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.

LI = the relative estimate of the physical stress associated with a manual lifting job

Sources:  eLCOSH & NIOSH

New monitoring equipment may be potentially introduced by MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) to allow real-time, continuous monitoring of an employee’s dust exposure, versus the standard 8-hour periodic exposure monitoring.  The real-time monitoring would also take into account longer work shifts, which is quite common in the mining industry.

For more information on black lung, NIOSH has produced a video entitled, Faces of Black Lung

View Part 2 after the break:

Involvement included:

• EPA
• OSHA
• NIOSH
• CPSC
• The Center for Polyurethanes Industry, and
• Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) trade associations

The SPFA reports market growth of up to 40% since 2004. The EPA sited a report indicating that over 400 million pounds of polyurethane foam were consumed in North America during 2008.

The presentation several goals of the EPA initiative:

• Improve Availability of Safety Information
• Communicate Best Safety Practices
• Address Inaccurate and False Marketing Claims
• Exposure Assessment

According to information made by the EPA, another webinar will be held regarding Spray Foam due to demand.  Stay tuned to OHShub.com for more information.

Source: Sprayfoam.com

Mary Cushmac, from the EPA opened up the meeting with comments about the current situation in the industry as it relates to the government agency’s perspective. She indicated that both the A-side product and B-side products contain both primary and intermediate chemicals of concern, especially if they are mis-handled, or applied incorrectly.

EPA mentioned that the “applicators themselves” of the foam insulation are often in a work-hazard situation that exceeds the current OSHA / NIOSH exposure limits to isocyanate. Therefore it is imperative that the applicators, helpers, and nearby trades be properly educated and protected. Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is used, including but not limited to, full skin coverage, and full face respirators. Helpers should also be wearing full face respirators.

It was also emphasized that the building having foam applied, be vacated by the occupants (homeowners, school children, other workers), during the application of spray foam. This procedure is just as for the foam insulation contractor to know and abide by as it is to the consumer/homeowner having the work done.

The big concern and open ended question now revolves around just exactly how long should the building or space remain unoccupied after application. The general, very conservative, “best practices” rule of thumb has been discussed to be 24 hours. However, current research indicates that some tests have shown that no levels of isocyanate were detectable after just a few hours. It was agreed that more research is necessary and that many other variables also come into play in this decision.

Post application procedures should also be scrutinized as there is some concern that the dust created by the shaved foam may contain uncured chemicals that can lead to iso inhalation and skin irritation exposure.

Several other presentations were made by Janet Carter (OSHA), Daniel Almaguer (NIOSH), Treye Thomas (CPSC), Jim Chapman (Bayer MaterialScience), and the industry trade associations. Presentations covered more on the need for better safety practices, and the areas in most need. A major goal of this government and trade based coalition will be to communicate and educate all of current and future users of the product (trade and consumer side) all of these highlighted safety and health advisory precautions.

To aid in the prevention of these injuries, this booklet suggests many simple and inexpensive ways to make construction tasks easier, more comfortable, and better suited to the needs of the human body.

Example of a “simple solution.” This ironworker uses a tool that automatically ties rebar with the pull of a trigger. The extended handle lets him work while standing upright. No leaning, kneeling, stooping, or hand twisting are necessary.

Did you know … ?

• Construction is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States.
• The number of back injuries in U.S. construction was 50% higher than the average for all other U.S. industries in 1999 (CPWR, 2002).
• Backaches and pain in the shoulders, neck, arms, and hands were the most common symptoms reported by construction workers in one study (Cook et al, 1996).
• Material handling incidents account for 32% of workers’ compensation claims in construction, and 25% of the cost of all claims. The average cost per claim is $9,240 (CNA, 2000).
• Musculoskeletal injuries can cause temporary or even permanent disability, which can affect the worker’s earnings and the contractor’s profits.

The “Tip Sheets” in this booklet show how using different tools or equipment may reduce the risk of injury. All of the items described in this booklet have been used on working construction sites. Given the nature of construction, some solutions here may not be appropriate for all worksites. Sometimes solutions discovered for one trade can be modified for other trades.

This booklet provides general information regarding the methods some construction contractors have used to reduce workers’ exposures to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The examples described in this booklet may not be appropriate for all types of construction work. The use of the tools and equipment described in the booklet does not ensure that a musculoskeletal disorder will not occur. The information contained in this booklet does not produce new obligations or establish any specific standards or guidelines.

Our goal has been to describe solutions that are also cost-effective. Although the cost of some of the solutions here exceeds $1,000, which may be too high for some contractors, we believe successful implementation will lead to a quick recovery of the investment in many cases.

Source: NIOSH

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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.

Feature 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.