Environmental Health and Safety
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NIOSH
Inside NIOSH:

Robotic arm tests glove-gown protection in healthcare

April 18, 2019
During recent disease outbreaks, most notably the 2014 Ebola epidemic, the importance of effective personal protective equipment (PPE) was emphasized once again. When designed and used properly, PPE can protect healthcare workers from potentially deadly infectious diseases and viruses, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Ebola, and HIV.
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FairWarning
A FairWarning Story

No verdict in sight on safety of crumb rubber fields, prompting angst all around

Marjie Lundstrom
April 18, 2019
Amanda Gabriele of North Haven, Conn., would love to be wrong. The mother of two, Gabriele has been anxiously awaiting results of a federal study begun in 2016 to unravel the public health mystery of synthetic turf laced with crumbs of ground-up tires. With at least 12,000 crumb rubber fields already in use in the United States – and 1,200 to 1,500 more going in each year – the stakes of the federal study are high: Has America finally found a new home for its old, cast-off tires?
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EPA

StarKist fined by EPA for polluting harbor in American Samoa

April 18, 2019
The EPA has announced $84,500 in penalties against StarKist Co. and its subsidiary, Starkist Samoa Co., for violating the terms of a 2018 settlement designed to remedy deficiencies at their tuna processing facility in American Samoa to achieve environmental compliance. “EPA will continue to work closely with StarKist to ensure the needed safety and pollution control upgrades are realized, per our agreement,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker.
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Casella

Casella launches NoiseSafe software

Instant noise exposure reporting protects employees from hearing damage
April 18, 2019
Casella, a leading provider of air sampling, noise and vibration monitoring solutions, announced today its new advanced software package, NoiseSafe. NoiseSafe is designed for use with Casella’s personal dosimeter, the dBadge2, which captures noise exposure in a single measurement and provides subsequent download and analysis.
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caring for co-workers

Creating the right climate for safety

Leaders need to show their competency, and their caring for co-workers
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David Sarkus MS, CSP
April 18, 2019

During my college summer breaks, I worked at a few different high-risk construction sites. On one job, I had a boss who liked to holler and was not very well liked. He was known as Hog Jaws and I’ve mentioned him previously.  


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Michigan OSHA’s lead standard

Going far beyond OSHA

Michigan OSHA’s lead standard has very strict exposure limits for pregnant workers. Are OHS pros ready to face a six-fold reduction challenge?
Markiewicz
Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM
April 18, 2019

Appendix A to federal OSHA’s 1978 lead standard (current today) provides that blood lead level (BLL) of workers, both male and female, who intend to have children should be maintained below 30 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dL) “to minimize adverse reproductive health effects to the parents and to the developing fetus.


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climate change

ISO publishes two standards to combat climate change

Elizabeth Gasiorowski-Denis
April 17, 2019
Floods, droughts, record-breaking temperatures – the evidence indicates that addressing climate change has become one of the world’s most pressing issues, which is why the publication of two International Organization for Standards (ISO) standards will have a significant part to play in helping to reduce damaging greenhouse gases. Tackling the effect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on global warming and the subsequent impact on climate change is one of the defining, and intractable, challenges of our time.
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Industrial Scientific

Industrial Scientific launches new website

Leading provider of gas detection equipment and connected safety solutions introduces updated website
April 17, 2019
Industrial Scientific, the global leader in gas detection, is pleased to announce the launch of its new website. The new website features numerous updates to improve user experience including faster load times, a mobile-first design, full product catalog search, and robust quote building functionality. Available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese, the new site offers enhanced browsing and content for global audiences.
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agriculture
Speech at AIHce:

Small farmers in U.S. dying in large numbers

April 17, 2019
In rural America, where agricultural workers are dying at rates higher than those of coal miners, farmers often take risks that are no longer tolerated in other work environments. But in Minnesota and other Midwestern states, virtually no one is protecting small farmers. Safety programs have been dismantled, funding has disappeared and in most states rules prevent inspectors from visiting farms with fewer than 11 workers — which is where most of the fatal accidents are happening.
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A confined spaces hazard analysis

A confined spaces analysis

Learn how to define spaces, reclassify them, and five life-saving principles to minimize hazards
Robert "Scott" Goodwin, CHST
April 17, 2019

We have all read the articles or posts on the questions regarding confined spaces such as “What is a confined space?” or “What makes your confined space permit required?” You might have even been asked “How do you re-classify a permit-required confined space?” or one of my favorites, “When do I need a rescue team at my confined space?” Let’s break it all down.


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