Environmental Health and Safety

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More than 100 families affected by fracking sent a letter to President Obama recently, asking for him to meet with them and hear about their experiences.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) has announced that S.D. Allen Iske Jr., PhD, CIH, CSP will receive this year's Henry F. Smyth, Jr. Award. The honor is presented annually to an individual who has recognized the needs of the industrial hygiene profession and contributed to the improvement of the public's welfare.

As I write this first President’s Message, I find myself reflecting on who we are and what we contribute as safety professionals. I have heard many OSH professionals say that what we do is not a job, it is a noble calling. As safety professionals, we take immense pride in knowing that our work’s primary purpose is to prevent people from being injured or made sick from their work.

Employers covered by OSHA’s final rule on occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica have until June 23, 2017, to comply with the new construction standard, except for requirements for laboratory evaluation of exposure samples, which begin on June 23, 2018.

Most construction workers use hand tools. Some use them all day long. Using the wrong hand tool, or the right tool the wrong way, can injure the muscles, tendons, or nerves in your hand, wrist, or arm. These types of injuries develop over time. Early symptoms may include achy, tired hands and wrists that feel better after rest. It is easy to just write these off to a hard day’s work – and in some cases you can end up with an injury that might even force you to quit construction work.

The “S” in NIOSH could stand for science, super, or spectacular but as we all know (and maybe sometimes forget) it stands for safety. Safety is a critical part of the NIOSH mission: safety and health at work for all people through research and prevention.

Oil and gas exploration, development and production can have a potential impact on the natural and social environments in which they take place.

Working night shifts leads to sleep and metabolic disorders, and even severe diseases, according to a study published on 22 June by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES).

Women who put in long hours at work face a much higher risk of serious diseases, according to new research from the Ohio State University.

Streamlight®, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting, announced it received “The Call2Recycle 2015 Leaders in Sustainability Award” for its commitment to battery recycling. Streamlight was part of a nationwide coalition of businesses that helped Call2Recycle divert close to 7.1 million pounds of batteries from U.S. landfills in 2015 – a 3 percent increase from the previous year.