Environmental Health and Safety

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The EPA has proposed “regulatory determinations” for two chemicals whose presence in drinking water has raised alarm among the public and health experts. The agency is proposing to regulate two contaminants perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – but not six others: 1,1-dichloroethane, acetochlor, methyl bromide, metolachlor, nitrobenzene, and RDX.

The growing problem of plastic pollution in the environment is receiving an increasing amount of attention (see article in Nature). Small particles of plastics are often referred to as microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5 mm [1]) and nanoplastics (the nanoscale fraction of plastic particles). Nano- and microplastic particles (NMPPs) can be formed through environmental and mechanical degradation (the top-down mechanism).

Industrial Scientific, the global leader in gas detection and connected safety, is pleased to announce that Marc Osgoodby has joined the company as vice president of global sales. Marc will be responsible for leading Industrial Scientific’s global go-to-market strategy and sales teams.

A new study finds a wide state-by-state variation in rates of melanoma caused by ultraviolet (UV) exposure with highest rates in several states on the East and West Coast including Hawaii, but also a few landlocked states, including Utah, Vermont, and Minnesota. The report finds state-level incidence rates for UV-attributable melanoma ranged from 15 cases per 100,000 in Alaska to 65 cases per 100,000 in Hawaii.

Although obese employees incur higher direct and indirect costs, the extent of obesity-related costs tends to be lower in some industrial sectors — including healthcare, reports a study in the February Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dominique Lejeune, MSc, of Groupe d'analyse, Ltée, Montréal, QC, Canada, analyzed variations in the relationship between obesity and healthcare and other employee costs.

On an unseasonably warm autumn night in 2016 near Tekamah, Nebraska, a resident ventured out of his home to find the source of the sharp, overpowering odor he was smelling. What he didn’t know was that an 8-inch-diameter underground transmission pipeline owned and operated by Magellan Midstream Partners, LP had ruptured and released 2,587 barrels (108,654 gallons) of liquid anhydrous ammonia onto his property.

OSHA has cited Cleveland Brothers Inc. – doing business as CB HYMAC – for exposing workers to hexavalent chromium fumes and other safety hazards at the company’s shop in Camp Hill, Penn. The company, which provides hydraulic service and repair, machining and chroming services, was cited for one willful violation and 18 serious and two other-than-serious citations.

It started with a series of conference calls and emails, which led to a draft list of relevant topics. That list was then refined and grouped into seven broad objectives, and working subgroups were formed for each of those objectives. The result? The Healthy Work Design and Well-Being (HWD) Agenda, released last month by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

For industries operating in an inherently dangerous environment, the importance of selecting the right PPE can’t be understated. It’s equally important to consider the critical roles of proper implementation and maintenance when it comes to the safety of workers and the soundness of an organization.

During the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) awards luncheon on February 22, 2020 at the NHCA Annual Conference in Destin, FL, Elliott H. Berger, M.S., FAIHA, INCE, will be recognized for his outstanding leadership and service to the organization with the Michael Beall Threadgill Award.