Environmental Health and Safety - Articles - Page 85

Two reprotoxic substances banned in the EU

January 14, 2020

The European Commission, on advice from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), has banned two pesticides: chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl and two organophosphates used as ingredients in a number of insecticides. Chlorpyrifos has been on the market since 1966 and is currently in use in some 80 countries.

KPA named A Best Place to Work in 2020 by Built In Colorado

Built in Colorado also includes KPA among Best Paying Companies and Best Midsize Companies to Work For

January 14, 2020

KPA is excited to announce it has been named as one of Built In Colorado’s Best Places to Work in 2020. Additionally, KPA was named as one of Built in Colorado’s Best Midsize Companies to Work for and Best Paying Companies.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Industrial exoskeletons

Dr. John Howard Jack Lu PhD, CPE Vladimir Murashov PhD Brian D. Lowe Ph.D

January 13, 2020

Exoskeletons used in the workplace are referred to as “industrial exoskeletons.” Their purpose is to augment, amplify, or reinforce the performance of a worker’s existing body components—primarily the lower back and the upper extremity (arms and shoulders). Despite a lack of research, manufacturers of these devices claim productivity gains, work quality improvements, and a reduction of the risk of work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs).

Workplace wellness program study shows positive results despite low participation

January 13, 2020

Even with relatively low participation rates, a comprehensive workplace health promotion (WHP) can have a moderate impact on worker health, according to an analysis of a large Finnish company published in the November Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The study involved an eight-year evaluation of the WHP implemented at a Finnish wood supply company, one which offered health risk appraisal (HRAs) and screening, along with education and support services aimed at improving employee health.

Smelting company employees sustain caustic burns; company cited

January 13, 2020

OSHA has cited Mayco Manufacturing LLC – operating as Mayco Industries Inc. – for exposing employees to lead and arsenic in addition to machine, electrical and fall hazards. The Granite City, Illinois, lead smelter faces $223,148 in penalties for 18 serious health violations. The inspection occurred after OSHA received a report that employees suffered caustic burns from water mixed with sodium hydroxide used to extinguish a fire.

Protecting the Plant from Catastrophic Combustible Dust Explosions

Industrial vacuums are the right tool for preventing secondary explosions

January 13, 2020

The issue of dust explosions has been a hot topic since the early 20 century. In a book published by the NFPA in 1922, titled Dust Explosions, the authors, David J. Price and Harold H. Brown, acknowledge the need for a vacuum that can withstand the rigors of an industrial environment.

Learn CPR, AED skills for use in youth sports

January 13, 2020

Parents and coaches of young athletes can learn how to help during sports-related emergencies with a new CPR & First Aid in Youth Sports™ Training Kit being offered y the American Heart Association (AHA). The kit, which is completely self-facilitated, with no additional training required for a facilitator, will teach those who use it the lifesaving skill of CPR, how to use an AED, and other first aid information.

Weekly news round-up

January 11, 2020

OSHA updates a program designed to reduce amputations in the manufacturing industry; company execs in France found guilty of “institutional harassment” and alcohol-related fatalities are increasing in the U.S. These were among the occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

Stopping the spread of flu in your workforce

January 10, 2020

Want to discourage employees who have the flu from coming to work and spreading the virus to others in your workforce? Provide them with paid leave and the option of telework. That’s according to a study on work attendance during acute respiratory illness (ARI), which found that those provisions tend to keep sick employees away from the workplace and also help them retain some work productivity.

Prevent lung cancer: Test your home for radon

January 10, 2020

January is National Radon Action Month, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging Americans around the country to test their homes for radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer. “Radon exposure is one of the most important public health issues affecting Americans today,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.