Occupational Safety

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The American Industrial Hygiene Association has announced its 2013 Award recipients. The Edward J. Baier Technical Achievement Award recipient is Norman W. Henry, III, CIH.

A worker in a New England warehouse was recently found unconscious and seizing. Several of his co-workers also became sick. The culprit? Carbon monoxide poisoning. All of the windows and doors were closed to conserve heat, there was no exhaust ventilation in the facility, and very high levels of carbon monoxide were measured at the site.

OSHA recently issued several new Fact Sheets and QuickCards that provide important safety and health information for workers and employers in the construction, nanotechnology and maritime industries.

From the National Football League’s website: Advancing a culture wherein the health and safety of players is paramount requires much more than just a set of game rules. It requires ongoing education, dialogue and monitoring. It requires constant assessment and consistent reinforcement of policies. And it requires an unstinting commitment to everyone involved in the game – players, coaches, administration, medical staff sand the NFL Players Association.

OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are warning workers and employers about the dangers of using methylene chloride-based stripping products in bathtub refinishing.

ACGIH® announced that its Board of Directors ratified the 2013 Threshold Limit Values (TLVs®) for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs®). The Board also approved recommendations for additions to the Notice of Intended Changes (NIC).

The Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) has announced that the first certifications have been issued to NFPA 1994, Standard on Protective Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents, 2012 Edition.

The Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) has issued the first certifications to products for NFPA 1992, Standard on Liquid-Splash Protective Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies, 2012 Edition.

In a move that could impact worker health and safety, the U.S. Labor Department (DOL) will launch a $1.9 million study on job misclassification. “The misclassification of employees as something other than employees, such as independent contractors, presents a serious problem for affected employees, employers, and to the entire economy,” according to the DOL.

A “safety stand down” to promote safety and health practices at oil and gas exploration and production sites in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas continues through Feb. 28. The program is an initiative by OSHA and the National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety Network, more commonly known as STEPS.