Industrial Safety & Hygiene News articles from April 2001

Industrial Safety & Hygiene News archives from April 2001

The rush for recognition.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... How can a company be credible if it's not safe? Everybody cares about their reputation, right? Even a bad boy rapper like Eminem has a commercial rep to protect. Reputations -- good and bad -- get a lot of press these days. Did you...

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS.
April 1, 2001... selling supervisors Q My supervisors tell me they don't have time for safety. How do I sell them on the need for safety training and monitoring? A You have to sell the supervisors' boss or bosses on safety first. It has to be part of...

IT'S ALL OVER FOR OSHA'S ERGO RULE.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration; ergonomics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... It took OSHA ten years to develop ergonomics requirements for industry -- and two days for Congress to kill them. In early March, both the House and Senate voted largely along party lines to scrap the rules, which would have covered 102 million...

Public access to chemical release info.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... EPA is working on two systems to provide access to information about potential off-site consequences of chemical releases from industrial plants. One would give the public "read only" access to info in an electronic database. The other...

Voluntary limits face legal attacks.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... For the first time ever, lawsuits have been filed attacking the basis and legality of voluntary Threshold Limit Values set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. In its 62-year history, ACGIH TLVs have never faced a...

CHEMICALS FACE GLOBAL BAN.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Negotiators for 122 nations have agreed on a global ban on the so-called "dirty dozen" pollutants, including PCBs and dioxins, that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and other adverse health effects. The treaty, more than two years...

Loud enough for you?(noise ratings at work)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... Think your workplace is loud? NIOSH offers these estimates of work-related noises: Here's 140 dBs coming at you. Loudest tone possible -- 194 dB Rocket launch -- 180 dB 12-gauge shotgun -- 165 dB Jet engine takeoff -- 140...

Last survivor of historic fire dies.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Rose Freedman, 107, the last survivor of a fire that killed 146 New York City garment workers in 1911 and spawned industrial safety reforms that reverberate to this day, died in February at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mrs. Freedman...

POWERED INDUSTRIAL TRUCK SAFETY.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Can an employee be allowed to operate a powered industrial truck if the employee can't read? Yes, says OSHA. During training and evaluation, a determination must be made whether the employee has the knowledge and skills to perform the job....

Auto industry targets safety.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), representing more than 1,600 automotive and truck manufacturers and their suppliers, has set up an Occupational Health & Safety Steering Committee to oversee work groups that will develop guidelines...

Rewards & threats: Handle with care.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... You don't want to undermine self-directed safety All safety-related behavior starts as "other-directed." By this I mean the safe way of doing something is told or showed through instructional manuals or training sessions. We continue to...

When an employee wants to "get even".
April 1, 2001... How to handle false safety allegations An employee at an Ohio factory was fired during his first week on the job when he was caught, in full view of other employees, urinating on the shop floor. This should have been the end of the story,...

Welding safety precautions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A follow-up to ISHN's February article An article written by me, entitled "Welding Safety," appeared in the February issue of ISHN -- Industrial Safety & Hygiene News. Several remarks made in this article need clarification. Cylinder...

CHOOSING THE RIGHT EYE PROTECTION.
April 1, 2001... Director of Product Wrong choices can cause serious injuries Every day, one thousand eye injuries occur in U.S. workplaces, and 250 of these workers lose their eyesight -- some temporarily, some permanently. We all know that eye...

What you should know about testing programs, ADA compliance, and employee attitudes.(Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990)
April 1, 2001... Ready to launch a drug and alcohol testing program? Or maybe you're changing your existing policies. Be prepared for reactions like these: "The company is infringing on my personal rights." "What I do on my off time isn't the company's...

Confronting Substance Abuse.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Employee perceptions Resistance might be overstated Even if drug and alcohol testing makes good safety and economic sense, will it create bad relations with employees, especially in industries where it is not mandatory? Boston...

PROTECTIVE GLASSES.
April 1, 2001... Sellstrom HOTSHOTST [TM] are high-caliber specs designed to look coal and provide clear vision. The matte finish gives the durable plastic frame a smooth coating that is ideal for high temperature areas. Soft, pliable tips relieve pressure on...

PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Veratti Viper from Encon features a lightweight design for all-day comfort. Adjustable length temples and ratcheting pivot promotes maximum employee acceptance. The frameless design provides a wide field of vision coupled with maximum...

CHEMICAL SPLASH GOGGLES.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... American Allsafe's MonoGoggle[R] 211 is designed to protect against chemical splash. It has a frame designed with a pantascopic angle to improve work area visibility. Alisafe's patented indirect ventilation process increases airflow,...

WELDING LENS.
April 1, 2001... AOSafety[R] has designed the Lexa[TM] MinimizeR[TM] lens in response to problems associated with "flash burn," a hazard that occurs when welders and workers in the area are exposed to welding arcs. The company's proprietary "thin film"...

LIGHTWEIGHT EYEWEAR.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... StarLite protective eyewear from Gateway Safety features a light unitary design that weighs less than one ounce for greater comfort. StarLite is similar in appearance to fashionable sunglass styles, with a snug-fitting, wraparound frame and...

WELDING GOGGLES.
April 1, 2001... WC Goggles by Jackson Products offer the peripheral vision of a spectacle and the safety of goggles. Features include a two-piece lens, surrounded by foam rubber, along with a side head strap and adjustable side vents to increase airflow. The...

CAN YOU HEAR ME?(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Electronic earmuffs solve communication problems While earplugs, canal caps, and earmuffs are used to protect against the majority of noise in the workplace, electronic or communication earmuffs are available for specialty uses and...

HEARING LOSS & AGING MOST DAMAGE GOES UNDETECTED.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Much has been done to protect the nine million industrial workers exposed to high levels of noise in the workplace, but some types of hearing loss, especially hearing loss due to aging, are unavoidable. But you can help improve the quality of...

NEW PACKAGING.
April 1, 2001... Dalloz Safety now offers 200-pair packaging of its Bilsom[R] 200 Series Eardown[R] and 300 Series foam disposable earplugs. The plugs are each available in two sizes and are designed to fit a variety of people. Dalloz Safety Reading, PA.

DISPOSABLE EARPLUGS.
April 1, 2001... Moldex offers the Pocket-Pak[R], an earplugs storage case that slips easily into the user's pocket. The case resists crushing so it's tough enough to store in a tool box. Each case comes with two pair of uncorded or one pair of corded...

COMPACT MUFF.(from MSA)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Apex 30[TM] earmuff from MSA is ideal for intense noise applications, such as airfields and power plants. A padded headband and soft ear cushions provide added comfort. The unit features a NRR of 30 dB and is lightweight, compact and...

HEARING PROTECTION BAND.
April 1, 2001... The Rad Band[TM] from Radians is a hearing protection band designed for those exposed to high decibel levels who need to remove their earplugs repeatedly. When used as directed, the device has a NRR of 23 dB. It features a durable, lightweight...

ADJUSTABLE EARMUFF.
April 1, 2001... Howard Leight has introduced the Diamond[TM] 100 (NRIR 22), a folding and multi-positional earmuff. The muff can be worn over the head, behind the head, or under the chin. It offers high speech recognition by muffling high frequencies while...

SOUND LEVEL METER.(from Cole-Parmer Instrument Co.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The sound level ProbeMeter[TM] is an ergonomic, user-friendly meter that meets OSHA and other regulatory noise monitoring requirements. Check readings at a glance on the large digital display. Use analog output to plot or store data on strip...

Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
April 1, 2001... strikes someone every two minutes Close your eyes and imagine this: You are walking the concourse of an international airport when the person standing directly in your path clutches their chest, looks right at you as their knees buckle, and...

FLASHLIGHT.(from Pelican Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Pelican's L1 LED flashlight is designed to provide 50,000 hours of light. The L1 uses four LR 44 .5V alkaline coin cells (included) for 100 hours of battery life. A bright, concentrated beam is ideal for situations where close-up light is...

EMERGENCY KIT.(from CDX Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Biopail[TM] single-person emergency response kit contains a pair of latex gloves, a pair of nitrile overgloves, a splash-resistant PVC apron, a face mask, coagulant decontaminant, tuberculocidal disinfectant wipe, disinfectant spray,...

SAFETY TRAINING.(courses from Environmental and Occupational Risk Management)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... No Photo ESHconnect currently offers 40 Web-based training courses in environmental and safety, human resources compliance, and general human resources personal and professional development. Courses are designed to operate with syntrio's...

MSDS SOFTWARE.(product introduction from MSDSpro)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The all-new MSDSpro 3.5 allows free unlimited MSDS downloads and automated MSDS updates. Simply pick the MSDS you need and import it. MSDSpro also creates location-specific binders for MSDS backups and OSHA compliance. MSDSpro, Aurora, CO.

ROOF ANCHOR.(from Dalloz Fall Protection)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Miller ReadyRoofer system from Dalloz Fall Protection provides both fall protection and easy installation. The versatile and reusable roof anchor quickly installs on steep-pitched or flat-surface roofs with the eight screws provided. It's...

LIFT TABLE.(from Southworth Products Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Z-Lift Tilter[R] from Southworth Products Corp. is designed to position a container to the most convenient working height and angle and to simplify machine feeding applications. Lift and tilt are achieved independently, but with the same...

FALL PROTECTION.(roofing product from Saferidge USA)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Saferidge System allows for both fall protection and a ridge vent. Used mostly for maintenance on pitched metal roofs, the system complies with OSHA standards. It features top-down fastening, eliminating the need to enter the premises or...

MSDS MANAGEMENT.(new software product from HazMat Control Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... HazMat Control Systems' new client/server software product, MSDS Surfer [TM] helps employers manage and distribute material safety data sheets (MSDS). The software product provides all of the tools to surf, browse, download, save, index,...

INTERNET.(J. J. Keller and Associates Inc. introduces safety management tool)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. has launched Keller Online[TM], an Internet site described as an interactive safety management tool. The site integrates federal and state regulations with interactive tools and adds assistance from Keller's...

EDUCATION.(partnership between AdvanceOnline Inc., Region X OSHA Training Institute Education Center)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The University of Washington-based Region X OSHA Training Institute Education Center (OTIEC) has partnered with AdvanceOnline, Inc., a provider of online safety training solutions, to take its training courses to the Internet. Courses are...

AWARDS.(Nilfisk-Advance America Inc., Russ Seery)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Nilfisk-Advance America, Inc. recently honored several employees at its annual sales meeting in Bermuda. Russ Seery was named Man of the Year for 2000, receiving the "Order of the Axe" award. He has been with the company for 12 years, serving...