Archive for News
Waste to energy programs could eliminate landfills and add $84.5 billion to U.S. economy
Municipal waste is big challenge for dwellers, industrials and municipalities worldwide. It is putrescent, odorous and contaminating our living space. Most of the solid wastes are biodegradable and could be recycling. However, the incumbent solid waste collection and management widely use poly package that causes the biodegradable solid waste and poly materials cross-contamination, complicate the components and devalue the waste. The main disposal of such waste is incinerate and landfill, but they Read more [...]
BP shuts down Norwegian oil field after leak.
BP shut a Norwegian oil and gas field after a potentially dangerous leak, the company said on Tuesday, six days after the incident forced the emergency shutdown of the facility.
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26 killed in Mexico pipeline fire near US border.
A big fire erupted at a natural gas pipeline distribution center near Mexico’s border with the United States on Tuesday, killing 26 maintenance workers and forcing evacuations of people in nearby ranches and homes.Mexico's state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, initially reported 10 deaths at the facility near the city of Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas.Later, the death toll was raised to 26, including a man who was run over when he rushed onto a road running away from the facility.Please Read more [...]
ASSEF's Liberty Mutual Fellowship Program Is Open for Applications
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 Teams with Scholastic to Promote Youth Hearing Protection
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
Three Mile Island Shuts Down After Pump Failure – via @Slashdot
"The nuclear power station on Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania shut down abruptly this afternoon. Its shutdown was caused when one of four coolant pumps for a reactor failed to work. 'The Unit 1 reactor shut off automatically about 2:20 p.m., the plant's owner, Exelon Corporation, reported. There is no danger to the public, but the release of steam in the process created "a loud noise heard by nearby residents," the company said.' If radiation was released into the environment, it is so Read more [...]
It’s official, 50 cancers added to eligible diseases covered by World Trade Center health program for emergency responders
When the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (P.L. 111-347) was signed into law in January 2011, among its aims was providing screening and medical treatment for the fire fighters, police officers, emergency responders and certain other survivors. More than $4 billion was authorized by Congress for the program. The adverse health conditions covered by the program for eligible participants were limited primarily to respiratory and mental health disorders. The list Read more [...]
Johns Hopkins and MICA Promote Lab Safety
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
ASSE Accepting Entries for Kids' Poster Content
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
Promoting Safety Culture
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.
Suicide, Not Car Crashes, #1 Cause of Injury Death now in U.S. – no hope, no change = :(
Sept. 20, 2012 -- Suicide has overtaken car crashes as the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the U.S.While public health efforts have curbed the number of car fatalities by 25% over the last decade, a new study shows suicide deaths rose by 15% during the same period.In addition, deaths from unintentional poisoning and falls have also increased dramatically in recent years.Researchers found deaths caused by accidental poisoning and falls increased by 128% and 71%, respectively.“Comprehensive Read more [...]
US man wins $7m ‘popcorn lung’ payout | chemical used to flavour microwave popcorn.
A US jury has awarded a Colorado man $7.2 million (£4.4m) damages after claiming he developed 'popcorn lung' by inhaling a chemical used to flavour microwave popcorn. The jury in the case were in agreement with Wayne Watson's claim that the manufacturer who produced the popcorn, and the supermarket that sold it, were negligent because they failed to warn consumers that the flavouring was dangerous. Watson, 59, claimed the butter flavouring, diacetyl, caused a form of obstructive lung disease, Read more [...]
E-waste recycling saving lives around world… no one has to die so you can have a mobile phone
"It’s possible that two children died so that you could have that mobile phone,” says Jean-Bertin, a 34-year-old Congolese activist who wants to end the “absolute silence” around the crimes committed in his country to exploit strategic raw materials like coltan MALAGA, Spain, Sep 10 (Tierramérica).- "It’s possible that two children died so that you could have that mobile phone,” says Jean-Bertin, a 34-year-old Congolese activist who wants to end the “absolute silence” around Read more [...]
Farm Safety and Health Week
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
Worker Safety & Health Challenge Deadline Extended
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
ISEA to Hold PPE Forum on Top 10 OSHA Violations
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.
OSHA Investigating Residential Propane Tank Explosion in Connecticut #PSM
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, as well as the state fire marshal, is looking into a propane explosion that caused a Shelton home to blow up last week...to determine whether or not the two Pioneer Gas and Appliance Co. employees installing propane tanks violated any safety regulations. "It is under investigation, but we've got six months to file it," a representative from OSHA said this past Monday. "No clue how long it could take, but we have until, like, February." Read more [...]
Epa: Environmental justice pioneer plans overhaul of division
eenews.net - When Kenneth Olden discusses environmental justice, he knows what he is talking about.Olden led the way in establishing the area as a legitimate scientific field during more than a decade at the National Institutes of Health, funding groundbreaking research on topics such as how bus exhaust disproportionately affects minority children in low-income homes in New York City.And though many of his colleagues don't know it, Olden's dedication to the issue is tied to his own experiences. Read more [...]
Cleaning Up Oil Spills With Peanut Butter, Chocolate, And Whipped Cream
“Current dispersants are the lesser of two evils,” explained chemist Lisa Kemp in a press briefing. Today’s toxic dispersant potions can affect life forms that comes into contact with the surface of the oil, and when the clumps of oil and dispersant move around in the water, the dispersants can wreak havoc on the sea floor.During the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, nearly two million gallons of chemical dispersants were sprayed into the Gulf in an effort to break up the oil slick. Read more [...]
Agencies Partner to Improve Environmental Aspects of Sporting Industry
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
Free Webinar Bringing Hazcom, DOT and GHS-Style Labels into Focus
The hazards of the chemicals your employees use are the same, but the container labels are about to undergo a significant change.OSHA’s final HazCom rule incorporates elements of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). This means that all containers of hazardous materials arriving at or leaving your facility will have to be labeled with OSHA’s version of the GHS label. This highly focused webcast will discuss OSHA’s labeling requirements under the HazCom Read more [...]
The Safety Professional’s Role in ERM
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
Wise Words from IMTS Conference
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
As workplace deaths fall nationally, they remain stubbornly high in Texas and are going to explode with new 85mph limit
Texas led the nation with 461 total worker deaths in 2010, the most recent year for which complete data is available. Eighty-two of those were in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.The Texas total was about 10 percent of the national count of 4,547 and far ahead of No. 2 California, which reported 302 deaths, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.Highway deaths are the No. 1 cause of workplace fatalities nationally, and Texas’ vast highway system could be Read more [...]
Factory fires kill hundreds.
Fires swept through two clothing factories in Pakistan, leaving 283 people dead, many trapped behind locked doors and barred windows, highlighting the atrocious working conditions in a country where workplaces often lack basic safety equipment and owners bribe officials to ignore the violations.Please continue reading at:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443884104577646632475170076.html Read more [...]
About 50 U.S. workers at Peach Bottom nuclear plant exposed to low levels of radiation after a discharge of contaminated steam.
The York Daily Record... Roughly 50 workers at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station were exposed to low levels of radiation early Tuesday after a discharge of contaminated steam.At 1 a.m. that morning, workers were loosening a two-inch vent on top of the Unit 2 reactor vessel head when a "puff" of radioactive steam escaped from a flange, said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.Radiation monitoring alarms sounded as workers, dressed in bright yellow radiation-protection Read more [...]
Feminized Fish: A Side Effect Of Emerging Contaminants
EarthFix...That’s not something you want to see in male fish, says Jim West, a senior scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. West was with Lyndal Johnson when they found the weird fish.“It’s an indication that they’ve been exposed to something, some chemical, that is essentially feminizing them.”These fish weren’t dying. From the outside, they didn’t even look different. But there were striking changes going on inside them.The team took more samples. The Read more [...]
Polluting The Water With Toothpaste, Shampoo, And Drugs
InvestigateWest...U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Jennifer Morace tested the water coming out of nine wastewater treatment plants in the Northwest. She found traces of dozens of chemicals, from household products like sunscreen, fragrances in lotions or shampoos, antibacterial agents from hand soaps, and pharmaceutical chemicals.One Portland treatment plant was sending the equivalent of 400 Benadryl pills into the Columbia River every day.“What goes down your drain really does go somewhere,” Read more [...]
Canada to stop opposing listing asbestos as hazardous.
Canada dropped its longtime opposition on Friday to the international listing of asbestos as a hazardous material – a designation intended to curb the use abroad of the fire-resistant substance, which can cause cancer and other illnesses.Please continue reading at:http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/14/us-asbestos-canada-idUSBRE88D1IX20120914 Read more [...]
EPA Adds 12 Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund’s National Priorities List / Eight Other Sites Propos
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding 12 new hazardous waste sites that pose public health and environmental risks to the National Priorities List (NPL) for cleanup under the Superfund program. EPA is also proposing to add another eight sites to the list. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the countryPlease read full and follow at:http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/2C95A6ED93E4CEAD85257A78007AD068 Read more [...]
Nov. 19 is Deadline to Apply for 2013 EPA Brownfields Funding
Environmental News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Kansas City, Kan., Sept. 14, 2012) - EPA is encouraging eligible entities to apply now through Nov. 19, 2012, for 2013 Brownfields funding. These grant funds can be used to address sites contaminated by petroleum and hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants, including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleumPlease continue reading at:http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/561F6930B344865C85257A7900703AF5 Read more [...]
The Role of EHS in Good Corporate Citizenship
“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,”
New Z10 Standard Approved
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
Understanding the Increased Focus on Enforcement by Federal OSHA
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
Oil sands development about to exceed Alberta’s new regulatory pollution limits
EDMONTON — Less than two weeks after Alberta enacted legally enforceable pollution limits for its oil sands region, industry figures already suggest they will soon be breached by emissions of two major gases causing acid rain.Regulatory documents for Shell’s proposed Jackpine mine expansion say annual levels of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are likely to push past limits contained in the province’s Lower Athabasca Regional Plan if all currently planned developments proceed.The documents, Read more [...]
Labelmaster Webinars to Delve Into GHS Classification of Chemicals
While the first implementation date of the 2012 Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard ? the employee training deadline on Dec. 1, 2013 – is more than a year away, there remains consternation among safety professionals as to … Continue reading → Read more [...]
The Road to a Successful Safety Process
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
Obese Workers: Health Issues and Rising Costs
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,
Imperial Sugar CEO latest to call for OSHA combustible dust standard #comdust #safetypo
Imperial Sugar CEO John C. Sheptor is the latest in a long line of prominent figures to call for the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to speed up its plans to introduce a definitive combustible dust standard for US industry.In a keynote speech at the AIHce 2012 conference in Indianapolis, Sheptor explained how the company recovered from the devastating February 2008 explosion at its Port Wentworth, Georgia, sugar refinery. Fourteen people died after more than 30 explosions Read more [...]
Ecological Models for Linking Sustainable Production & Consumption Dynamics in Consumer Electronic Products Webinar on electronic waste – Wed., Sept. 19
ISTC webinar on electronic waste - Wed., Sept. 19, 2012, 12-1 pm CDT The growing integration of consumer electronics in daily modern society poses a myriad of sustainability challenges. On one hand, consumer electronic devices contribute to social & economic development & may be key to reducing energy consumption across many sectors of the economy. However, the toxic & valuable materials embedded within the products may cause both positive economic & social benefits (e.g., recovery Read more [...]
