Hazardous Materials Managers News

To help address the commonly cited violation of improper machine guarding, MSHA has created the "Guarding Machinery at Metal and Nonmetal Mines" compliance assistance resource. The new resources is a sequel to a compliance guide for guarding conveyor belts, MSHA says.

MSHA Administrator Joseph Main says that the new guide will help in three ways, "to improve the mining industry’s understanding

Attention recent graduates
with advanced degrees: The Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) Program, a
federal government leadership development program, is seeking recently
graduated advanced degree candidates for employment with the government. PMF’s 2013 application
period will be open from Nov. 5-19, 2012. The entire application process,
including submission of all necessary documents, must be

The ASSE Foundation is pleased to announce the 2013 Liberty
Mutual Fellowship Program available to individuals with a doctoral degree, or
those working towards a master’s or doctorate. The goal of the program is:

To encourage research activity in the field of safety;

to familiarize graduate students, faculty members and other
researchers with current research projects and up-to-date

NIOSH
and OSHA have issued “Seguridad con las
pistolas de clavos: Guía para los contratistas del sector de la construcción,” a
publication on workplace safety for nail gun users. In addition to practical advice for
contractors, stories on actual nail gun incidents are also included in the
guide. It is available through both NIOSH and OSHA.  

The BLS recorded a preliminary total of 4,609 U.S. fatal work injuries in 2011, down from the 4,690 work fatalities recorded in 2010, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. The rate of fatal work injury for U.S. workers in 2011 was 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, as compared to a final rate of 3.6 per 100,000 for 2010. Other key

With
two fatal outbreaks in major cities over the last 6 months (Quebec and Chicago),
legionnaires’ disease is not to be taken lightly. In fact, the CDC estimates
that each year between 8,000-18,000 people are hospitalized with legionnaires’
disease in the U.S.; however, this number may be significantly higher since
up to 75% of infections are not diagnosed or reported. Legionella are a
common

In honor of Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 7-13), Cintas Corp. is providing safety and facility managers with a list of questions their businesses should ask–and be able to answer "yes" to–to ensure they are prepared for a fire.

1) Is there a written program regarding fire safety?
A written program provides an organized plan for safe procedures, customized to a facility. This should include

Chemical burns, blindness and scrapes are just a few the hazards workers face while not
using PPE on the job. Despite these grave risks, 85% of industrial workers in a
recent Kimberly-Clark Professional survey said they had observed others failing
to wear eye protection when they should have been. "The results are very
disconcerting when you consider that 90% of eye injuries can be
prevented

EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Electronics Challenge aims to change the way people think about protective electronics refurbishing and recycling practices and make them the industry standard. As the amount of used electronics increases, the importance of managing and recycling those electronics increases, as well.

Through the challenge, EPA reports, industry leaders are committing

Newson Gale has published a white paper that provides detailed,
practical guidelines to ensure safe transfer of flammable or combustible products
to or from tanker trucks or similar mobile equipment. Titled “Achieving Safe Tanker Truck Loading / Unloading,” this
free paper informs readers on how high-voltage electric charges can be generated
when some liquids or powders come into contact with

EPA has honored several organizations for their achievements in using renewable electricity or green power. The agency reports that electricity is the single-largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions and green power can immensely help reduce those emissions and improve community health. EPA defines green power as "electricity generated from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal,

The ASSE Foundation proudly announces its “2013
Scholarship & Professional Education Grant Program. ” Thanks to our generous donors, we are providing over $180,000 in scholarships and grants to students pursuing EHS degrees and to ASSE members and professionals working to advance their credentials. To apply visit: http://www.asse.org/foundation/application/. Applications are due Dec.1, 2012

ASSE Foundation is accepting applications for its 2013 Liberty Mutual Fellowship Program. The program aims to encourage research in the safety field; provide a forum for connecting safety professionals, industry needs and quality research programs; familiarize graduate students and faculty with current research models; and to lay groundwork for graduate students and faculty members to purse SH&E

Starkey Hearing Foundation and Scholastic have partnered to develop classroom materials and a public service video to promote the message to American youth that "Hearing is fragile. So don’t listen loudly. Listen Carefully."

Children and teens are at an increased risk of hearing loss. Listening to music and playing video games at dangerously high levels, Starkey says, is the primary culprit. In

In an innovative partnership, Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) have teamed up to produce a retro-style poster to educate students about the importance of safety when working in research labs.

The poster is designed in the style made famous by Globe Poster Printing Corp., a defunct Baltimore poster company that produced colorful concert advertisements

Winners of last year’s Safety-on-the-Job kids’ poster contest were featured on the NAOSH Week 2012 poster.

ASSE’s 11th Annual Safety-on-the-Job kids’ poster contest is open for entries. Children ages 5 to 14 are invited to submit their poster that best represents the importance of staying safe at work. Prizes are awarded for first through fourth place in each age group; first-place posters

The Utilities Branch recently interviewed Michael Caro, director of safety and training for UtilX Corp., headquartered in Kent, WA. In the interview, Caro discusses approaches to safety training for electric utility workers and explains how UtilX promotes its safety culture throughout the company.Click here to read the full interview.

In
honor of this year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week taking place this
week, the Carle Center for Rural Health and Farm Safety has provided safety
tips for farmers of all ages.

Children:
Always get permission to visit a parent or adult while working on
machinery, and remain in a visible area.
Teens: Don’t use a cell phone when working; however, keep it close in case of an

The deadline for submissions to DOL’s Worker Safety and Health challenge has been extended until Nov. 30. The challenge is to develop tools to educate young workers on safety and health hazards, what they can do to protect themselves and their rights in the workplace.

According to DOL, successful entries could take many different forms: interactive and informative games, social or professional

On Oct. 23, 2012, International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) will hold its second annual forum focusing on how to prevent the top 10 OSHA violations. The forum will be held at the National Safety Council Expo in Orlando, FL. Following the presentation, experts from ISEA member-companies will explain what the association and equipment manufacturers are doing to improve safety for workers.

Green Sports Alliance and EPA are working together to address environmental issues concerning sports teams and venues. Both organizations sealed their agreement with a Memorandum of Understanding at the Second Annual Green Sports Alliance Summit, held in Seattle, WA.

The agencies will tackle problems such as water and energy conservation, waste management, and sustainability for teams, stadiums

Erike Young’s article, “The Safety Professional’s Role in ERM,” from the Vol. 12 No. 1 issue of the Risk Management/Insurance Practice Specialty’s publication RM/Insight asserts that safety is often viewed as a compliance function and not as an integral part of achieving an organization’s mission.Young says that if safety professionals want an integral role in supporting their organization’s

This year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago has been full of great advice for safety professionals and business leaders everywhere. Check out what some of the speakers have to say:

We need to align
safety and health with [an organization’s] business strategy. 

Kathy Seabrook, President, Global Solutions Inc.

Safety is a series of destinations. 
Ed Foulke, former

“Good corporate
citizenship and EHS go hand-in-hand,” says Jim Cross, Dow Corning’s global process safety director. “Citizenship
provides a framework that allows internal EHS activities to be leveraged
outside of facilities.”

Corporate citizenship
starts by addressing local needs. “We want the communities where our facilities
are located to be great places to live, work, grow and play,”

The newly revised standard, “American National Standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems” (ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z10-2012), was approved by the American National Standards Institute on June 27, 2012.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), past secretariat of the Z10 Accredited Standards Committee (ASC Z10), has relinquished all of its secretariats to ASSE, making ASSE

From ASSE’s Government Affairs Update
Recognizing ASSE members’ responsibility for managing interactions with OSHA for their employers, ASSE’s Government Affairs Committee want its members and the SH&E community to understand the various administrative actions OSHA is taking to focus the agency’s enforcement efforts. Adele Abrams, Esq., ASSE’s federal representative, has prepared a summary of

A successful safety program is founded on associate engagement, leadership commitment and continuous improvement of safety methodologies. At least this is what works for Milliken & Co., says its director of business development and marketing Phil McIntyre, at this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. He discusses the nine keys to a successful and sustainable safety

Obesity is one of the biggest issues companies face in reducing injuries, according to former OSHA director Ed Foulke, at this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. Obesity in the workplace has gone up and will continue to rise with obese teenagers entering the workforce down the line, he adds. From type 2 diabetes and hypertension to cardiovascular problems and cancer,

A leader is not just something you “are” or “do,” but it’s something you have to “be.” This is the mantra of Founder and CEO of ProAct Safety Terry Mathis at this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. Unfortunately, he adds, there are flaws that cripple effectiveness of being a leader.

Setting a bad example
Creating resistance
Avoiding failure
Managing results

Value each worker’s input. “You don’t want to do anything
unless it adds value,” says former OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor John Henshaw, in today’s panel discussion at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. Managers must engage their workers and make
them feel needed and appreciated in order to gain employee commitment, he adds.
This will ensure higher productivity and

EPA’s Campus RainWorks Challenge invites college and university students to design a green, innovative water infrastructure project for their campus. Students are encouraged to use green infrastructure (e.g., vegetation, soils and natural processes) to help manage stormwater and address related water resource issues. The agency hopes to engage those interested in urban planning, design and

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NIOSH and OSHA, posted a joint safety communication encouraging healthcare professionals in surgical settings to use blunt-tip suture needles to suture muscle and fascia, when clinically appropriate, to reduce the risk of needlestick injury and subsequent pathogen transmission.

Needlestick injuries continue to occur in surgical settings when suturing muscle

The Joint Commission R3 Report provides information about the 2012 flu vaccine requirement. “The organization states that although vaccination is the “single most effective method” for preventing influenza deaths and illnesses, the Department of Health and Human Services reports that vaccination rates for healthcare professionals remain below 60%. Learn more here. 

Businesses that use leading indicators (rather than lagging indicators) can better spot problem areas and take action before someone gets hurt, non-compliance occurs, a client is disappointed or the EHS culture/reputation is negatively affected, says Fluor Corp. HSE Vice President Jeff Ruebesam, at this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. Leading indicator metrics

For a company to succeed long term, it must have a high performance work system, says Technology Leadership Association President Richard Fulwiler, at this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. To succeed, there must be trust and commitment, both of which are best nurtured when the workforce is engaged, and safety and employee well-being are part of the culture.

In “Which is Better, Sitting or Standing?” Humantech’s Blake McGowan, CPE, notes that while standing at work seems to be gaining favor, the health implications associated from standing too much may be being overlooked. “Before we all get rid of our office chairs, we may want to understand the health consequences associated with prolonged standing which include work-related musculoskeletal

Research
shows that mechanical lifting systems used in hospitals, care facilities and
private homes have been the source of injury, and even death, to clients and
attendants, according to a hazard
alert from Nova Scotia. These incidents are mainly related to the
malfunction, failure or misuse of patient lifts, and new hazards include
falling suspended parts, dropped loads, equipment failure,

Each week, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) highlights an energy-related photo on its website, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. The photos are favorite energy-related picks by agency employees. Check out this week’s photo of the first digital computer at Argonne National Laboratory.

“Safety pays. Falls cost.” That’s the slogan of the new
national fall prevention campaign launched by NIOSH, OSHA, CPWR and the NORA
Construction Sector Council. According to the BLS, more than 10,000
construction workers were hurt and another 225 killed at work in 2010 after
falling from a height. In fact, falls from heights cause the second-highest
rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses

The International Union of Electronic,
Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers, in collaboration with BlueGreen Alliance, has released a tool that
allows workers to look up both the acute and chronic effects of the 10,000 most
commonly used chemicals. The Chemical Hazard
and Alternatives Toolkit (ChemHAT) is a free online database featuring a
wide range of chemical health effects