Industrial Safety & Hygiene News articles from January 2002

Industrial Safety & Hygiene News archives from January 2002

Homeward bound: Are you ready for the new ways of work? (Editorial Comments).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 1, 2002... I was interviewing a safety consultant who was engaged in the latest occupational hazard -- multi-tasking while yammering on the phone. This fellow was in his kitchen cooking dinner and answering my questions when his smoke detector went off...

Aches & aging. (Questions & Answers).(preventing injuries in older workers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... What can I do to protect an aging work force from strains and sprains injuries? This goes contrary to our American culture, but require early morning stretches. We all know that a large number of injuries occur in the first one or two...

No fines for early recordkeeping problems. (Rules & Regs).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Thanks to a settlement reached between OSHA and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in late November, issues raised by NAM in a lawsuit last March concerning OSHA's revised recordkeeping rule were resolved, paving the way for the...

OH&S legislation moving slowly. (Rules & Regs).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Since September 11, legislation important to occupational health and safety has taken a back seat, as hundreds of bills have been introduced in Congress that pertain to events surrounding the terrorist attack and ways to address national...

Smoke-free workplaces? OSHA leaves it up to the states. (Rules & Regs).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... OSHA has withdrawn an inactive indoor air quality regulation it proposed in 1994 that would have banned smoking in virtually all workplaces. As a result, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), an anti-smoking organization that sued OSHA for...

OSHA inks new reg agenda: Emphasis goes to long-term plans. (Rules & Regs).(regulatory)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... OSHA's recently released regulatory agenda (December 3, 2001, Federal Register), the first to show the stamp of OSHA chief John Henshaw and the new leadership at the Department of Labor, is as conservative as OSHA watchers predicted. For...

The "e" word: Nothing yet out of OSHA. (Rules & Regs).(ergonomics)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Despite setting a loose deadline of Fall 2001, there is no word yet out of OSHA, as ISHN goes to press, regarding its plans on how to proceed with ergonomics. The decision on this controversial subject -- whether there will be regulations,...

Work-related deaths decrease. (News Scan).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Fatal work-related injuries claimed 93,338 lives from 1980 to 1995, according to two new NIOSH documents. The reports are based on a comprehensive NIOSH assessment of data gathered from death certificates nationwide for the 16-year period....

Off-the-job safety: Are you doing enough? (News Scan).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Although it may sound like a high total, the 97,300 people who died of preventable, or unintentional, injuries in the United States in 2000 is actually down slightly, according to Injury Facts 2001, the National Safety Council's (NSC) annual...

Vehicle safety test. (Dot to Launch).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... The U.S. Department of Transportation will launch an intelligent vehicle operational test of a system designed to help drivers avoid runoff-the-road crashes. The system warns drivers when they are about to drift off the road and crash into an...

Survey says workers need to wash hands better.(Soap and Detergent Association )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... New survey results released by the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) offer workers sound advice when at the workplace -- wash up! The 2001 SDA National Cleaning Survey reveals that, while many people use common-sense cleaning practices...

Belt-tightening time. (News Scan).(safety professionals effected by budget concerns)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Budget restrictions are impacting almost half the EHS pros surveyed for ISHN's 2002 White Paper. Forty-seven percent are dealing with resource constraints. Another sign of the times: 46 percent are concerned about the increased workload being...

Not going away. (Ergo Issues).(ergonomics )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... With or without strong OSHA action, ergonomics will not fade from the radar screen of workplace safety and health pros. Why? * Aging workers. More than one-third of pros surveyed by industrial Safety & Hygiene News (38 percent) say an...

Put down your cell phones. (ASSE to Drivers).(American Society of Safety Engineers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) board of directors recently approved a new position statement, titled "The Use of Electronic Devices in Motor Vehicles and Safe Driving Practices," to address the issue of driver distractions,...

Rush to judgment: Six ways to bias performance evaluations. (Psychology of Safety).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... In this article, the last in a series of four on performance appraisals and how they relate to safety, I want to discuss six psychological factors that prejudice typical performance evaluations. Remember, generic evaluations and rankings won't...

A new age of regulation?: Voluntary safety and security measures are not enough. (Managing Best Practices).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... U.S. businesses are being asked by the Leaders of our country to voluntarily do more to beef up homeland security. And government agencies are providing more guidelines that businesses should follow to better protect their employees and the...

Where's the EHS profession heading?: Here's your chance to participate in research.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Many of us who have been in the environmental health and safety trenches for the past 30 years are reaching that point in our careers where we have begun to think about retiring. And a loss of talent combined with lackluster hiring of EHS...

2002 white paper. (Environmental Health & Safety).(survey of safety professionals)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Safety professionals A profile of 221 readers who identify themselves as full-time safety professionals. Staffing What will happen to safety & health headcounts in 2002? * 75% to keep staffs at 2001 levels * 13% to...

Industrial hygiene training: Clear the air with fluency, not fear.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Historically, industrial hygiene has improved work environments in a host of industries. Industrial hygienists have measured parts of contaminants per million and have worked to build safeguards such as threshold limit values (TLV), used to...

Air pollution detection. (Product Update).
January 1, 2002... Offering multi-parameter air measurements, the Solomat MP Surveyor Pro from Lumidor Safety Products features a built-in micromanometer, a thermocouple and two additional sockets to allow simultaneous connection to Solomat Smart Probes. This...

Sound level meter. (Product Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Metrosonics db-210 from Quest Technologies, Inc. is a basic sound level meter that carries a "5-Minute Simplicity Guarantee" -- users are guaranteed that it will be operational in five minutes upon taking it out of the box. The easy-to-use,...

Portable gas monitors. (Product Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Thermo GasTech has introduced the GT-INNOVA portable gas monitors, which offer a 20 percent increase in pump flow rate over the previous GT Series. The GT-INNOVA also features auto-calibration, an instrument configuration and datalog package,...

Multi-gas monitor. (Product Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The new EXPLORER 4 multi-gas monitor from CSE Corp. measures up to four gases, oxygen, combustible and two toxics, including carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. Housed in a watertight stainless steel case, the EXPLORER 4 features an...

Portable gas detectors. (Product Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The G20 and G40 portable gas detectors from General Monitors feature a compact design with full-sized electrochemical cells for optimal personal safety. The G-series simultaneously monitors from one to four toxic gases, including oxygen...

Detector tube system. (Product Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... No Photo Gastec standard detector tubes from Straughan Technical are thin glass tubes with calibration scales printed by which you can directly read concentrations of substances (gases and vapors) to be measured. Each hermetically sealed tube...

The long battle against lead exposures: What you should know about respiratory protection.
January 1, 2002... Last summer OSHA announced a nation-emphasis program (NEP) designed to get the lead out. Literally. The program, which applies to all workplaces under OSHA's jurisdiction including general industry, construction and others, is aimed at reducing...

IDLH SCBAs. (Respiratory Protection).(respiratory protection )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Air-Mate[TM] 2000 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) from 3M OH & ESD is designed for workers who require respiratory protection in environments that are immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH). The NIOSH-approved SCBA offers...

Particulate respirators. (Respiratory Protection).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Moldex-Metric, Inc.'s 2730N100 particulate respirators incorporate the exclusive HandyStrap[R] that allows the mask to conveniently hang down around the user's neck when not in use and the Ventex[R] valve, which lets hot air out fast to enable...

MMR respirators. (Respiratory Protection).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Designed for industrial environments, MSA's WorkMask MMR SCBA/PremAire respirators are available in low- and high-pressure models and feature convenient mask-mounted regulators. An integral PremAire supplied-air respirator feature provides...

SCBA wall case. (Respiratory Protection).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Allegro Industries has introduced a comprehensive line of wall cases, including a new Dual SCBA wall case designed to meet the storage demand for two SCBAs or one SCBA and one cylinder (with additional mask). Easy access, low-profile...

SCBA testing. (Respiratory Protection).
January 1, 2002... The PosiTest3 from Draeger Safety, Inc. determines the proper operation of SCBAs by using dynamic tests and functional checks that quantitatively determine whether or not the SCBAs meet NIOSH and NFPA requirements. Consuming less than 1 percent...

AirSwitch regulator. (Respiratory Protection).
January 1, 2002... The ISI AirSwitch regulator with facemask is available as an upgrade to existing Magnum SCBAs. The upgrade on ISI Magnum units meets current NIOSH and NFPA standards. The AirSwitch regulator provides a low-profile SCBA facemask and switches...

Welding respirators. (Respiratory Protection).
January 1, 2002... American Allsafe offers Huntsman[TM] personal protective equipment for welding on-the-job safety. A full line of respirators, helmets, accessories and other PPE are available for various applications, and a welder's first-aid kit complements...

Respiratory/filtration mask. (Respiratory Protection).
January 1, 2002... The Changeable Safety Respirator from Advent Product Development, Inc. incorporates the use of a replaceable filter for the mouth and nasal area, requiring no headbands to secure the device to the user's face. This design, with a personal...

7 Simple steps to resolve.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... This could be you filing the following report: "It took several minutes after ending the phone call for me to really get a grip on what was just discussed. Ralph Lewis, one of best guys on the plant floor, had suffered severe injuries from a...

MSDS FAQs: Taking the mystery out of material safety data sheets.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... It's more than 15 years old, but OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is still one of the most frequently cited regulations, especially as it relates to material safety data sheets (MSDSs). OSHA promulgated the HCS to help keep workers...

New recordkeeping rules: Deciphering the forms.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... (This is Part 2 of a two-part series on the new OSHA recordkeeping rules. Part 1, published in the December 2001 issue of ISHN, discussed many of the changes employers need to make in order to stay in compliance.) One of the key...

Lessons in safety: 12 tips for getting everyone on board.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The absence of injuries and incidents does not imply the presence of safety. Nor does having written programs. The process of safety involves people, every day, every minute. Having safety means that employees understand and follow...

Safety means total commitment. (Your Turn).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... We often see signs in manufacturing facilities that say "Safety First," and in a few cases that may be true. But in many cases it's production first. In many cases, safety gets pushed to the side and employees take unnecessary chances in order...

Shat-R-Shields. (Business).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Shat-R-Shield's plastic-coated, shatter-resistant lamps, have become the first protective lighting products to achieve UL Classification. The UL EPH mark, which appears on products that have been evaluated to Environmental and Public Health...

The H.L. Bouton Co. Inc. (Business).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The H.L. Bouton Co., Inc., a Wareham, Mass.-based manufacturer of safety eyewear, eye wash and lens cleaners for the industrial, medical and consumer markets, recently opened a warehouse in Reno, Nev. The new location will serve the Western...

E.D. Bullard Co. and Air Systems International. (Business).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... E.D. Bullard Co. and Air Systems International have formed a strategic alliance whereby Bullard will manage the worldwide sales, marketing and factory representation program for the entire Air Systems brand product line of breathing air...

Impacto Protective Products, Inc. (Business).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Impacto Protective Products, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of specialized ergonomic products, has acquired the patented Air Belt Back Support and other specialty products from Bruder Healthcare. The acquisition of the Air Belt product...

3E Company and Safety-Kleen. (Business).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... 3E Company and Safety-Kleen have partnered to create a complete source for services that help businesses communicate information on hazardous materials to their employees. Services aimed at helping companies comply with OSHA and DOT regulations...

Awards. (Industry Briefs).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... United Sales Associates has announced its annual sales meeting awards: Thomas J. Hayward, CPMR, QSSP, Line Group Leader plaque; Jeff Whitaker, Product Line Specialist plaque; Todd A. Hayward, CPMR, QSSP, Eagle Award MVP.

Arbill Glove and Safety Products. (Internet).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Arbill Glove and Safety Products, a Philadelphia-based national supplier and manufacturer of safety products and services, is now offering an online catalog of products at www.arbill.com. More than 4,300 products from Arbill and other major...

Genium Publishing Corp. (Internet).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Genium Publishing Corp., a chemical safety publishing company, has launched a new online "HazMat ZONE" at www.genium.com/hazmatzone. The Web site offers a collection of frequently needed chemical safety data designed to help users make more...