CIH Exam Preparation Questions Coming to OHShub.com

cih_exam_prep_questions

Monthly questions for individuals planning to take the Certified Industrial Hygiene examination will be posted on OHShub.com beginning November 1, 2009.  Approximately 30-50 questions will be posted monthly and will cover the rubrics as defined by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH).

Whether you are looking to sit for the exam, brush up on some knowledge, or show your expertise, visit OHShub.com and show us what you have got!

Good luck!

OHShub.com

Webinar: Applications of Noise Measurements

webinar
What You Will Learn:

Quest Technologies, a 3M company, invites you to learn how to look beyond noise exposure to apply noise measurements as part of a hearing conservation solution. Upon completion of this webinar, attendees will have an increased understanding of how to apply four core components to answer the questions below and fine-tune their hearing conservation program.

* How do I detect noise exposure?
* How do I analyze noise measurements and select the correct hearing protection for my employees?
* How do I empower my employees and make them part of the solution? Are there tools and/or signage that will help me educate my workers on noise exposure?
* How do I eliminate excessive noise completely?

Speakers:

James Banach, Executive Vice President
Quest Technologies, a 3M company

James has been professionally involved in hearing conservation and noise measurement for over 25 years. He is the past chair for the Council for Accreditation of Occupational Hearing Conservationists, is past president of the National Hearing Conservation Association and past chair of the American Industrial Hygiene Association Noise Committee. James has presented lectures at both NHCA and AIHA conferences and taught professional development courses for AIHA. He has degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and the Keller Graduate School of Management.

This presentation will begin on December 03, 2009 at 02:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.  More information and to sign up can be found at OHSOnline HERE.

USDOT Holds First Safety Council Meeting

usdot_logoThe U.S. Department of Transportation recently held the first meeting for its newly formed safety council, which includes representatives from the agency’s 10 operating administrations.

The department previously had no formal process for the administrations to share safety data, best practices and strategies. The council is charged with further enhancing all administrations’ safety focus and boosting the impact of all safety programs.

Chaired by U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari, the council includes the heads of the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Maritime Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Research and Innovative Technology Administration and St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp.

The “action-oriented, data-driven” council will foster an open dialogue about common issues and provide a forum for “fresh ideas and new perspectives,” said Porcari in a prepared statement.

Source:  ProgressiveRailroading.com

Top 10 OSHA Safety Violations for 2009

"Where Are My Keys?"

"Where Are My Keys?"

The top violations are up almost 30% from 2008 and include the following:

1. Scaffolding – 9,093 violations
Scaffold accidents most often result from the planking or support giving way,
or from the employee slipping or being struck by a falling object.

2. Fall Protection – 6,771 violations
Any time a worker is at a height of four feet or more, the worker is at risk
and needs to be protected. Fall protection must be provided at four feet in
general industry, five feet in maritime and six feet in construction.

3. Hazard Communication – 6,378 violations
Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to evaluate the hazards of
the chemicals they produce or import, and prepare labels and safety data
sheets to convey the hazard information to their downstream customers.

4. Respiratory Protection – 3,803 violations
Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful
dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors and sprays. These hazards may cause
cancer, lung impairment, other diseases or death.

5. Lockout-Tag out – 3,321 violations
“Lockout-Tag out” refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard
employees from the unexpected startup of machinery and equipment, or the
release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities.

(more…)

Fall Protection Guidelines

guardrail_systems
A synopsis of OSHA’s Fall Protection Standards (OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.501 through 503).

Fall protection is generally thought of as:

  1. Guardrail systems
  2. Safety net systems
  3. Personal fall arrest systems
  4. Positioning device systems, and/or
  5. Warning line systems

The standard:

  • Covers most construction workers except persons inspecting, assessing, or investigating the workplace conditions prior to the start of work or after the completion of work.
  • Identifies areas or activities where fall protection is needed.
  • Sets a uniform threshold height of six (6) feet
  • Allows employers to select fall protection measures that are best suited for the work being performed.

Guardrail requirements:

  • Top edge height of top rails must be 42 inches (+/- 3 inches) above working/walking level & support 200 lb. force (use at least 2″x4″ lumber for wood top rails).
  • Mid rails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, or equivalent emmbers shall be installed mid-way between the top rail and working/walking level & support 150 lb. force (use at least 1″x6″ lumber for wood mid rails).
  • Toe boards shall be 3.5 inches high & support 50 lb. force.
  • Posts shall be no more than 8 feet apart (use 2″x4″ lumber for wood posts).

gaurdrail_requirements
Fall Arrest Systems: Harness, Lanyard, Connectors & Anchors

  • Shall be inspected prior to each use.
  • Attachment point to body shall be in the center of the wearer’s back.
  • Limit fall to six (6) feet and prevent contact with lower levels.
  • Limit maximum deceleration distance to 3.5 feet.
  • D-rings & snaphooks must have minimum tensile strength of 5,000 pounds.
  • Lanyards & lifelines must have minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds.
  • Self retracting lifelines & lanyards that limit fall distance to 2 feet or less must have minimum tensile strength of 3,000 pounds applied to the device with lifeline fully extended. Greater than 2 feet the minimum tensile strength must be 5,000 pounds.
  • Anchorages must be capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds.
  • Body belts & other positioning device systems are not a part of the personal fall arrest system.

(more…)

N95 Respirator Training and Fit Testing Verification Card

n95_respirator

A copy of the N95 Respirator Training and Fit Testing Verification Card can be download HERE: (

  MachineGuardingPPT.ppt (3.2 MiB, 2,003 hits)

)

During a recent AOHP/OSHA Alliance conference call that included the National Personal Protective Technology Lab (NNNPTL), a need was identified for healthcare workers to easily recall the type of N95 respirator for which they had been trained and fitted. The Alliance decided to create a generic card to document this important information. Ideas were brainstormed and the N95 Respiratory Training and Fit Testing Verification Card was created. It also includes tips for correctly donning/doffing PPE.

From the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare

AIHA Position Statement: Ergonomics

lower_backA revision to the American Industrial Hygiene Association’s (AIHA) postion statement regarding ergonomics has been recently issued.  AIHA defines ergonomics as the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and their risk factors in the workplace.

According to AIHA, the goal of ergonomics is to:

  1. Decrease the risk of MSD
  2. Decrease worker discomfort and improve the quality of work-life
  3. Improve worker performance

AIHA believes that the benefits of such a program include:

  1. Enhanced safety and health program performance
  2. Improved quality and productivity
  3. Reductions in errors
  4. Heightened employee morale
  5. Reduced compensation and operating costs
  6. Accommodation of diverse populations of workers

Scientific data supports findings that indicate work-related MSDs cost approximately $50 billion annually and affect 1 million people each year.  Guidelines are available that reduce the risk associated with MSDs but regulation concerning ergonomics should be enacted as a more effective strategy to deal with the issues.  Additionally, research should be continued to refine models and dose-response relationships between the workplace and MSDs.

A copy of AIHA’s position paper can be downloaded HERE:

  HazComPPT.ppt (1.4 MiB, 2,330 hits)

aiha

Calculators: Injury and Illness Incidence Rate & DART


Want to calculate your Injury and Illness Incidence rate (I&I) and/or your Days, Away, Restrictions and Transfers (DART) rate? Use OHShub.com’s Incidence Rate and DART Rate calculator (Excel spreadsheet format) to determine your rates.

Download the Calculator HERE for use on your computer:

  DART Rate Calculator (42.0 KiB, 1,691 hits)


Sample Screenshot IR & DART Calculator

Sample Screenshot IR & DART Calculator

OSHA NEP: Under Recorded Injuries and Illnesses

osha-logo
Effective September 30, 2009, OSHA has begun a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) for inspecting the accuracy
of the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements for low rate establishments in selected industries.

OSHA postulates the most likely places where under-recorded injuries and illnesses may exist
would be low rate establishments operating in historically high rate industries. The NEP will
pilot test OSHA’s ability to effectively target establishments to identify under-recording of
occupational injuries and illnesses.

This NEP is one component of OSHA’s effort to address the issue of inaccurate recording of
occupational injuries and illnesses. In addition to this NEP, OSHA will address the issue through
comprehensive training of its compliance staff to identify and correct violations of the
recordkeeping regulation. OSHA will also develop other enforcement and quality assurance
programs to address the recordkeeping issue in establishments and industries outside the scope of
this NEP (e.g., the construction industry, Partnerships, VPP and SHARP establishments).

Industries included have a DART (days away, restrictions and transfers – based on the 200,000 hour benchmark) rate of 5.7 to 8.1 and include:

  • Animal slaughtering
  • Scheduled passenger air transportation
  • Steel foundries (except investment)
  • Other nonferrous foundries (except die-casting)
  • Concrete pipe manufacturing
  • Soft drink manufacturing
  • Couriers
  • Manufactured home (mobile home) manufacturing
  • Rolling mill machinery and equipment manufacturing
  • Iron foundries

    • (more…)

Case Study: Ergonomic Approaches that Work

ergonomics_da_vinciA proactive ergonomic intervention reduces pain related to poor work postures in office employees, according to a study in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Simply buying ergonomic desks and chairs isn’t enough – setup and adjustment by a professional ergonomist is an essential part of the proactive ergonomic approach, according to the study led by Jasminka Goldoni Laestadius, M.D., Ph.D., of The World Bank’s Joint Bank/Fund Health Services Department.

Prompted by a move to a new World Bank headquarters, the researchers designed a study to determine whether a proactive approach to ergonomics could reduce pain and other symptoms in office workers. One group of workers received new ergonomic office furniture, along with information on how to set it up. Another group also received new furniture and information, plus personalized setup by a professional ergonomist.

The proactive approach reduced symptoms of musculoskeletal pain and eyestrain, but only for workers receiving an expert work station setup. This group also had a significant increase in productivity. Neither group had a significant reduction in sick leave.

The reduction in symptoms was clearly related to improved work postures. “Better postures meant less pain,” the researchers wrote. “This verifies our experience that equipment such as an adjustable chair does not add value unless properly adjusted.”

(more…)

Business Value of Safety and Health

dollar_sign

NIOSH and the National Safety Council have teamed up to present a new class for MBA students at Xavier entitled “Business Value of Safety and Health.”

The course aims to teach the next generation of executives that workers are a critical asset for a company in today’s competitive marketplace and, therefore, investing in their safety and health is more than the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do. The course addresses how companies can evaluate OEHS interventions and programs in order to choose and implement the most cost-effective ones that will both improve occupational safety and health for workers and support the business objectives of the company. This type of approach can guide decision making and point to appropriate actions such as initiatives for long-term planning and operations management, among others.

The course includes scenarios of real world application in which OEHS have been incorporated into the company’s business model and produced positive results. For example:

  • DynMcDermott is a private New Orleans-based firm that manages the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. According to DynMcDermott, top performance and returns were achieved “because of, not in spite of, our focus on the worker, the public and the environment.” Through its focus on OEHS, the company experienced an 88% reduction in recordable injuries/illnesses from 34 in 1994 to 4 in 2005. Since 2000, OEHS performance has met or exceeded 100% of the performance targets enabling the company to receive 100% of the OEHS performance award fee set by the government. Reductions in waste generation and spill incidents have accounted for $3,878,000 in cost avoidances and savings since 2000, when the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and EPA Performance Track programs were put in place. Similar cost avoidances have been experienced from the reduction in recordable injuries/illnesses.

NIOSH is hoping to partner with other colleges and institutions to teach upcoming business leaders and those persons who affect the Health  & Safety Community.

More information can be found HERE.

NIOSH Pocket Guide App now on the IPhone

niosh_pocket_guide_iphone_appDangerous Decisions LLC today is proud to introduce the NIOSH Pocket Guide 1.0, their new chemical hazards database for iPhone and iPod touch. Designed specifically to take advantage of the iPhone’s interface, the NIOSH Pocket Guide (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) gives safety professionals immediate access to crucial information on all of 677 chemicals in the database including all the resources of the NIOSH Pocket Guide and much more.

The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG) is intended as a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals (with their classes) for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals. It is a must-have for every safety professional, industrial hygienist, chemist, or collage student seeking a safety degree, and a valuable reference guide for anyone that works with hazardous chemicals in the workplace or at home.

The information found in the NIOSH Pocket Guide help users recognize and control occupational chemical hazards. The NPG does not contain an analysis of all pertinent data. Rather, it presents key information and data in abbreviated or tabular form for chemicals or substance groupings (e.g. cyanides, fluorides, manganese compounds) that are found in the work environment.

Designed as a stand-alone application, the Pocket Guide includes the chemical names, synonyms, trade names, conversion factors, CAS, RTECS, and DOT numbers, recommended exposure limits (NIOSH RELs), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs), and NIOSH Immediate Dangerous to Life and Health values (NIOSH IDLHs) (documentation for those values). The guide also features a physical description of the agent with chemical and physical properties, measurement methods, personal protection and sanitation recommendations, respirator recommendations, as well as great information on health hazards including route, symptoms, first aid and target organ information.

niosh_iphone_app_indexFeature Highlights:
* Chemical names, synonyms, trade names, conversion factors, CAS, RTECS, and DOT numbers
* NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limits (NIOSH RELs)
* Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs)
* NIOSH Immediate Dangerous to Life and Health values (NIOSH IDLHs) (documentation for those values)
* A physical description of the agent with chemical and physical properties
* Measurement methods
* Personal protection and sanitation recommendations
* Respirator recommendations
* Information on health hazards including route, symptoms, first aid and target organ information
* Search by Chemical Name, Case number, Synonym and Trade Names
* Access all the appendixes
* Save critical information about regularly worked-with chemicals in the Notes section
* Use the convenient Email function to send Chemical guides and notes to associates
* Load onto all generations of iPhone and iPod Touch
* Download to iPhone devices without a wireless connection

“As a safety professional, when emergencies with hazardous chemicals occur, I was frustrated spending valuable time compiling critical response information from multiple sources to get the field a comprehensive safety plan” said Chester Karella, founder and CEO of Dangerous Decisions LLC. “There had to be a better way. My new NIOSH Pocket Guide App allows all the critical information to be quickly deployed to the field from a single application.”

System Requirements:
* iPhone or iPod Touch 3.0 or later

Pricing and Availability:
NIOSH Pocket Guide 1.0 is only $9.99 (USD) and available exclusively through the App Store in the Reference category. Free updates as Chemical exposures recommendations change will be made available. Review copies are available upon request.