Industrial Safety & Hygiene News articles from March 2001

Industrial Safety & Hygiene News archives from March 2001

The Bush administration wants to change OSHA in a hurry.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Alter eight years of regulation-friendly Democrats running OSHA, what can safety manufacturers and distributors expect in the next four years as Republicans once again take the helm? Keep in mind that over OSHA's 30-year history, supposedly...

Back belts bounce back?(classifying back belts as personal protective equipment )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Saying that "back belts may have protective effects in certain industrial settings, such as sudden, unexpected loading of the spine," OSHA decided not to prohibit classifying back belts as personal protective equipment in its new ergonomics...

Fax automation improves service and cuts costs in purchasing.
March 1, 2001... How can you beat that combination? In the January 2001 For Distributors Only, my article discussed using fax automation to improve operations and reduce costs for invoicing and chasing slow payers. Several calls and e-mail messages have...

USA announces sales winners.(United Sales Associates)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... George J. Hayward, president of United Sales Associates, announced at the company's 19th Annual "Winterfest" sales meeting top awards, voted by the sales force: * Line Group Leader plaque went to Thomas J. Hayward, CPMR, QSSP, for his...

BW Technologies knows what distributors want.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... About three years ago, BW Technologies America set out on a difficult mission: to penetrate the well-developed single and multi gas monitor markets in this country. Yet the plan was simple: give customers and distributors what they needed...

Developing a sales compensation plan that motivates behavior and meets your business goals.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... As we have discussed in other issues of FDO, crafting a meaningful sales force compensation plan that provides the proper motivation for the sales team, drives the desired behavior and is consistent with the goals of the business entity is...

"Looking ahead -- What's up tor the rep industry?".(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... There are many issues, and all of them are major if they impact you. All of these issues can be regarded as positive or negative, depending on your business model now and/or in the future -- and your frame of mind. As I've reported before,...

Safety Plus Readers find value in distributors.(selling in the retail market and the safety market require entirely different business strategies)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... For decades, the Forrester & Vos Co. has successfully sold its nonprescription reading glasses to the retail market. Selling directly to endusers, like drug store chains, pharmacies, department stores, and warehouse clubs, the company, under...

Airgas joins with "clicks and bricks" network.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Airgas, Inc. and supplyFORCE.com, a provider of fully integrated, supply chain and B2B e-commerce solutions for the procurement of MRO and construction supplies, announced that Airgas has joined supplyFORCE.com's North American distributor...

Major Safety launches online store.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Major Safety Service, Inc., Norfolk, Va., has launched its new online store -- www.majorsafety.com -- featuring more than 1,000 safety items for sale. The online store provides blanket pricing discounts, scores of technical sheets for...

ESHconnect unveils e-biz Web site.(Environmental & Occupational Risk Management, Inc. launched its ecommerce and sales web site)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... EsHconnect [TM], the technology division of Environmental & Occupational Risk Management, Inc. (EORM [R]) has launched its ecommerce and storefront site. Accessing the storefront through www.eshconnect.com, users can browse products using...

New Pig broadens its line.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... New Pig Corp. has acquired EEP (formerly Ergon Environmental Products), an industrial distributor and manufacturer of absorbent products headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga. Under the terms of the agreement, EEP will remain its own entity and...

The anatomy of a purchase and sale agreement.
March 1, 2001... The myriad permeations can drive you insane, but don't let them My first experience with a purchase and sale agreement was the document I received from a Fortune 500 company that offered to buy my safety equipment distributorship in 1988....

Avoiding safety training pitfalls.
March 1, 2001... Five ways to make your training interesting Undoubtedly, safety training is one of the most important parts of a good safety program. However, it's also often one of the most dreaded topics for employees and safety professionals alike. ...

SELF-RETRACTING LIFELINE.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Protecta International has introduced the iLoc[TM] self-retracting lifeline, designed to arrest a fall in two feet or less. Its see-through case allows for complete and easy visual inspection of its internal components. Other features include a...

AUTOMATION SOFTWARE.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Think & Do Studio[TM] integrates advanced control and information technology with Microsoft Visio2000 to give users a complete automation software solution, with built-in enterprise connectivity and productivity analysis capabilities. Think &...

ABRASION-RESISTANT GLOVES.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Memphis Glove's new "Red Tech" series combines the comfort of cotton with the abrasion resistance of nitrile. This 100% cotton knit shell is lightly coated with nitrile to provide tactical sensitivity and greater dexterity

TURNKEY FALL PROTECTION SERVICES.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... CAI Safety Systems can help you protect your employees with custom-engineered fall protection solutions. Systems can range from a cable to a rigid rail for both horizontal and vertical applications. Implementation is easy with CAI Safety's...

LOCKOUT/TAGOUT MODULE.(Knorr Associates' DataPipe EH&S Information Management System)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Knorr Associates Inc. expands its DataPipe[TM] EH&S Information Management System with a Lockout/Tagout (LO/TO) Module. The LO/TO Module allows safety managers to identify equipment requiring LO/TO procedures including: number of LO/TO points,...

AIR SAMPLING GUIDE.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... The 2001 SKC Comprehensive Catalog and Air Sampling Guide provides complete information on industrial hygiene and environmental air sampling products, including sample pumps, calibrators, collection media, and passive samplers. The easy-to-use...

LEATHER GLOVES.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Performance Thumb Gloves prevent premature breakdown, extending both the glove's life and comfort level. Seam is removed from wear areas.

Enviryx.(new division in Pittsburgh, PA)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Enviryx announced the opening of a new division in Pittsburgh, PA. This division will be led by Mark Freeman, the new manager of business development, Eastern U.S., who will assist in expanding the company's services to this region.

Hatch Gloves.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... In preparation for the expansion of its product line, Hatch Gloves will now be known as Hatch Corporation. The company has also announced the recent addition of Rich Wilde as market director for the Safety and Ability divisions.

DuPont Tyvek[R].(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... DuPont Tyvek[R] has increased the prices of its Tyvek[R] and Tychem[R] garments. The average increase of six to nine percent reflects the increased energy and raw material costs for the garments, including the increased cost of Tyvek and Tychem...

Think & Do Software, Inc.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Think & Do Software, Inc. has merged with Steeplechase Software, which was recently acquired by Schneider Electric. The combined PC-based automation and control software operation will form a key component of a new, independent company,...

John H. Leavey Mfg.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... John H. Leavey Mfg. now has over 3,000 items and is adding over 100 new products per week to HVACtool.com. This month, HVACtool.com will be giving away an $80 digital manometer. The drawing winner will have the option of taking the manometer or...

Awards.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... 3M will honor five outstanding industrial hygiene students at the 15th annual 3M Industrial Hygiene Scholarship program. Scholarship recipients will be recognized in conjunction with the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition...

Correction.(to article in issue of October 2000 about Right to Know Act)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2001... In October, 2000, ISHN published an article entitled, "What OSHA says about safety signs." The article stated that EPA's Community Right to Know Act requires facilities with hazardous chemicals on site in quantities beyond certain thresholds to...

Attacking a lethal threat.(healthcare workers' safety)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... How a national needlestick safety law was achieved Today almost one in every ten workers in the United States is a healthcare worker. Committed to promoting health through treatment and care for the sick and injured, healthcare workers,...

Online shoppers want better service.(survey by LivePerson Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Half of all online consumer shoppers said they want better customer service or the ability to speak or chat with a sales representative, according to a survey by LivePerson, Inc., a leading application service provider of technology...

E-Biz: Still waiting to take off.(purchasing via E-mail)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Few U.S. companies now use the Internet to buy supplies, although most see the Web as an important part of their business in the future, according to a study released by the National Association of Purchasing Management, which conducted the...

Welding cable safety.
March 1, 2001... Special care must be taken to protect welding cables, says Safety Director Roger Simpson. Keep them clean of grease and oil, and free of dampness that could cause insulation to break down. Do not allow people to drive or walk on welding cables....

Work begins on voluntary SAFETY MANAGEMENT STANDARD.
March 1, 2001... The first meeting of the ANSI Z10 committee on Occupational Health and Safety Systems was held in February in Falls Church, Va. The committee aims to develop a voluntary, consensus standard to help companies better manage their occupational...

Does safety really matter?
March 1, 2001... Answer These questions to find out Does a safety and health program really make a difference? There are four crucial questions you should be asking, according to OSHA. The detailed answers are found in the four modules of OSHA's Safety...

Another ergo standard... ANSI takes a crack at it.
March 1, 2001... The National Safety Council (NSC) announced that the new proposed voluntary ergonomics standard is now available for formal public comment. The Accredited Standards Committee on Control of Cumulative Trauma Disorders (Z365), accredited by the...

Lessons from the presidential election.
March 1, 2001... Standards, reliability, and feedback were missing I certainly don't know all of the complexities involved in the Florida presidential election recount fiasco, but I want to present three basic lessons that should have been learned from that...

When there are no limits.(unregulated chemicals)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... How to assess unregulated chemicals Less than one percent of all chemicals commercially used in the United States have an established occupational exposure limit such as a permissible exposure limit (PEL), threshold limit value (TLV), or...

How to coach senior managers.(safety and health)
March 1, 2001... Ten roles executives should assume for safety In ISHN's 2001 White Paper survey of safety professionals, only 65 percent believe their "managers actively support safety and health," and only 29 percent report that "management duties...

Are your ergonomic priorities in order?
March 1, 2001... Here's how to determine an action plan OK, we all know about OSHA's new ergonomics standard. And we know about the high cost of ergonomic-related injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and bad backs. These are strong motivators to get going...

ARE PERMITS REQUIRED?
March 1, 2001... How to comply with "permit-required" confined spaces Despite the fact that regulations regarding permit-required confined spaces are difficult to understand, you still must examine the workplace for affected areas, perform hazard...

Protective Clothing What to look for in PPE suppliers.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... To meet the demands of their customers, many distributors and manufacturers of personal protective equipment now provide round-the-clock support above and beyond the typical product specs and material safety data sheets. Is your supplier...

Time for a change.(OSHA and air-purifying respirators)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... OSHA's guidelines for changing APR cartridges Knowing when to change the cartridge of an air-purifying respirator (APR) is necessary, but it can be tricky. These cartridges, particularly those for gases and vapors, contain sorbent material...

Laying the groundwork for RESPIRATORY PROTECTION.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Learn the basics before getting started I remember my first exposure (no pun intended) to respiratory protection as if it was yesterday. As a fresh-out-of-college insurance loss control representative, I believed that industrial hygiene was...

LIGHTWEIGHT FACEPIECE.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... A new clear blue facepiece subtracts 25% of the weight and adds softness to MSA's Advantage 200 LS respirator to give workers more comfort than ever. It has the same face seal design, but its lighter weight makes it more stable on the user's...

PARTICULATE HALF MASK.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Draeger Safety has introduced the Piccola, a particulate half mask for use in a variety of industries. The Synsafe[TM] filter media combines electrostatic and mechanical filtration properties in a multi-layer design that includes a pre-filter...

DISPOSABLE HOODS.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Allegro Industries has added two new designs to its line of fully disposable SAR hoods. These hoods are designed with the breathing or down tube and head suspension completely integrated so that the hood assembly is constructed into a...

ONLINE SERVICE.(respirator usage)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... With OMI's online service, it's no longer necessary to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to medically evaluate your employees for respirator use. Simply log on to http://www.occupational.com/ and fill out a corporate profile. From then...

RESUABLE RESPIRATOR.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... The Willson All-In-One reusable respirator package includes a Willson Premier[R] half-mask silicon respirator, a WillsonMax[TM] full-facepiece 8100 economy respirator and a pair of Uni-Sorb[R] multi-contaminant cartridges and P-95 pre-filters....

Can you spot the "working interface"?(factors determining safe work environment)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Where conditions, procedures, and behavior interact Since 1997 my associates and I have analyzed data sets from hundreds of sites. We have found two barriers -- facilities-and-equipment and hazard-recognition -- cause most at-risk...

Advancing an agenda.(health and safety in the workplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Dave Johnson Lessons from the ergonomics war Promoting a safety and health agenda in the workplace can be tough going, as you probably have discovered somewhere along the way. By the time you push your plan up through the organization,...

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS.(dealing with frequently injured workers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... "injury repeaters" How do you deal with workers who repeatedly suffer injuries? All injuries are the result of hazards. Deal with the hazards in their work area -- identify the hazards, then eliminate or reduce them utilizing the...

New needlestick protections required.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... OSHA revised its bloodborne pathogens standard in January to clarify the need for employers to select safer needle devices as they become available and to involve employees in identifying and choosing these devices. The need for safer...

OSHA revises RECORDKEEPING REGULATIONS.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... New rules for how employers keep track of work-related injuries and illnesses go into effect January 1, 2002. OSHA issued the long-awaited update of recordkeeping practices on January 19, 2001. About 1.3 million workplaces will be required...

New steel erection standard issued.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Iron workers will go about their business under new OSHA rules aimed at improving steel erection safety by strengthening work practice and equipment requirements relating to working under loads; hoisting, landing and placing decking; column...

OSHA updates its Internet policies.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... OSHA, like most businesses in private industry, is constantly refining its Internet operations. The agency recently issued new internal guidelines for delegating authority and assigning responsibility for managing its online operations. The new...

Bureau of Labor Statistics.(workers in unions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... 13.5% That's the percentage of-American workers belonging to unions in 2000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unions, a traditional force behind workplace safety programs, saw membership drop to its lowest level in six decades....