Indoor Air Quality


Report Puts Lens on Built Environment's Link to Asthma

The design firm Perkins+Will released it Aug. 8, with a leader of the firm's sustainability efforts calling the asthmagens a "lurking public health threat."

OSHA Offers Training Event for Federal Workers

Starting July 31 in Arlington Heights, Ill., it is free for government agency personnel. Topics include GHS, ergonomics, workplace violence, and indoor air quality.

Welding LEV Evaluation Making Progress

Dr. John Meeker updated an AIHce 2012 audience June 18 about his progress at evaluating commercially available local exhaust ventilation systems for construction welders' use.

The Indiana Convention Center is located in Indianapolis. The 2012 AIHce conference takes place there.

Turning the Page in Indianapolis

This year's keynote speeches are clearly focused on the future of the industrial hygiene profession.

UL Acquires German IAQ Firm

The product emissions and chemical content testing firm eco-INSTITUT helps European manufacturers test construction materials, floor coverings to more than a dozen indoor air quality standards.

Getting the Most Out of AIHce 2012

A sparkling educational program is a highlight of the AIHA/ACGIH annual conference June 16-21 in Indianapolis.

Researchers Honored for Submarine Air Quality System

The U.S. Navy may deploy the nanotechnology-based system in its submarine fleet, according to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which participated in the project.

The German asthma foundation (DAAB) has for some time advised that the harmful effects of particulate matter can be greatly reduced if carpeting is chosen over hard flooring options, because carpet can safely trap and immobilize particulates.

IAQ and Occupational Asthma

As a first step in looking at indoor air quality, employers would be well advised to examine NIOSH's eight-point plan for improving IAQ.



CDC: 13 Deaths Linked to Bath Refinishing Chemical

Methylene chloride vapor has been recognized as potentially fatal to furniture strippers and factory workers but has not been reported previously as a cause of death among bathtub refinishers.

OSHA Delivers Fine to Pizza Maker for Exposing Employees to Oxygen Deficient Atmosphere

A willful health violation was issued for exposing workers to an oxygen deficient environment when processing pizzas in the liquid nitrogen cryogenic freezer.

Contractor Fined $162,000 after Worker Dies from Overexposure to Methylene Chloride

Stockbridge, Ga.-based Creative Multicare Inc. was issued five serious, two willful, and one other-than-serious violation following the death of a worker who was exposed to excessive amounts of methylene chloride while using the chemical to remove paint from a bathtub surface.

Pet Food Research Firm Fined $167,000 for Failing to Provide Respirators to Workers

Four willful violations, with proposed fines of $161,700, were cited for two instances of allegedly failing to provide a respirator to protect workers exposed to total dust in the production facility.

DOL Resolves OSHA Citations Against Explosives Maker Following Blast that Killed Two Workers

OSHA cited Black Mag LLC in October 2010 for more than 50 willful, egregious, and serious violations of safety standards in connection with a May 14, 2010, explosion at the company's Colebrook, N.H., facility in which two employees died while manufacturing a gunpowder substitute.

Methylene Chloride Exposure Leads to Firm's $49,000 Penalty

"Methylene chloride exposure can have very serious health effects, such as cancer and cardiac distress," said Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA's area office in Marlton, N.J.

Condo Owner Gets Prison Term for Failing to Notify Employees of Asbestos Risk

The owner and manager of a California condominium complex were sentenced for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards during the renovation of a 204-unit apartment building in Winnetka, Calif., in 2006 – work that caused asbestos to be released into the complex and the surrounding community.

AIHce 2011 Expo Brims with Products, Prizes

The industry's major names are here in Portland and, from the looks of things so far, they brought their best with them.

Study Finds Welders May be at Increased Risk for Brain Damage

Workers exposed to welding fumes may be at increased risk of damage to the same brain area harmed by Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

A New Standard for Mold Assessment

The ASTM D7338 standard sets the bar for best practice for assessing fungal growth in buildings. A sampling guide and strategy will be one of the next work items for the subcommittee.

Idaho Meat Provider Pounded for Repeat, Serious Safety Violations

OSHA issued the citations after an inspection of the company's facility identified a potential release of anhydrous ammonia and other workplace hazards.

Robot System to Test 10,000 Chemicals for Toxicity

Several federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, recently unveiled a new high-speed robot screening system that will test 10,000 different chemicals for potential toxicity.

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