Environmental Health and Safety

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For well over a century, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has collected data and published reports on occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. As a result, the safety profession has utilized this information to drive safety metrics.

CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES TLVs® 2018 NOTICE OF INTENDED CHANGES (NIC) Introduction to the Chemical Substances – Threshold Limit Value-Surface Limit (TLV-SL) New notation – Ototoxicant (OTO) Antimony trioxide (withdrawn from Notice of Intended Changes) Cobalt and inorganic compounds, as Co Cumene Cyanazine Cyclopentadiene (withdraw adopted TLV® and Documentation; see Dicyclopentadiene, including Cyclopentadiene)

ACGIH® announced today that its Board of Directors ratified the 2018 Threshold Limit Values (TLVs®) for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs®). The Board also approved recommendations for additions to the Notice of Intended Changes (NIC).

A workplace tragedy in Oklahoma, states with the best traffic safety laws and what that extra weight does to your feet. These were among the top occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

American Airlines is changing vendors for its employee uniforms, after employees sued over health problems they allege were caused by the garments. Thousands of flight attendants and crew members complained of symptoms ranging from caused hives, swollen faces, wheezing, vertigo, headaches and severe respiratory problems. A lawsuit filed against American Airlines and Twin Hill – the manufacturer of the uniforms – was filed in federal court last fall by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the union representing more than 25,000 AA flight attendants.

It’s naturally occurring and it’s just about everywhere, so we are all exposed to it. People who are regularly exposed to high radon levels, though, are at increased risk of lung cancer – especially if they smoke. Because radon is odorless and colorless, the only way to determine if your home is safe is to conduct testing.

A foot injury is, according to the Comp Pinkbook, the eighth most common workers’ compensation injury in Maryland. (The Comp Pinkbook represented a study of over a quarter million comp claims that had some kind of permanency award from the period of 1/1/11 to 6/30/12. The book is for sale at Amazon.com.)

One state considers a bill to help prevent workplace violence. OSHA fines for safety violations increase – by two percent. And the production company that produces the TV show “The Walking Dead” is cited and fined for the death of a stuntman. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.