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In reality, information equals power. The more we know, the better decisions we can make. If we have only half the important details, we will make weak decisions. Let’s use some history to drive this home. Although the Allied Forces ultimately won WWII, overconfidence from the D-Day invasion and the quickness with which the Allies pushed the Germans eastward across France, caused Eisenhower to underestimate the tactical abilities and determination of Hitler’s army. This resulted in the disastrous Operation Market-Garden in the Netherlands and the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes. Because of lack of current data in the Market-Garden strategy, the Allies were not in Berlin by the end of 1944 as they expected. Instead, by December of 1944 the Germans had broken through into the Allies’ line of advance in the Ardennes and caught us ill-prepared. Poor intelligence cost tens of thousands of lives. This is perhaps one of the most dramatic examples of “not enough information”, but it makes the point. Amazingly, with the communication capabilities of today’s wireless, cellular, Internet and other “instantaneous” technologies, many choose NOT to use this power to gather all the project information that they can get.
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.
For the company, job site or RPP administrator who does not understand why a qualified and empowered Respiratory Protection Program Administrator is a big deal, this blog highlights a triple-play of Top 5 facts that illustrate the importance of qualified training for Respiratory Protection Program Administrators: Top 5 OSHA violations, Top 5 reasons to be qualified, and Top 5 OSHA compliance indicators!
Genya Mallach – CSP
As part of a standard, pre-work permit inspection by the local township, it was discovered the exterior of a church (and local pre-school) had been painted with lead-based paint! Unfortunately, the estimates to remove and repaint the church were far beyond the church’s budget. At the acrimonious and finger-pointing church review meeting, a voice suddenly called out, “I’ll take care of it for half the cost of the lowest estimate!” Salvation!
However, when the contractor began the job,
Why do we care about particles floating around in our air? Bruce Groves explores how the environmental air monitoring in the future will be able to locate (in real time) the place, the direction of the pollution source so that we can take measures to stop or reduce the indicated pollution sources. The goal AND end result are to develop as clean a living and working area as possible.
Have you been properly trained to use your respirator and fit-tested to make sure it is actually stopping hazards from reaching your lungs?Are you confident that you are using your respirator properly and that the respirator that you have selected is the best for the contaminants you are exposed to? How about the person next to you – are they in compliance? Learn why compliance with respirator regulations is good for you and your lungs.
How can you reduce the costs of the surprise water problem? Plan now — whether it is for rain and flooding that may occur due to weather conditions or for the pipe break that always happens unexpectedly. Knowing who to call to determine the scope of the problem and who can implement the recommended response will save you significant time, money, property and hassle.
Dave Tomsey
When I was first introduced to perimeter air monitoring, I walked in circles for days, literally. Every half hour I recorded a reading in my field book and moved to the next assigned point. This necessary, tedious process continued for days, weeks, and months. At the end of each day I watched an entire job crew file through the gates to the parking area as I stood by in envy. After a deep breath of annoyance and gloom,
Paula Kaufmann, CIH
National Public Radio (NPR) recently reported their findings of an investigation of safety issues at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia. I was listening to the report while enjoying my morning walk in a nearby park. It stopped me in my tracks!
As part of their investigative report, NPR discovered that there were situations at the mine when the methane gas monitors on continuous mining machines were disabled because
The remediation of contaminated soil at hazardous waste sites is one way that we, as a society, employ to improve our environment. However, there is a risk of releasing these hazardous substances into the air during the actual soil-remediating operations that could present health risks to the surrounding community. One method of controlling these risks is through community air monitoring programs or CAMP.
Once only included on projects with very high levels of risk and public scrutiny, community air monitoring has become more commonplace.
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