EHS Today Industrial Hygiene RSS Feed

Digging Deeper into Trenching Safety

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:30:00 EDT

Some employees end up digging their own graves when they’re working in trenches. This tragedy is avoidable when employers take precautions and employees ask one simple question: “Is it safe?”

Celebrating NAOSH Week May 6-12

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:39:00 EDT

With a theme this year of "Safety, What Every Business Needs," the 2012 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week kicked off May 6 for a week of events stressing the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community.

AIHA Announces Board of Directors Election Results and Distinguished Fellows

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:49:00 EDT

New leadership at the American Industrial Hygiene Association will focus on promoting, protecting and enhancing the practice of industrial hygiene.

AIHA Urges Government to Maintain NIOSH Funding in 2013 Federal Budget

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:16:00 EDT

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has submitted official comments regarding the FY 2013 federal budget to the House Committee on Appropriations – Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Specifically, AIHA is concerned about a proposed budget decrease for the NIOSH Education and Research Centers (ERCs) and the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (AFF) sector of the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).

Managing Safety: Step One of a Safety Excellence Strategy

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:49:00 EDT

Most workers I have interviewed over the years are clear on the organization’s strategies for basic safety. But that doesn’t mean the company has a well-defined safety strategy.

OSHA Announces Alignment of Haz Comm Standard with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:18:00 EDT

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels held a teleconference March 20 to announce the final rule for the long-awaited update to OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard that aligns it with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).

USW, Materion Brush Send Recommended Beryllium Standard to OSHA

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EDT

The United Steelworkers (USW) and Materion Brush, a producer of beryllium metal, recently revealed that they jointly have sent OSHA a recommended model beryllium standard in an effort to better protect workers' health.

Only OSHA Has Not Adopted Chemical Safety Board Recommendations Stemming from Imperial Sugar Explosion

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:06:00 EDT

On the fourth anniversary of the deadly Imperial Sugar explosion, Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso revealed that all but one of the agency’s recommendations successfully have been adopted by their recipients. Only OSHA has neglected to heed CSB’s call to "proceed expeditiously" on the recommendation that OSHA promulgate a new combustible dust standard for general industry.

Industrial Scientific Announces Recall of GasBadge Plus Single-Gas Monitors

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:33:00 EDT

Industrial Scientific Corp. has determined that the GasBadge Plus single-gas instrument may not properly indicate a low battery condition resulting in a failure to alarm or instrument shut down.

Q&A with Future Leader in EHS Runner-Up Mary Ellen L. Hicks

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:01:00 EDT

She's an exemplary EHS graduate student at the University of Michigan. She's looking forward to starting her career as an industrial hygienist in May. She even runs marathons. She's Mary Ellen L. Hicks, the 2011 Future Leaders in EHS runner up. In this special Q&A, EHS Today asked Hicks eight questions about her studies, her experience and her views on EHS.

Open Comment Period for ANSI Z10 Occupational Health and Safety Management Standard Ends Soon

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:18:00 EDT

The open comment period for an updated AIHA/ANSI Z10 standard ends Jan. 9. This standard defines minimum performance requirements for occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS).

At-Home Safety: January Is National Radon Action Month

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:33:00 EDT

You can't see it. You can't smell it. But it can still kill you. Every year in the United States, about 21,000 people die from radon-related lung cancer. To combat this silent threat, EPA is promoting January as National Radon Action Month to raise awareness and educate communities about radon risks and mitigation.

AIHA Launches New Consumer Web Site

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:40:00 EDT

Industrial hygiene is not related to dental hygiene, or personal hygiene, but if you ask the average person what it is, those might be the answers you receive. In an effort to educate the general public about the practice of industrial hygiene and its importance in the workplace, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) recently launched a new consumer-focused Web site, allowing the general public to access resources and information about industrial hygiene and related fields.

Miami, Fla., Contractor Cited by OSHA following Carbon Monoxide Incident

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:24:00 EDT

General contractor Trans Florida Development Corp. of Miami has been cited by OSHA for one willful health and one serious safety violation following an incident that occurred in June at a work site at Ocean Drive and First Street, where workers were installing a new drain system. A worker using a powered saw to cut a hole in a storm drain box was overexposed to carbon monoxide from the saw and had to be taken to a hospital for treatment. OSHA’s proposed penalties total $66,990.

Managing Compliance: How to Transition to GHS in the Workplace in Five Easy Steps

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:05:00 EDT

Many countries around the world have adopted the GHS, and the United States is scheduled to finalize its rule by January 2012, which will make global hazcom compliance much easier for U.S. companies.