Safety & Health


Call for Abstracts – National Environmental Public Health Conference

nephc

The National Environmental Public Health Conference is being held in Atlanta this year, October 26-28, 2009.  Being organized by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Environmental Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in conjunction with the National Environmental Health Association promises to be a very informative three days from the field of public health.

The conference will focus on the following topics:

  • Healthy Places
  • Public Health & Environmental Exposures
  • Sustainability & Public Health
  • Environmental Systems & Public Health
  • Environmental Health Emergencies
  • Environmental Health Science and Practice

The organizers of the conference are calling for abstract submissions for original, previously unpublished findings by May 8, 2009.  Additional information can be found HERE including a link for abstract submission.

From the website:
“The 2009 National Environmental Public Health Conference-Healthy People in a Healthy Environment seeks to promote the nation’s environmental health capacity by enhancing the expertise of environmental health professionals-including public health and healthcare professionals, academic researchers, representatives from communities and organizations, as well as advocacy and business groups with a primary interest in environmental public health.

The conference aims to develop and encourage innovative strategies for addressing existing and emerging issues in addition to being a forum for CDC/ATSDR and its many partners to share research, scientific, and program information focusing on environmental public health priorities.”


“Made in China” Drywall Off-Gasing?

made-in-chinaHere are some of the information that has been put together based upon the claims of off-gasing from chinese made drywall.

  • Homeowners have begun to complain about Chinese made drywall that gives off a egg-like stench
  • Between 2004-2008, approximately 540,000,000 (540 million) pounds of plasterboard (which includes drywall and ceiling tiles) was imported into the US from China
  • A majority of the imported drywall entered the US following the 2005 hurricane season that caused a domestic drywall shortage
  • Chinese drywall was less expensive
  • The drywall was made with fly ash which may not have been refined (i.e. cleaned) as well as some domestically made drywall.
  • The Florida Department of Health found the drywall to emit “volatile sulfur compounds” and contained strontium sulfide, which can release hydrogen sulfide in moist air (i.e. rotten egg smell)
  • A University of New Orleans toxicologist has identified hydrogen sulfide, sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide and carbon disulfide in the drywall
  • Agencies of the Chinese government did not respond to repeated Associated Press’ requests for comment

A copy of the AP article can be found HERE


AIHA & Travelers Risk Control Hold Free Webinars on Industrial Hygiene

travelersaiha

Travelers Risk Control (in conjunction with AIHA) has linked several webinars dealing with timely and pertinent industrial hygiene information on their website.  Currently, these webinars include:

Take some time to review some of the information they have put together.


NIOSH Publishes Document on Safe Approaches for Nanotechnology

From NIOSH

niosh-approaches-to-safe-nanotech“This document reviews what is currently known about nanoparticle toxicity, process emissions and exposure assessment, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment. This updated version of the document incorporates some of the latest results of NIOSH research, but it is only a starting point. The document serves a dual purpose: it is a summary of NIOSH’s current thinking and interim recommendations; and it is a request from NIOSH to occupational safety and health practitioners, researchers, product innovators and manufacturers, employers, workers, interest group members, and the general public to exchange information that will ensure that no worker suffers material impairment of safety or health as nanotechnology develops.”

A copy of this document can be found Here


New NIOSH guidance document for TB

From NIOSH

The document can be found HERE

“Research indicates that an appropriately designed and maintained upper-room UVGI system may kill or inactivate airborne TB bacteria and increase the protection afforded to healthcare workers while maintaining a safe level of UVGI in the occupied lower portion of the room. The purpose of this document is to examine the different parameters necessary for an effec­tive upper-room UVGI system and to provide guidelines to healthcare managers, facility designers, engineers, and industrial hygienists on the parameters necessary to install and maintain an effective upper-room UVGI system. These guidelines are consistent with previous CDC healthcare guidelines and expand upon them. This document provides an overview of the current knowledge concerning upper-room UVGI systems and research needs. Information from CDC/NIOSH-funded laboratory studies and other relevant studies is combined in this report to provide guide­lines for the installation and use of upper-room UVGI systems. Although other pathogenic microorganisms may be killed or inactivated by upper-room UVGI systems, the guidelines were developed for the installation and use of upper-room UVGI systems capable of killing or inactivating surrogates of mycobacteria.”


New Guidance Document – Assigned Protection Factors

apfOSHA has issued a new guidance document for employers who may need to establish and implement a respiratory protection program due to potential exposures to contaminants in workplace air.  The document focusues on the mandatory selection provisions of the assigned protection factors (APFs), maximum use concentrations (MUCs) and the use of the APF Table 1 of 29 CFR 1910.134.  A limited number of copies are available for ordering from:

1. OSHA’s publications page

2. Calling 202-693-1888, or

3. Download HERE

table-1-apf


OSHA Announces new Deputy Assistant Secretary

From OSHA

image from congress.nsc.org

(image from congress.nsc.org)

OSHA announces that Secretary Solis has selected Jordan Barab to be Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA and Acting Assistant Secretary, effective Monday, April 13. Jordan comes to us from the House Education and Labor Committee where he is the Senior Labor Policy Advisor for Health and Safety to Chairman George Miller. Prior to that, from 2002 through 2007, Jordan worked at the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.

Jordan was with OSHA, where he was Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary from 1998-2001.


OSHA Revises Field Operations Manual

From OSHA

osha-field-operation-manual

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has revised its Field Operations Manual to provide OSHA compliance officers with a single comprehensive resource of updated guidance in implementing the agency’s mission to more effectively protect employees from occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

“The manual will be a resource for workers and employers, giving them a consolidated reference on how OSHA expects workplaces to be safe and healthful,” said OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor Donald G. Shalhoub. “This document is part of OSHA’s continuing commitment to make its standards and enforcement activities transparent and understandable to all parties.”

The Field Operations Manual, formerly called the Field Inspection Reference Manual, constitutes OSHA’s general enforcement policy and procedures for use by the agency’s field offices in conducting inspections, issuing citations and proposing penalties. It is the guiding document for OSHA’s compliance officers, whose mission is to assure the safety and health of America’s working men and women.

The manual assists compliance officers in scheduling and conducting inspections, enforcing regulations, and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. It also offers guidance on how to inform employers about OSHA’s free On-Site Consultation Service and compliance assistance.

The manual is available online at: http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/Directive_pdf/CPL_02-00-148.pdf.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA’s role is to promote the safety and health of America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.


Chemical Concentrations Near Schools

school-air-quality1
Per the USA Today report published in December 2008

EPA modeling and subsequent air monitoring revealed the presence of carcinogens and heavy metals in close proximity to schools around the country.  “It is meant as ‘a screening tool. It isn’t an in-depth analysis,’ says Nick Bouwes, who helped create the model for EPA” and should not be used to estimate risk.  It should be noted that the data represents air quality outside of the schools and only thorough sampling inside the schools can document the indoor air quality.

Read more HERE


Where are the OH&S Jobs?

Wanting to find an aggregate for Occupational Health and Safety job listings on the internet?  Your search ends here at OHShub.com.

With over 125 OHS job listings (and growing daily) continuously updated, your next career move starts here. We search the internet to bring you the latest job postings in the Occupational Health & Safety field from sites including:

  • Simply Hired
  • Indeed
  • AIHA
  • Monster
  • CareerBuilder
  • EHSCareers
  • and much more!

Visit the OHShub.com Job Board, here.

OHShub.com Jobs Listings

OHShub.com Jobs Listings


What is OHShub.com?

We are working diligently to put together a wealth of information pertaining to the Occupational Health & Safety field. Our goal is to be the site where Health & Safety Professionals can come to gather, share and discuss information and topics in the OH&S arena.

OHShub.com is the Occupational Health and Safety Portal for…

  • Job and Career Listings
  • Forums & Discussion Groups
  • Health & Safety News
  • Health & Safety Resources & Web Links
  • Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) Exam Prep
  • Certified Safety Professional (CSP) Exam Prep

If you are interested in contributing to OHShub.com, please contact us.

We look forward to the upcoming weeks! Be sure to check back on our progress.

Thanks,

-OHShub.com