Respiratory


Free Training Available for Spray Foam Industry

The Sustainable Workplace Alliance will begin its half-day training classes June 24 in Dallas. The training was made possible by a Susan Harwood grant from OSHA.

The Kloof Gold Mine, located 60 kilometers west of Johannesburg, has produced more than 70 million ounces of gold, according to Gold Fields.

Silicosis Fight Brewing in South African Mines

A lawsuit by 18 former employees of Anglo American South Africa may go to trial next year. Mining executives dispute an estimate that it may cost them $100 billion to settle all potential silicosis claims.

Some Hidden Gems in AIHce 2011 Posters

For instance, IH consultants will be happy to know about the results of SKC Inc. research showing alternative air sampling bags work well.

Workers Exposed to Lead at Chicago Work Site, Firm Fined $180,000

"This company was aware that employees were conducting torch cutting on a steel structure coated with lead-based paint and failed to ensure that a respiratory protection plan was in use on the job site," said Michael Connors, OSHA's regional director in Chicago.

CDC Identifies 10 Public Health Achievements of First Decade of 21st Century

"Americans are living longer, healthier, and more productive lives than ever before thanks in part to extraordinary achievements in public health over the past decade," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

MSHA chief Joe Main welcomed the report, saying that "Massey knew they were having serious compliance problems and failed to effectively fix them."

Massey Disputes Critical State Report

The company greeted Davitt McAteer's report blaming it for the Upper Big Branch mine disaster by saying a "massive inundation of methane-rich natural gas" caused the April 2010 explosion.

Upton Sinclair Award Winner Laments Media Apathy

Going against the mainstream grain, Jim Morris, senior reporter for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Public Integrity, has consistently—and persistently—written stories that show how the deck is often stacked against workers in hazardous industries—and how it's stacked against their families after the workers have died on the job.

ASSE Offers Cleanup Tips for Flood-Related Mold

Besides infection and allergic reactions, excessive mold growth indoors can result in offensive, musty odors from the gases released by certain molds as they grow and die.



Illinois Production Firm Fined $63,000 Following Worker's Burning

OSHA has cited PolyChem Services Inc. for one safety and five health violations after a worker received second- and third-degree burns at the plant in November 2010.

Live from AIHce: Keynoter Calls for Safer Chemicals

Michael P. Wilson, associate director for Integrative Sciences at UC Berkeley's Center for Green Chemistry, observed that while the United States continues to lead the world in areas of occupational safety and health, the European Union has decidedly taken the global lead in chemicals policy initiatives with its adoption of REACH.

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.

Three-Day Stand Down Follows MSHA Action at Randolph Mine

Federal inspectors issued 20 withdrawal orders and five citations to Randolph Mine in Boone County, W.Va., during an impact inspection conducted in April, and the company quickly announced three days of safety stand downs.

The rule exempts the manufacture, import, or processing of small quantities of multi-walled carbon nanotubes solely for research and development.

EPA Issues SNUR for Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Effective June 6, the significant new use rule requires those intending to manufacture, import, or process them for an activity designated as a significant new use by the final rule to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance.

CDC: Asthma Rates Keep Rising

Asthma diagnoses increased among all demographic groups between 2001 and 2009, though a higher percentage of children reported having asthma than adults.

AIHA Offering AIHce 2011 Virtual Tech Sessions

Two days of live webcasts of tech sessions taking place at the Portland, Ore., conference will begin May 18.

MSHA Sets Public Hearings on Workplace Examination Proposed Rules

MSHA will conduct four public hearings on two proposed rules: "Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines" and "Pattern of Violations." Each hearing will cover the major issues raised by public input in response to the proposed rules.

N.Y. Apartment Complex Cited for Exposing Workers to Raw Sewage, Asbestos

"Our inspections found maintenance workers exposed to a variety of health and safety hazards while performing their duties, including stripping paint, removing drywall, and clearing basements of raw sewage that had backed up during heavy rains," said Kay Gee, OSHA's Manhattan area director.

Voluntary Use of Respirators: A Plain-Language Look at OSHA Requirements

OSHA encourages employees to use NIOSH-approved respirators for voluntary use, but this is not specifically required.

Report: Deaths from Noncommunicable Disease Rising

In 2008, 36.1 million people died from conditions such as heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease, cancer, and diabetes. Nearly 80 percent of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

Northwest Convergence

Innovation, integration, inspiration--and wood dust--will be in the spotlight this month at the 72nd American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Exposition.

Featured

Artificial Intelligence

Webinars