Environmental Health and Safety

RSS

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) expresses its appreciation to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for the opportunity to comment on the NIOSH Draft Current Intelligence Bulletin “Update of NIOSH Carcinogen Classification and Target Risk Level Policy for Chemical Hazards in the Workplace.”

Over half of consumers in Asia, Europe and the USA are worried about their indoor air quality, according to exclusive new research by CINT research commissioned by Blueair, the global indoor air purifier manufacturer. Some 57 percent of men and women aged between 25-50 years in China, Japan, Sweden, the UK and United States said they were concerned about the quality of their indoor air, although just 37 percent said they were worried enough to buy an indoor air purifier.

I appreciate the opportunity to be here today to update you on the actions taken by MSHA and the mining community to improve mine safety and health, and on the results. Over the past year, MSHA has implemented several changes, continuing the transformation we have made to our agency, and to mine safety. I will share some of those with you today.

Today, salary and benefits are not the only drivers of employee satisfaction and engagement. In fact, employees’ indoor environment plays a significant role in fostering productivity, performance and wellness. Similarly, productive classroom environments have a major impact in cultivating effective learning and student achievement.

Total releases of toxic chemicals decreased 12 percent from 2011-2012, according to the EPA’s annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report released this week. The decrease includes an eight percent decline in total toxic air releases, primarily due to reductions in hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions.

Most hand injuries can be prevented by adhering to simple, commonsense guidelines. When using a knife, never cut towards yourself. Protect your other hand by cutting away from your fingers to keep them out of harm’s way.

The phrase “information at your fingertips” has never been truer than with today’s tablet technology.  The ability to access email and the Internet, as well as record audio and video from nearly any location has forever changed how we communicate and do our jobs.

Gordon Hempton, an acoustic ecologist with a passion for the pursuit of quiet places, will be presented with the National Hearing Conservation Association’s Media Award in Las Vegas, NV, in March, 2014.