 OHShub.com will be taking a short leave from posting examination preparation questions for the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) exam. Questions will resume in June 2010 after the Spring American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) exam window has closed.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the over 250 questions that OHShub.com currently offers to use in your study efforts. Additionally, be sure to stay tuned to OHShub.com as some new and exciting examination preparation materials will soon be available.
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 OSHA recently released 25+ years worth of industrial hygiene sampling data as a part of the “Open Government” initiative.
OSHA takes industrial hygiene samples as part of its compliance monitoring program. Many of these samples are submitted to the Salt Lake Technical Center for analysis. Sampling data represent personal, area, and bulk samples for various airborne contaminants.
Personal sampling results represent the exposure to the individual who was actually wearing a sampling device. Area samples are taken in a fixed location and results may represent the potential risk from airborne contaminants or physical agents to workers in that area. Bulk samples were taken to verify if certain constituents are present and if so, in what concentration. Bulk samples are used individually or in conjunction with personal or area samples to help interpret the level of worker risk.
OSHA compliance officers do not:
- Routinely visit every business which use chemicals known to be toxic.
- Take representative samples of every employee and every activity on every day.
- Always obtain a sample for an entire (8-hour) period or shift.
OSHA compliance officers do:
- Target and visit certain industries based on National and regional emphasis programs.
- Have limited time to conduct an inspection and cannot completely characterize all exposures for all employees, every day.
- Use professional judgment and often attempt to evaluate worse case chemical exposure scenarios.
- Develop a snapshot picture of potentially hazardous chemical exposures and use field evaluation tools to assess their significance: often comparing their measured airborne concentrations of chemicals against established standards.
Source: OSHA.gov
 Have you checked out AIHA’s Safe & Sound Podcast lately? Very good information being delivered by Craig & Melissa at AIHA. Take a listen at home, work, or in the car (all files are .mp3 format).
Some of the latest highlights include:
Combustible Dust
John Astad, Director and Research Analyst of the Combustible Dust Policy Institute, joins Safe & Sound to educate us about combustible dust. Most recently Mr. Astad’s incident data was utilized in OSHA’s proposed combustible dust rulemaking (ANPRM), so stakeholders can understand the probability of occurrence in the industrial sector. The Combustible Dust Policy Institute and Mr. Astad’s work can be found at http://www.combustibledust.com.
CIH Certification & ABIH
Craig & Melissa talk about the CIH certification, and how to get certified with Torey Nalbone, PhD, CIH, the newly elected Chair of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH). Dr. Nalbone provides Safe & Sound with some insights as to what the ABIH is doing and what his goals are as the Chair.
Noise
Melissa and Craig discuss noise induced hearing loss, the Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR) update, and general noise safety that you can practice everyday with Lee Hager, a Noise Conservationist for 3M. Lee lets us know that there is such thing as over protection and tells us that if you listen to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones at full volume (like they should be) you may want to take a break in order to preserve your hearing.
Source: AIHA.org
 A number of free OSHA applicable PowerPoint templates are available on OHShub.com. Below you will find some of the major OSHA topics that you can download and tailor to suit your needs.
Note: All presentations are in .ppt (PowerPoint) format. For a free Office PowerPoint viewer, click HERE.
 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today issued interim remediation guidance to help homeowners struggling to rid their properties of problem drywall linked to corrosion of metal in their homes such as electrical components.
Earlier this year, HUD and CPSC issued a protocol to help identify problem drywall in the home. Today’s interim remediation guidance is being released in recognition that many homeowners want to begin remediating their homes and offers a next step to homeowners whose homes have been determined to have problem drywall.
Based on scientific study of the problem to date, HUD and CPSC recommend consumers remove all possible problem drywall from their homes, and replace electrical components and wiring, gas service piping, fire suppression sprinkler systems, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. Taking these steps should help eliminate both the source of the problem drywall and corrosion-damaged components that might cause a safety problem in the home. To view a full text of the remediation guidance, visit the federal Drywall Information Center website.
This interim remediation protocol is being released before all ongoing scientific studies on problem drywall are completed so that homeowners can begin remediating their homes. CPSC will continue to release its scientific studies as they are completed.
Completed studies show a connection between certain Chinese drywall and corrosion in homes. CPSC is continuing to look at long term health and safety implications.
Source: CPSC, CDC, EPA, HUD Drywall Information Center
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 A few questions have arisen regarding the term NTP (Normal Temperature and Pressure). The following table helps to sort any potential confusion.
| Agency |
Pressure |
Temperature |
| Traditional
(Chemistry/Physics) |
29.92 “Hg
760 mm Hg |
492 ˚R
273 ˚K |
| ACGIH
(Ventilation)
|
29.92 “Hg
760 mm Hg |
530 ˚R
294 ˚K |
| NIOSH/AIHA
(Traditional) |
29.92 “Hg
760 mm Hg |
537 ˚R
298 ˚K |
| ASHRAE
(Ventilation) |
29.92 “Hg
760 mm Hg |
528 ˚R
293 ˚K
|
Source: Useful Equations, Practical Applications of OH&S Match: D. Jeff Burton, PE, CIH
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 To protect against the risk of lead in paint, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
Until that time, EPA recommends that anyone performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools follow lead-safe work practices.
Source: EPA.gov
 Much in the same way that OSHA offers free onsite health and safety consulting services, NIOSH has a similar program for workplaces. A Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE), offered by NIOSH, is a study of hazardous materials or harmful conditions in the workplace. Taking the form of an interview, site visit and evaluation, or helpful information, the HHE provides the NIOSH findings and/or recommendations to the employer in the effort to reduce the hazard of issue.
To request a NIOSH HHE, click HERE.
1. When to request an HHE from NIOSH
You are an employee, employee representative, or employer and the following apply:
- Employees have an illness from an unknown cause.
- Employees are exposed to an agent or working condition that is not regulated by OSHA.
- Employees experience adverse health effects from exposure to a regulated or unregulated agent or working condition, even though the permissible exposure limit is not being exceeded.
- Medical or epidemiological investigations are needed to evaluate the hazard.
- The incidence of a particular disease or injury is higher than expected in a group of employees.
- The exposure is to a new or previously unrecognized hazard.
- The hazard seems to result from the combined effects of several agents.
2. When to request help from the OSHA Consultation Program
You are a small business owner and you want:
- assistance in recognizing hazards in your workplace.
- suggestions or options for correcting safety and health issues.
- assistance in developing or maintaining an effective safety and health program.
- to reduce workers compensation cost and improve employee morale..
The OSHA On-site Consultation Program:
- is a free service.
- is delivered by state (and territorial) governments using well-trained safety and health professionals.
- is separate from enforcement.
- is confidential. The company’s name, and any other identifying information provided about the workplace, plus any unsafe or unhealthful working conditions that the consultant uncovers, will not routinely be reported to OSHA enforcement personnel.
- does not issue and citations, penalties, or fines.
- will provide you a confidential, written report that summarizes the consultant’s findings.
- requires the correction of hazards identified by the consultant(s).
- under specific circumstances, employers with exemplary safety and health programs can be recommend for recognition and provided with an exclusion from general schedule inspections.
 Workers in the electric power industry are potentially exposed to a variety of serious hazards, such as arc flashes (which include arc flash burn and blast hazards), electric shock, falls, and thermal burn hazards that can cause injury and death. This eTool seeks to inform employers of their obligations to develop the appropriate hazard prevention and control methodologies designed to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.
Items addressed in the eTool include:
- Generation vs. Transmission and Distribution
- Medical Services and First Aid
- Hazard Assessment and Job Briefing
- Energized vs. Deenergized Work
- Grounding for Employee Protection
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Insulating Protective Equipment (IPE)
- Enclosed Spaces and Working Underground
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution Industry e Tool – Illustrated Glossary (02/2004)
The eTool also serves to empower workers engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power to understand the steps their employers must implement in order to provide them with a safe and healthful work environment.
The full scope of the Electric Power eTool can be found HERE.
OSHA recently sent out 15,000 letters to workplaces with the highest DART (days away, restricted, transferred) rates. (For a DART calculator, see OHShub.com’s post HERE). For every 100 full-time workers, the 15,000 employers had 4.5 or more injuries or illnesses which resulted in days away from work, restricted work or job transfer. The national average is 2.0.
Suggestions provided by OSHA to reduce the DART rate included:
- Hiring an outside safety and health consultant
- Talking with your insurance carrier, or
- Contacting your state’s workers’ compensation agency for advice
A copy of the letter is available HERE.
For a list of the 15,000 workplaces, click HERE.
Source: OSHA.gov
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OHShub.com will be taking a short leave from posting examination preparation questions for the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) exam. Questions will resume in June 2010 after the Spring American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) exam window has closed.
