Some of the latest highlights include:

Combustible Dust

John Astad, Director and Research Analyst of the Combustible Dust Policy Institute, joins [...]]]> 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

Episode 1 of the Safe & Sound podcast is entitled “Ergonomics” and features Sheree [...]]]> The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has started a new weekly podcast that will cover safety, worker health, industrial hygiene news, and general information relevant to the AIHA membership. The podcast will be hosted by AIHA’s Melissa Hurley and Craig Sorrell.

Episode 1 of the Safe & Sound podcast is entitled “Ergonomics” and features Sheree Gibson, PE, CIH, who is a member of the AIHA Ergonomics Committee.

Topics in the podcast include:

• What are MSD’s (musculoskeletal disorders)
• What are the causes of MSD’s
• How to limit MSD’s
• The future of ergonomic standards
• AIHA’s position statement on ergonomics
• and much more…

You can listen to the AIHA podcast at the AIHA website.

Note:  The podcast can also be downloaded to your portable music player by left clicking on the above link.

Source: AIHA

Among the research needs are:

According to AIHA, the goal of ergonomics is to:

“AIHA commends the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on its recent decision to implement a multi-tiered enforcement program to ensure worker protection on projects related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Early in the year, the Obama Administration proposed creating more than one million new construction and manufacturing jobs.

In response, the [...]]]> Source: AIHA

“AIHA commends the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on its recent decision to implement a multi-tiered enforcement program to ensure worker protection on projects related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Early in the year, the Obama Administration proposed creating more than one million new construction and manufacturing jobs.

In response, the AIHA urged both President Obama and Labor Secretary Solis to ensure that the new jobs created by the stimulus package had adequate workplace protections for these workers. One specific issue AIHA stressed was the need for additional OSHA personnel to work solely on the new job creation projects.

Secretary Solis has announced that OSHA will strengthen enforcement by hiring an additional 36 inspectors to provide guidance training and outreach to employers and workers and by launching a new effort to collect information about injuries and illnesses in the construction industry.”

Read the Open Letter to President Obama (36) from AIHA pertaining to occupational health and safety and the stimulus.

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Workplace Access and Security

* Restrict and monitor workplace access. * Establish criteria for refusal of access [...]]]> The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) published guidelines on their website pertaining to industrial hygiene in the event of a pandemic. These recommendations can be used in conjunction with their 2006 Publication, The Role of the Industrial Hygienist in a Pandemic.

Workplace Access and Security

* Restrict and monitor workplace access.
* Establish criteria for refusal of access to unfit workers and criteria for return-to-work.
* Implement telework capabilities where feasible.
* Develop infrastructure to manage meetings by conference call or videoconferencing—when meetings are necessary, keep a separation of at least 6 feet from colleagues and ensure there is adequate ventilation.
* Reduce or eliminate noncritical social interactions.
* Encourage job rotation or staggered shifts to reduce workplace capacity as well as worker exposure risks related to traveling on public transit during peak times.
* Segregate/isolate critical work clusters.
* Reduce or eliminate work in low-ventilated areas.
* Minimize the use of shared facilities for eating and smoking by staggering meals and breaks or designating multiple sites.
* Reduce or eliminate work travel to high-risk regions and encourage workers who are traveling to stay away in the event of a local outbreak.
* Initiate a snow day practice or “reverse quarantine” for nonessential workers.

Labor Relations

* Identify critical production needs and reduce nonessential production.
* Compile priority requirements for key workers with respect to personal protective equipment and training.
* Engage management and workers/union parties in discussions on safe work practices, grievance procedures, and contingencies available for work force, supply chain and production.
* Maintain effective communications between all workplace parties.
* Address dispute resolution regarding health and safety/safe work issues.
* Identify and mitigate unique exposure risks posed by multiple jobs and shifts by part-time or occasional workers.

Communications

* Establish call-in hotline.
* Create up-to-the-minute web splash page.
* Launch dedicated “grapevine.”

Germ Control

* Develop a sick leave policy that does not penalize sick employees and encourages them to stay home—recognize that employees with ill family members may need to stay home to care for them.
* Provide resources and a work environment that promotes personal hygiene—provide tissues, no-touch trash cans, hand soap, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, and disposable towels (for employees to clean their work surfaces).
* Encourage employees to wash hands frequently and avoid touching nose, mouth, and eyes—germs can live for two hours or more on surfaces.
* Encourage employees to cover their coughs and sneezes.
* Provide employees with up-to-date education and training on flu risk factors, protective behaviors, and instruction on proper behaviors (proper cough etiquette and care of personal protective equipment).
* Keep work surfaces, telephones, computer equipment and other frequently touched surfaces and office equipment clean.
* Discourage employees from using phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment that are not their own.
* Promote healthy lifestyles that include plenty of sleep, physical activity, good nutrition, stress management, drinking plenty of fluids, and smoking cessation.
* Cover mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough either with a tissue or upper sleeves then clean your hands.
* Clean hands often, and when possible, wash with soap and warm water, rub vigorously together and scrub all surfaces for 15 to 20 seconds.
* When soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers, rubbing hands until dry.

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