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Bringing in the New Year is always an exciting time for everyone. People enjoy setting new goals, looking forward to the journey that the New Year brings and starting that resolution they promise they are going to keep. While the New Year brings many things to look forward to, it also is a time where we look back at the year that has passed and take a moment to reflect on what has happened. “In our society and legal system it seems that, yes, someone (or many) has to tragically die before change and regulation are considered.” In this case, the tragedy was 343+2. 343 firefighters perished in the September 11, 2001 tragedy. Less than six years later, the lives of two additional NY firefighters were claimed during the demolition of the 9/11-damaged Deutsche Bank Building. These contributing conditions created by the asbestos abatement project have been recognized by several authorities, and in an effort to maximize safety, New York City enacted a number of new laws to ensure that asbestos abatement projects are conducted safely. It’s summertime again… time for barbeques, bathing suits, and sunscreen. We all know we should protect ourselves from the sun damage to skin, eyes, and possible skin cancer. I remember as a child the only available sun lotion was 2, 4, and 8, and it was considered healthy to get a little red. A result of that latent exposure to the sun was Melanoma that killed my sister at age 47.When asked about potential occupational “overexposure” to sunshine, I had to ask: Is there more to know about protecting workers from sun exposure? What are the regulations and occupational exposure recommendations for exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation? Here are some answers …. Do you have hazardous chemicals in your workplace? If you think the answer is no, are you sure? Let’s start with a definition! OSHA defines a hazardous chemical as one that presents either a physical or a health hazard. Many common and readily available products such as paints, cleaners, and other materials found in the workplace meet this definition. In fact, last year OSHA issued over 6,300 violations to companies that failed to comply with this standard. Learn more about your Right-to-Know! Slips, trips, and falls aren’t at the top of anyone’s “most glamorous” EHS topics list. Many people perceive slips, trips, and falls as minor incidents resulting solely from either carelessness or clumsiness. Quite the opposite — slips, trips, and falls are a very costly and serious worker safety issue. In 2008, these incidents cost American businesses a staggering $13.67 billion in direct workers compensation costs. That’s more than any other cause and more than the combined cost of the third through sixth ranked causes. We have some news on this year’s TSCA IUR Form U submission: this year’s Form U submission period will not be June 1 to September 30. It will most likely be pushed back to later this year. The EPA is delaying the submission period because the proposed IUR modifications rule has not yet been finalized. EPA expects to have the final version of the changes to the IUR reporting requirements in the near future. The revised 2011 submission period will be announced with the publication of the final IUR modification rule. Bruce Groves makes a presentation at the New Jersey Clean Air Council’s (NJCAC) annual meeting on April 13th that focused on – a technical dialogue from multiple experts on how to measure and identify the effect of air pollution (and other environmental stressors) on the cumulative health issues of the public. The meeting aimed to bring professionals from varying disciplines to discuss technical approaches, academic research and general opinions on how to reduce this pollution and therefore improve the health of the affected populations. For a project health and safety administrator, it is vital to be able to communicate with your team members and with outside resources. How do you keep tabs on who is where and what is happening? How do you find if something has gone wrong or someone needs help? As the Field Safety Manager for a 300-mile electric power transmission power line construction project, one of my first tasks was to address the question “How do you make communication possible across 275 miles of relatively unpopulated, harsh mountainous territory”? Specifically, I had to meet OSHA’s requirements for communication: 29 CFR 1926.35 “Employee Emergency Action Plans” and 29 CFR 1926.50 “Medical Services and First Aid”. In fact, these are the reasons that OSHA implemented the Standards listed above – life and death situations may depend upon it! As a LEED AP-certified professional who specializes in Indoor Environmental issues with a focus on fire and life safety, I was very interested in some recent articles that are creating awareness of critical health and safety problems inherent to the green building movement — especially commercial buildings with new hazards that must be identified to protect building occupants and mergency responders. March 25, 2011 marks the centennial of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire — just 45 minutes from the Emilcott office in Morristown. It was the type of workplace that women my own age worked… I could have been trapped in the shop! That realization makes me think how lucky I am — and how far workers’ rights have come in the U.S. I am familiar with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”), and its mandate that every one of us has the right to a workplace free of recognized hazards. So, where did all this policy begin…? |
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