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5/17/2012
By Aaron Trippler
One of the most interesting issues receiving attention in Washington right now is a recent meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH). This committee has undertaken something that has been a sore spot in occupational safety and health for many years: updating the permissible exposure limits (PELs). AIHA and others have spent considerable time and resources over the past 15 years attempting to have the outdated PELs updated. Options range from congressional action to simply updating the PELs and hoping that the courts won’t intervene.
Well, FACOSH has taken this a step further and has recommended that the Department of Labor ask the president to update the PELs by executive order. This is an interesting proposal and, if actually undertaken, it would solve the problem. However, making the recommendation and having it implemented are a long ways apart.
While I believe an executive order makes sense, I doubt if it could be completed due to the opposition to the whole issue of updating the PELs. There are those out there who want the legal exposure limits to remain as they are so that they can bypass additional safety and health protections. If they are taken to court, they can safely state that, regardless of the science behind a more recent exposure level, they have complied with the existing legal limits.
Can one really go to sleep at night thinking, “I will go just as far as I legally have to go; the heck with employee health and safety”? I guess there are those out there that do, and it is those who need to be watched carefully.
But back to the FACOSH proposal. While it's a good idea and I hope it succeeds, I don’t want everyone to get their hopes up. The FACOSH proposal would only apply to federal employees and to contractors who are working on federal sites.
So, as you can see, the more things change, the more they stay the same. We will continue to rely on PELs that, in many cases, are outdated; in fact, some PELs are 40 years old. 5/14/2012
By Kathryn Grandstaff
On this week's "toned" episode, Craig and I speak with Phil Haberstro, founder of the Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo, about Global Employee Health and Fitness Month. This awareness month is recognized in May and promotes health and fitness programming in the workplace. Here are our top 5 takeaways this week:
- Fitness is not limited to proper eating habits and body mass equations. Health and fitness programs take physical, mental and social fitness into account. Developing and implementing a fitness plan that includes a focus on all three aspects of health will be beneficial to your employees and your organization.
- Implementing a successful health and fitness program can be a success, no matter the size of your organization. Companies both large and small can find proper resources online, allowing them to implement a plan appropriate for the size of their workplace. Resources can be found on the website of the National Association for Health and Fitness.
- Improved fitness does not have to be a complete lifestyle overhaul. Small changes, both at home and in the workplace, can amount to significant health benefits and positive lifestyle changes.
- Healthy employees are happy employees. Designing a fitness plan within your workplace with specific goals and targets can improve your organization's culture.
- For more information about the Wellness Initiative and Employee Health and Fitness Month, click here.
A grab-bag of links from OEHS in the news...
REACH regulation up for review. EU's REACH law is coming up for review this year. Reviews and reports by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and EU member states are expected to be published by June 1 of this year.
Hydrogen sulfide exposure. A three-year study conducted in Iceland linked exposure to low levels of hydrogen sulfide to poor respiratory health—wheezing, coughing and asthma attacks requiring medication. The findings were published in Environmental Research.
Radiation exposure in children. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a proposal to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure for children. The proposal encourages manufacturers to keep children's safety in mind when designing new X-ray devices.
EPA scientist fired after 9/11 gets job back. Scientist Cate Jenkins was fired from her job with EPA after 9/11 when she accused the agency of covering up the dangers of the caustic dust at Ground Zero to first responders. A federal court ruled to reinstate Jenkins with back pay.
Radiation research archives. Archives of irradiated tissues from radiation experiments in 1950s Russia could now help researchers who are studying the effects of low doses of radiation, especially in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
Toxic chemical regulations. A Forbes article takes a look at how international toxic chemical regulations are impacting companies in the United States.
Phase-out of gas station vapor recovery systems. Last week, EPA announced that it has determined that gasoline vapor recovery systems used to capture harmful emissions during refueling at gas stations can be phased out. According to EPA, modern vehicles are equipped to capture gasoline vapor; the phase-out will also save affected gas stations money. 5/8/2012
By Kathryn Grandstaff
On this week's "comeback" of a show, Craig and I talk to Dr. Rick Fulwiler, CIH, CSHM, the 2011 recipient of the AIHA Distinguished Service Award and an AIHce attendee 49 times over. We chat with Dr. Fulwiler about what keeps him coming back to AIHce each year and what he's looking forward to seeing at AIHce 2012 in Indianapolis. Here are our top 5 takeaways this week:
- Dr. Fulwiler believes that AIHce is a key part of maintaining a professional edge through networking and educational content. We agree! He's been to 49 AIHce shows and plans on attending many more.
- If you enjoyed AIHce 2011, then you are sure to love AIHce 2012. This year, the acclaimed event will include "Ignite" sessions, AIHce On Demand options, and a free lunch!
- If you wish to be relieved of hauling your Day Runner to AIHce to schedule all of your favorite sessions, be sure to download the forthcoming AIHce mobile app. With schedules, happenings, and exhibitor information included, you won't miss a beat!
- Indianapolis has been called the "most walkable downtown in America." Join us at AIHce 2012 and find out why!
- For more information about AIHce 2012 in Indianapolis, Ind., including early registration information, please visit the AIHce 2012 website.
A grab-bag of links from OEHS in the news...
EU REACH law. Following a European Parliament resolution adopted on April 20, the European Union is poised to address endocrine disruptors, chemical mixtures, and nanosubstances within REACH and related legislation. Read more.
MSHA impact inspections. MSHA began special impact inspections “in force” after the April 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine. The agency recently announced the results of its March impact inspections of nine coal mines and two metal/nonmetal mines; federal inspectors issued a total of 249 violations.
Insecticide exposure. A new brain imaging study shows that low to moderate prenatal exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos “may lead to long-term, potentially irreversible changes in the brain structure of the child.” The results appear in PNAS.
Hazards in nail salons. OSHA has a new Web page with information and resources on health hazards in nail salons. The new site includes information on chemical hazards, muscle strains from awkward positions, biological hazards, OSHA assistance for workers and employers, and standards.
Pavement sealers. Three new studies and a review published by U.S. government and university researchers look at coal tar-based sealers, pathways of human exposure, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions. Read more.
Wildfires release toxic chemical. A recent study found that the toxic chemical isocyanic acid is released into the air in wildfire smoke; researchers found that the chemical may be found in heavy concentrations in Southeast Asia, Siberia, China, and tropical Africa.
Toxic chemicals in gardening products. A new study by HealthyStuff.org found high levels of lead, cadmium, BPA, phthalates, and hazardous flame retardants in a variety of gardening products. Read more. Study:
Workplace violence. Researchers from NIOSH and the Injury Research Center at West Virginia University studied the role of intimate partner violence in workplace homicides among U.S. women. Their results show that from 2003 to 2008, intimate partner violence resulted in 142 homicides among women at work in the U.S., or 22 percent of workplace homicides during those years. 5/1/2012
A grab-bag of links from OEHS in the news...
Nanoparticles. A study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) found evidence that engineered nanoparticles could damage plant DNA after entering root cells and accumulating. According to the press release, the study is part of NIST’s research on EHS risks of nanomaterials.
Solvent in detergent. Laboratory testing commissioned by an environmental group found “problematic levels” of 1,4 dioxane, a solvent that EPA lists as a probable carcinogen, in several Tide products.
Cadmium and breast cancer. Preliminary research on lifetime exposure to cadmium suggests that prolonged exposure to low levels of the heavy metal may contribute to the growth and spread of some breast cancer cells.
EPA’s Radiation Network (RadNet) System. A recent report from the Office of Inspector General found that at the time of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi incident, 20 percent of EPA’s RadNet monitors were out of service. According to the report, “out-of-service monitors … may reduce the quality and availability of critical data needed to assess radioactive threats to public health and the environment.”
NTP update. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) released its quarterly news update, covering the approval of seven NTP technical reports on “a broad spectrum of substances ranging from a popular herbal supplement and industrial solvents to HIV treatment approaches,” and more.
Cell phones. A safety review of cell phone use by the U.K.’s Health Protection Agency “found no conclusive links to cancer risk, brain function or infertility.”
U.S. occupational fatalities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently updated its fatality data for 2010, adding revisions to the 2010 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) counts. In 2010, there were 4,690 fatal work injuries, an increase from the August 2011 preliminary count of 4,547.
Workplace poisoning in Asia. According to a report by Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC), a labor rights group, “millions of Asian people are contracting fatal diseases at work but their suffering is ignored, unreported and uncompensated.”
5th European Working Conditions Survey. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work released the first results of its 2010 survey on European working conditions. Read more.
By Kathryn Grandstaff
On this week's "grateful" show, Craig and I talk to Diane Hurns, public relations manager at the American Society for Safety Engineers, about North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week which occurs May 6–12 this year. These are our top 5 takeaways this week:
- NAOSH Week began in the late 1990s when ASSE and CSSE partnered to recognize the prevention of illness and injuries in the workplace.
- NAOSH Week gets kids involved too! NAOSH’s poster competition for children ages 5–14 aims to reinforce safety practices both at school and at home.
- NAOSH Week includes a day dedicated to recognizing the diligent efforts of occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals. Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day occurs on May 9 this year. However, this is not the only time to thank your safety professional—you can do it every day!
- Fashion and safety meet! There are safety materials in a special safety suitcase, specifically used for PPE modeling. Borrow the safety suitcase to host your own PPE fashion show and explore safety in a new light.
- For more information, please visit the NAOSH Week home page.
Listen to Safe & Sound to find your own takeaways. Safe & Sound is also available as a subscription on iTunes.
Is it ethical to talk about an "efficient rate of injuries"? This is one of the questions Bruce Lippy grapples with in his article "Margin of Safety" in the May 2012 Synergist (digital edition coming soon). From an economist's perspective, Lippy writes, the answer is yes:
[Economists] would state that the goal of zero incidents is not just terribly inefficient; it is wrongheaded. A classical economist would define safety as the lowest sum of the combined costs of preventing injures and paying for the results of injuries. Economists would point out that opportunity costs (defined as the highest valued alternative that must be sacrificed when one chooses any option) are involved in all transactions.
It's natural for IHs--for anyone, really--to find this perspective hard to stomach. Yet questions of how to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number must deal with questions of efficiency. Back to Lippy:
[M]ost of us in the field don't do cost-benefit analysis or set discount rates, but we do make decisions about the appropriate balance between long-term program investments and the desire to cover high-priority immediate needs. This is cost-benefit analysis without formal rigor.
To illustrate the ethical aspects of these kinds of decisions, Lippy tells us the hypothetical story of Norm, an IH in a manufacturing plant that employs 650 people. Norm has long advocated replacing an aging local exhaust system to reduce cadmium exposures, and he has the data to support the need for this upgrade. Norm's boss, however, wants to start a behavior-based safety (BBS) program, which the boss feels will have a greater long-term effect on incidents, health effects and costs for the same money as the ventilation system.
What is Norm's ethical responsibility in this situation? How adamantly should he make the case for directing available funds toward replacing the ventilation system before initiating the new BBS program? If Norm is unable to persuade his boss, should he plead his case to his boss's boss? How would this affect Norm's relationship with management and his own job security?
Let us know what you think--leave your answers to these questions in the comments. 4/23/2012
A grab-bag of links from OEHS in the news...
Lead contamination. A USA TODAY investigation uncovered potentially dangerous levels of lead in the soil of 21 neighborhoods in the U.S. The neighborhoods are near land where lead smelting factories once existed.
Dental offices. An article on DentistryIQ.com explains different hazards and toxins found in dental offices, and offers safer alternatives for dental office employees that would also help to protect patients. One toxin described at length is glutaraldehyde.
Compressed gas safety. R&D magazine discusses compressed gas safety, including safe handling of compressed gas cylinders and proper compressed gas storage. OSHA and the Department of Transportation are two of the primary agencies responsible for compressed gas regulation.
Pesticide labeling. EPA's Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice 2012-1 clarifies the agency's policies for labeling of pesticides in order to avoid potential inconsistencies with OSHA's newly revised Hazard Communication Standard.
Lead exposure. Research published in Environmental Health Perspectives supported "an association of low-level cumulative lead exposure with increased depressive and phobic anxiety symptoms among older women who are premenopausal or who consistently take postmenopausal HRT."
Biotech worker's illness. Earth Island Journal covers the story of David Bell, who was employed at Agraquest, a start-up biotech firm, working on two bio-pesticide projects. He worked with Laginex, a water mold used to kill mosquitoes, and Serenade, a bio-pesticide used to control insects on crops. While working at Agraquest, Bell developed histoplasmosis, a lung disease that he believes came from exposure to bacteria and fungi while working in biotechnology.
OSHA and recordkeeping. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rules that OSHA can only look back six months for recordkeeping violations regarding recording employee injuries.
Seafarer health. Future Care, Inc., in collaboration with the Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, announced a new study of the health of seafarers worldwide.
London 2012. The U.K.'s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed a Health, Safety and Welfare Intervention Strategy for the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Read more.
Seat belt compliance. OSHA announced that Delta Air Lines signed an agreement on seat belt compliance measures, which the agency says will help protect airline industry workers. According to OSHA's press release, the agency recently issued a hazard alert letter to other airlines in the U.S. as a reminder of seat belt use requirements.
C8 exposure. A panel of scientists chosen by DuPont and the communities near the company's West Virginia Washington Works Plant announced that "it is more probable than not that exposure to C8 in the Mid-Ohio Valley was linked to testicular cancer and kidney cancer." The plant released C8, also known as perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA, into the air and Ohio River beginning in the 1950s.
Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) exposure. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives linked prenatal exposure to PFOA to obesity in women; results showed that women exposed to PFOA during development were three times more likely to be obese as young adults.
Air pollution and obesity. A study by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health links prenatal exposure to air pollution to childhood obesity. Researchers found that women in New York City who were exposed to high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during pregnancy were at increased risk of having children who were obese by age 7.
Chinese study of health risks for miners. A Chinese study published in PLoS Medicine showed that long-term exposure to silica dust increased mortality in Chinese miners; the major health risks identified were respiratory disease and lung cancer, as well as heart disease.
Draft guidance on nanotechnology. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued draft guidance on nanotechnology, which will address the use of nanotechnology in the food and cosmetics industries. Further details and more nanotechnology resources are available on FDA's website. 4/20/2012By Kathryn Grandstaff
On this week's "playful" show, Craig and I talk to Angela Mickalide, PhD, Director of Research at Safe Kids USA, about Safe Kids Week and tips for families looking to make fun and SAFE memories both indoors and out. These are our top 5 takeaways this week:
- Safe Kids Week is a national awareness week which runs April 23–28, 2012. This year's theme focuses on youth sports safety and includes many activities and resources for parents and families of young athletes.
- Child-proofing and focusing on children's safety at home is a great step in the right direction, but it's not the only step! Young children need protection in a variety of other environments: cars, indoor and outdoor play, and pool areas.
- Children will often follow the examples set at home. Making your home a safe and secure environment will assist your child in learning safe practices for the future.
- Safe Kids USA not only promotes safety measures for families with children, but they have done the research to back it up. Check out the extensive list of their research and findings.
- For more information on Safe Kids Week 2012, please visit the Safe Kids USA website.
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