Com-paK Plus™ packages take control!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The latest members of the Com-paK Plus family � DB 166C and DB 236C � offer the same advantages you�ve come to expect from our popular line of packaged blowers. Like all Com-paks, the DB models offer reduced footprint, simple installation and maintenance, as well as reduced noise and vibration. What�s more, these units feature our Omega Control Basic� � providing full control and package protection!

The controller integrates motor starters and instrumentation, which reduces installation ...

International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations issues call for abstracts for World Clean Air Congress

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations (IUAPPA) has issued the call for abstracts for the World Clean Air Congress, September 12-16, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The 2010 Congress will bring together specialists from academia, industry, consulting, environmental advocacy groups, and government to present innovative ways to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize environmental impacts.

Study criticises environmental certification

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Environmental management systems do not increase environmental compliance, nor does ISO 14001 certification, according to a scientist at Lulea University, Sweden.

The scientist Thomas Zobel has studied environmental data for over 100 companies, of which one third were ISO 14001 certified. The study, related in Swedish Milj�aktuellt magazine, revealed that the certified companies are not performing better than the others, at least not in activities requiring a permit.

This of cour...

German and Austrian chambers: ‘WEEE and RoHS must be harmonised!’

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The procedures of WEEE and RoHS should be common to all European member states and include exemptions for small to medium-sized enterprises. This is stated by German and Austrian commerce chambers in a joint statement.

Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammertag and Wirtschaftskammer �sterreich state that he European Commission�s draft amendment of WEEE and RoHS should include exemptions on the ground of small orders and for small and medium-sized businesses.

The two chambers...

Delay to expect in US RoHS proposal

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A proposal for US legislation that resembles EU RoHS is aimed at amending the country`s Toxic Substances Control Act. Its focus is on the EU RoHS substances and this renders cause for doubt as to when and if such a law can be passed in the US.

It is called the Environmental Design of Electrical Equipment and it would, if adopted, be a first effort to harmonize state laws in the USA. HR 2420, as the bill is named, is believed by the electronics industry to undergo fundamental changes ...

Carry online with interactive sound level meters

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Online noise monitoring is now possible as Br�el & Kj�r has developed a high-speed, web-browser functionality for its family of hand-held analysers. This innovative design allows operators remote control access to the instrument - or instruments -from a mobile phone, PDA, iPhone or PC with Internet browser capability. It enables the user to monitor prevailing noise levels in real-time, manage the measurement setup and retrieve measurement data, thereby keeping the operator in touch with thei...

Training: An essential step

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Not only is training mandated by the regulatory agencies, but it is essential to productivity and safety. Imagine handling, packaging or shipping hazardous materials/dangerous goods without it. For more than 20 years, ICC The Compliance Center has been providing training services to companies who offer, handle or transport hazardous materials/dangerous goods. We focus on quality training materials, up-to-date regulatory information and have professional, knowledgeable instructors.

Our 20...

Quality training equals safer shipments

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Having a good instructor is as essential to a great training class as the materials themselves. Committed to teaching customers to ship hazardous materials safely, we at ICC The Compliance Center strive to hire the best regulatory specialists possible. By surrounding ourselves with qualified and experienced individuals, we are continually able to provide the best solutions to our valued customers.

ICC The Compliance Center is pleased to announce that Tom Roman has been hired as a regulato...

BTEX contamination of soil and water

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

BTEX is an acronym for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. They are all volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in petroleum hydrocarbons. Contamination of soil and groundwater from BTEX has occurred at petroleum and natural gas production areas, gas stations and areas with underground and above-ground storage tanks of petroleum products. The compounds are also produced in large scale by industry for industrial use as solvents and for manufacturing materials such as plastics and pesticide...

Tough legislation boosts the South African hazardous waste management market

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:35:56 GMT

The South African hazardous waste management market is experiencing rapid growth due to tightening legislation related to waste collection, transportation and disposal. Environmental inspectors have been pressuring waste generating companies to improve their environmental impact management programmes, opening up opportunities for waste management companies.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan� (

House subcommittee holds hearing on prioritizing chemicals for safety determination

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:25:21 GMT

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held a hearing entitled �Prioritizing Chemicals for Safety Determination.� The hearing was intended to examine the options for prioritizing chemicals for safety determinations in the event that Congress passes legislation amending the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and reflects Congress�s sustained interest in chemical management reform legislation.

The hearing, which was hastily pulled t...

ASTM international offers course on risk-based corrective action applied at petroleum release sites

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:01:32 GMT

In 1994, ASTM International published its Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA) standard for petroleum release sites. This standard became the model for a comprehensive national RBCA training program for state UST programs. U.S. EPA and the oil industry funded ASTM International training for 49 states and territories, and many states implemented risk-based decision making into their UST programs.

ASTM International is offering a two-day training course for the private sector based on the trai...

Fire hazards in oxygen systems focus of ASTM international training course

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:42:28 GMT

�Fire Hazards in Oxygen Systems,� a unique two-day technical and professional training course sponsored by ASTM International, will be held three times during 2010: March 23-24 in San Diego, Calif.; May 18-19 in West Conshohocken, Pa. (ASTM headquarters); and Nov. 2-3 in Orlando, Fla.

The course will address topics such as identifying and evaluating hazards in oxygen systems; understanding the fundamentals of safe practice in design, materials selection and operation of oxygen systems; reco...

EPA announces environmental justice showcase communities

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:07:41 GMT

U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced a national initiative to address environmental justice challenges in 10 communities. EPA has committed $1 million to this effort over the next two years.

�These 10 communities will serve as models for the EPA�s committed environmental justice efforts, and help highlight the disproportionate environmental burdens placed on low-income and minority communities all across the nation,� said EPA Administrator Lisa P...

Nanotechnology and its implications for environmental legislation

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The major problem for environmental legislation arising from nanotechnology is the size of nano-particles. Nano, meaning dwarf, is measured in nanometers or billionths of a meter. One way of contamination is penetration through human skin.

Since nanoparticles are so small, they have a very large surface area as compared with the amount of their interior. Inside, the contents are stable, but those on the surface can react with other substances more easily than substances of larger size. T...

Shimadzu’s new GC-2010 plus capillary gas chromatograph drives precision, high-speed trace level analysis

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With Advanced Flow Technology, a redesigned suite of detectors featuring market-leading sensitivity, and fast heating and cooling, the new GC-2010 Plus from Shimadzu Scientific Instruments improves separation performance, reduces analysis time, redefines sensitivity limits for trace analysis and ensures data quality for a wide range of applications.

The GC-2010 Plus features Shimadzu�s Advanced Flow Technology (AFT). AFT consists of digital pressure controllers, additional hardware an...

Restricted substances in imported US packaging

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nineteen US states have legislation that outlaws substances like cadmium, lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium above certain concentration limits in packaging. But still a substantial amount of packaging contains restricted substances above the allowed levels.

In 2007, Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse released the first comprehensive report on heavy metals in packaging, based on XRF screening.

Heavy metals like lead and cadmium were detected in imported packaging and c...

“Toxic substances act overhauled in two years”

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The US Toxic Substances Control Act is likely to be reformed during the next one or two years, according to experts at the Environment Protection Agency.

EU�s REACH regulation is one contributing factor, US state laws on chemical substances another. A remake of the act would also grant EPA with leadership in chemical risk evaluation and management.

The proposed legislation would make the agency quicker in targeting chemical substances and regulate by means of reviews of substances...

The fundamentals of REACH exposure scenarios

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Exposure scenarios constitute the tool to certify adequate control over substances and make sure they do not pose any risks to human beings or the environment. This is how you make sure they are valid for compliance with REACH.

Exposure scenarios are required as an annex to safety data sheets. Substance manufacturers or importers of more than one tonne per year need to compile a technical dossier as well.

If the substances are imported in amounts of more than 10 tonnes pe...

Hazmat training comes to Orlando

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When workers handle hazardous waste or ship hazardous materials, training is not just a good idea, it�s the law. According to the EPA, workers who handle hazardous waste must be trained annually, and the federal DOT requires that workers involved in the shipment of hazardous materials be trained at least every three years.

Environmental Resource Center, the leading provider of environmental and safety training, will present the mandatory training in Orlando at the Four Points by Sheraton ...

iSmithers to host two conferences to tackle CLP and SVHCs under REACH

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:04:46 GMT

iSmithers, formerly the Information division within independent testing, research and consulting organisation Smithers RAPRA, has announced the programme for the next in their successful series of REACH conferences.

Two new one-day conferences have been developed in response to worries voiced over the management of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) and the implementation of the new Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation which implements in the EU the Globally Harm...

New EPA web site provides tools to cut energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions from homes

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:13:07 GMT

WASHINGTON � Home owners, buyers and renters have a new resource for going green indoors and outdoors. EPA�s new Green Homes Web site will help people make their homes greener with tips on reducing energy consumption, carbon footprints, waste generation and water usage, as well as improving indoor air quality.

The latest federal survey of American housing (2007) reported 128 million housing units across the U.S., accounting for nearly 54 percent of national ener...

Verisae`s Paul Hepperla invited to smart grid panel

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Verisae announces the inclusion of Mr. Paul Hepperla, Vice President of Sustainability Resource Planning (�SRP�), in the panel discussion on energy efficiency and the emerging Smart Grid Coalition across the Midwest.

Hosted by the University of Minnesota�s Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment, conference participants will hear from prominent smart grid experts, such as Mr. Hepperla, as they address the pressing energy management questions facing the current and future Unite...

Mold exposure results in social security disability benefits

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In a landmark case a woman has been granted disability benefits for mold-related injuries. The Social Security Administration judge in the case accepted expert medical testimony that linked physical and cognitive injuries to mold exposures.

In February of 2007 the woman was temporarily sent to the U.S. Virgin Islands by her employer for a work assignment. The employer provided housing to the retail sales manager for her stay on the islands. The woman claimed that exposure to mold in the ...

M3V Data Management announces significant expansion of services

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, IN. M3V Data Management, LLC is pleased to announce that due to growth and demand, they have significantly expanded their offering of services. M3V has offered these services to select clients who requested customization to fit their particular needs. However, now these services are being offered as a standard part of the web based EH&S software applications �MSDS Explorer�, �Chemical Management Navigator� and �EH&S Task Manager�.

24 hour emergency fax back service: ...

Latest News & Press Releases - Health & Safety

Com-paK Plus™ packages take control!

International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations issues call for abstracts for World Clean Air Congress

Study criticises environmental certification

German and Austrian chambers: ‘WEEE and RoHS must be harmonised!’

Delay to expect in US RoHS proposal

Carry online with interactive sound level meters

Training: An essential step

Quality training equals safer shipments

BTEX contamination of soil and water

Tough legislation boosts the South African hazardous waste management market

House subcommittee holds hearing on prioritizing chemicals for safety determination

ASTM international offers course on risk-based corrective action applied at petroleum release sites

Fire hazards in oxygen systems focus of ASTM international training course

EPA announces environmental justice showcase communities

Nanotechnology and its implications for environmental legislation

Shimadzu’s new GC-2010 plus capillary gas chromatograph drives precision, high-speed trace level analysis

Restricted substances in imported US packaging

“Toxic substances act overhauled in two years”

The fundamentals of REACH exposure scenarios

Hazmat training comes to Orlando

iSmithers to host two conferences to tackle CLP and SVHCs under REACH

New EPA web site provides tools to cut energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions from homes

Verisae`s Paul Hepperla invited to smart grid panel

Mold exposure results in social security disability benefits

M3V Data Management announces significant expansion of services