estimate, $3 billion, was wrong because the program didn't end in 1976 as planned and eligibility and benefits were expanded. Almost 1 million claims have been filed.

EPA Proposes Aircraft Drinking Water Rule

In 2004 EPA tests of aircraft drinking water quality, the agency found that 15 percent of examined aircraft tested positive for total coliform bacteria.

NRC Seeks Advisory Committee Nominations

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking qualified candidates for appointment to its Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS).

AIHA's New Board Members Set for June 6 Induction

Also adopted by the membership's vote is a bylaws change that affects CIHs' membership in the Academy of Industrial Hygiene.

Court: City of New York, Contractors Not Immune from 9/11 Litigation

Plaintiffs contend that the city and its contractors failed to provide adequate protective equipment in the form of respirators and hazardous material coveralls, as well as failed to provide adequate safety training and supervision at and around the work site.

CPSC Warns Midwesterners: As Floods Subside, Other Hazards Rise

Because consumer-grade generators are not weatherproof, they can pose the risk of electrocution and shock when used in wet conditions, so keep generators dry and wait for the rain to pass before using one.

Invista Sues DuPont for $800 Million; DuPont Calls Allegations 'Misguided'

The lawsuit stems from a $4 billion deal in April 2004 in which Invista assumed control 14 DuPont plants in five countries.

Could Low Levels of Radon Actually Reduce Lung Cancer Risk?

Yes, according to a new study involving nearly 600 Massachusetts homes, the findings from which the study's manager says "represent a dramatic departure from previous results and beliefs."

AIHA Member Pledges $100,000 to Create Scholarship Endowment

The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) recently announced that Rick and Carol Fulwiler have committed $100,000 to endow the Rick and Carol Fulwiler Scholarship.

Rodent Study Suggests Diacetyl Harmful to Lungs

A new study shows that exposure to the chemical diacetyl, a component of artificial butter flavoring, can be harmful to the nose and airways of mice. Scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, conducted the study because diacetyl has been implicated in causing obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) in humans.

OSHA Revises Combustible Dust NEP, Quadrupling Inspections

Under this revised NEP, each Area OSHA Office is expected to inspect at least four facilities each fiscal year. Under the previous directive, each Area Office was expected to conduct at least one inspection.

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