Weekly news round-up
Ebola-specific PPE, an arc flash test for workers and a fatal toxic leak at a chemical plant were among the week’s top EHS-related stories featured on ISHN.com.
Some Boston Marathon explosion victims suffer “hidden” ear trauma
November 20, 2014
Two homemade pressure-cooker bombs exploded within seconds of each other near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, killing three people and seriously injuring hundreds. Some who escaped physical harm realized days or weeks later they were suffering from hearing problems, according to the Washington Post.
Philly bricklayers exposed to 30 feet falls at residential construction sites
T and S Masonry fined $100,560
November 20, 2014
Bricklayers were exposed to fall hazards as high as 30 feet above the ground while creating the exterior finish of new single-family dwellings at two work sites in Philadelphia, according to workplace safety and health citations issued against Vyacheslav Leshko, doing business as T and S Masonry LLC.
Conducting an arc flash hazard analysis
November 20, 2014
The Nine Steps of Arc Flash Hazard Analysis: Section 4 of IEEE 1584-2002, Guide for Arc Flash Hazard Calculations, states that the results of the arc flash hazard analysis are used to "identify the flash-protection boundary and the incident energy at assigned working distances throughout any position or level in the overall electrical system."
Youth smoking rates putting millions at risk of premature death
Great American Smokeout is tomorrow
November 19, 2014
Almost 23 percent of high school students currently use a tobacco product, according to new data published recently in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Enviro group: Noise pollution a health threat near unconventional oil & gas sites
November 19, 2014
Noise pollution at oil and gas sites remains “woefully under-studied contrary to its public health significance,” according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Environmental noise caused by oil and gas drilling activities is often overlooked entirely or rejected as a minor, temporary nuisance by industry and regulators, despite the fact that drilling and other activities at well sites are very noisy and can be close to homes, according to the NRDC.
New OSHA reporting requirements go into effect January 1
November 19, 2014
Beginning January 1, 2015, there will be a change to what covered employers are required to report to OSHA. Employers will now be required to report all work-related fatalities within 8 hours and all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours of finding about the incident.
Palm-size noise detectors proposed to measure NYC hustle and bustle
November 18, 2014
A New York City Council bill would require the Big Apple’s Department of Environmental Protection to install palm-size detectors to collect dataon noise pollutionin city neighborhoods, according to WCBS Radio.
WHO revises tech specs for Ebola-specific PPE
ISEA calls it “a step in the right direction”
November 18, 2014
Revised World Health Organization (WHO) technical specifications for personal protective equipment (PPE) selection add an important dimension by including performance standards to PPE selection guidelines, according to the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA).
Do your employees know their arc flash facts?
OSHA offers safety training pretest to bring them up to speed
November 18, 2014
A test available from OSHA to be completed by employees prior to training can be a valuable aid to ensuring that workers understand arc flash hazards – and the elements and procedures that affect the likelihood of an arc flash occurring.
Site of fatal DuPont chemical leak still too toxic for investigators to enter
November 18, 2014
A U.S. Chemical Safety Board go-team has not yet been able to access the portion of DuPont’s La Porte, Texas chemical plant where a release of methyl mercaptan killed four workers early Saturday morning.
Assessing your workplace for flame and electric-arc hazards
November 18, 2014
From OSHA’s final rule for electric power generation, transmission and distribution. OSHA standard Paragraph (l)(8)(i) of § 1910.269 requires the employer to assess the workplace to identify employees exposed to hazards from flames or from electric arcs. This provision ensures that the employer evaluates employee exposure to flames and electric arcs so that employees who face such exposures receive the required protection.
NFPA 70E 2015 includes “stunning changes”
November 17, 2014
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in October began shipping copies of NFPA 70E 2015, according to Hugh Hoagland of e-Hazard, an electric arc flash safety consultancy and training company.
No PPE for workers cleaning chemical spill at Wisc. plastics plant
Penda Corp. cited for 7 violations
November 17, 2014
Workers cleaning a chemical spill at Penda Corp. in Portage had not been trained in proper cleanup procedures or provided proper personal protective equipment, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Investigation underway into deadly chem leak at DuPont plant in Texas
November 17, 2014
A seven person go-team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) begins work this morning at the LaPorte DuPont plant near Houston, trying to determine what caused the toxic chemical leak that killed four workers and sent another to the hospital early Sunday morning.
The baby boomer workforce confronts age-related hearing loss
November 17, 2014
Hearing loss can be caused by a number of factors, including exposure to high noise levels and aging. Conductive losses are losses where sound isn't carried from the outside environment; it is not conducted inward, perhaps due to earwax or fluid behind the ear, a hole in the eardrum, or otosclerosis where the bones don't vibrate.
Arcing faults are not selective
November 17, 2014
Numerous arc flash burn injuries and deaths are caused each year by arc-flash explosions. Arc flashes present numerous dangers to electrical workers due to the extremely intense high-level heat generated in an arc flash and the pressure wave from an arc blast incident.
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