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'Fire Protection for a Changing World' Symposium Presentations Available

The Fire Protection Research Foundation hosted the event April 18 in Munich, Germany.

Lake Maracaibo

NASA Crowns Earth's New Lightning Capital

Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela experiences more lightning than any other location on Earth, with an average rate of about 233 flashes per square kilometer per year.

Container Ship Chosen for First Transit of Expanded Panama Canal

A 985-foot container ship, China COSCO Shipping's Andronikos, won an April 29 drawing and will be the first vessel to travel through the expanded Panama Canal when it opens on Sunday, June 26.

Texas Senator Files Bill to Speed Study of Texas Coastal Protection

The Texas Tribune and ProPublica reported a companion bill will be filed in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Randy Weber, R.-Texas, soon.

NTSB Urges FAA, EASA to Approve Crash-Resistant Retrofit

NTSB's report cites two 2015 accidents in which the impact forces were survivable for the occupants, but fatal and serious injuries occurred because of post-crash fires after the fuel tanks were breached. NTSB's investigations brought about the three safety recommendations in this report.

A spill from an overturned railcar or tanker could be from small amount to 5,500-11,000 gallons of liquid cargo. If this material is volatile, 1 cc of liquid (not pressurized) would be converted into 1L of vapor, and one gallon of liquid contains 3,800 cc (3.8 million liters of gas) X volume spilled. In many cases, the chemical spilled has been liquid chlorine or ammonia.

Sources and Measurement of Toxic Chemicals

The PID is one of the most sensitive detectors available for many toxic compounds with detection limits in the low or sub-ppb range.

A safety shower is a piece of equipment that business and industry have seen, until recently, as an afterthought. It may stand unused for weeks, months, or even years, which hardly makes it the most vital piece of equipment; that is, until there

To Heat or Not to Heat? That Is the Question

Improvements in health and safety awareness, duty of care to employees, and increasingly extreme environmental conditions mean more thought than ever has to go into safety shower purchasing decisions.

Research was completed at the new Dow Northeast Technology Center, shown here, using an in-house noise mapping tool to complete a baseline sound level assessment. (Dow Chemical photo)

Assessing High-Noise Areas

Industrial hygienists are challenged to protect employees from noise exposure in all types of work environments, including variable conditions. This project completed a baseline noise assessment at the Dow Northeast Technology Center’s mechanical areas.



Companies often send out an all-staff email if bad weather is predicted, but would employees really know what to do in a serious emergency, be it related to nature or man-made?

Providing Psychological First Aid Following a Disaster

PFA doesn't rely on skills of a professional mental health provider, but rather, engages the skills that most of us already have.

Now is the perfect time for employers to review their HazCom program. (J.J. Keller & Associates photo)

All In for Chemical Safety!

Workplace labels must include the product identifier and general information regarding all of the hazards of the chemical(s).

Facilitator or Steering Team? Leading BBS from Within

The BBS facilitator will need to have a consulting mindset to determine the best approach and a teachable point of view to know what methodologies to leverage.

The Baltimore Convention Center is hosting AIHce 2016, taking place May 21-26. (Visit Baltimore photo)

Baltimore Beckons

This year's AIHce conference will be year five for the wildly popular Ignite sessions, which are five-minute talks on pretty much any IH topic.

Overcoming Limiting Safety Leadership Mindsets

Leaders who think in terms of "repeat offenders" are unlikely to consider contributors other than the ill-intended motivations or habits of those injured. Besides not solving the problem, this approach often backfires.

Dry Media Dust Collectors vs. Wet Scrubbers: Two Technologies for Combustible Dust Control

At first glance, wet scrubbers may appear to be preferable because they inherently control the combustibility of a dust.

Do consider using SMART goals in training program implementation. In addition to SMART goals, stronger training programs may also address a behavior change and/or enhancement and establish behavioral objectives.

Best Practices for Engaging Workers in Health and Safety Training

Provide relevant consequences. Consequences will assist in showing your workers what is in it for them.

Figure 1. Organizations that create a culture of safety by incorporating senior leaders, a facility coordinator, an emergency response team, and the general workforce into their emergency response plans have a much higher rate of success when responding to emergencies.

Is Your Emergency Response Plan a Living System or Just Gathering Dust?

Use these practical tips and best practices to create and maintain an effective emergency response plan. Frequent practice drills are essential.

Many companies incorporate a wear trial into their process for selecting FR apparel. Both Lippert and Zumstein cautioned that a hazard risk assessment is a necessary step to take before conducting a wear trial. (Glen Raven Technical Fabrics, LLC photo)

Lasting Protection

A hazard risk assessment is a necessary step to take before conducting a wear trial. Only when the risk assessment is completed should the customer conduct a wear trial of fabrics that will meet the anticipated energy levels.

The OSHA/NIOSH toolkit contains an appendix that is an editable document any hospital can use to draw up its respiratory protection program.

Essential Precautions for Health Care, General Industry

CDC's Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee divides ATDs into those two categories, diseases requiring Airborne Precautions and diseases requiring Droplet Precautions.

CDC's Guideline Is a Much-Needed Start

The National Safety Council put it even more succinctly, so that no one could miss the gravity of this situation: 52 people in America are dying from prescription opioid overdoses every day.

Although the dangers posed by smoke and toxic gases have increased over the years, gas detection devices are keeping pace with new features to protect firefighters and first responders. (Industrial Scientific photo)

Where There's Smoke . . .

Even if we can't stop the production of deadly gases during a fire, we can take precautions to protect ourselves.

Product Showcase

  • Full Line of Defense Against Combustible Dust Nilfisk

    Nilfisk provides a comprehensive range of industrial vacuums meticulously crafted to adhere to NFPA 652 housekeeping standards, essential for gathering combustible dust in Class I, Group D, and Class II, Groups E, F & G environments or non-classified settings. Our pneumatic vacuums are meticulously engineered to fulfill safety criteria for deployment in hazardous surroundings. Leveraging advanced filtration technology, Nilfisk ensures the secure capture of combustible materials scattered throughout your facility, ranging from fuels, solvents, and metal dust to flour, sugar, and pharmaceutical powders. Read More

  • Safety Shower Test Cart

    The Safety Shower Test Cart speeds up and simplifies emergency shower tests, ensures you stay in compliance with OSHA regulations, and significantly reduces testing costs. With 7 unique features, the cart makes testing easy, effective, and efficient. You can test water clarity, flow, temperature, and spread—all at the same time! Most safety shower testing kits create a mess, take too much time to use, and don't fully help you stay in compliance with OSHA & ANSI standards. Transform the way you test emergency showers with Green Gobbler Safety. Read More

  • Kestrel 5400 Heat Stress Tracker WBGT Monitoring for Workplace Safety

    Ensure safety with the Kestrel® 5400 Heat Stress Tracker, the go-to choice for safety professionals and endorsed by the Heat Safety & Performance Coalition. This robust, waterless WBGT meter is ideal for both indoor and outdoor environments, offering advanced monitoring and data logging essential for OSHA compliance. It features pre-programmed ACGIH guidelines and alert settings to quickly signal critical conditions. Integrated with the cloud-based Ambient Weather Network, the 5400 allows managers to view, track, and log job site conditions remotely, ensuring constant awareness of potential hazards. Its capability for real-time mobile alerts and remote data access promotes proactive safety management and workplace protection, solidifying its role as a crucial tool in industrial hygiene. Read More

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