OSHA Wants to Hear From You
On Wednesday, April 7, from 1:45 to 2:30 p.m., access the web chat with OSHA management using this link. During this time, you will be able to submit comments and questions regarding DOL and OSHA strategic planning and receive responses from OSHA leadership.
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 Up and Down, Up and Down
According to the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the average office worker spends about 80,000 hours seated in the course of his working life and 80 percent of those who work at the computer every day regularly suffer from health problems. Two thirds suffer from tension and pain in the shoulder and neck, more than half have back problems and around 45 percent suffer from eye problems and headaches. The solution, say the Germans, is to get up and down a lot. They've even developed a brochure that gives office workers tips on what to do and suggests office furniture and layout that facilitates movement. To download a PDF copy (in English), click here.
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 U.K. Agency Launches Online Tool to Help Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders
Great Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced a new, downloadable tool to help businesses and organizations reduce the likelihood of their employees suffering from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper limbs associated with repetitive tasks. For a copy of the tool, click here. |
 NFPA Releases New Edition of NFPA 1600
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released the 2010 Edition of NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs. NFPA 1600, a national consensus standard, is recognized as the definitive standard for managing all aspects of an emergency in the United States. The standard applies to emergency management at all levels of government as well as to business, industry and the non-profit community.
The 2010 edition is a complete revision and reorganization that includes major changes to the technical requirements and definitions. It establishes a common set of criteria for all disaster/emergency management and business continuity programs, and provides the fundamental criteria to develop, implement, assess and maintain these programs for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, continuity and recovery.
For those organizations that do not have a current, comprehensive emergency and business continuity plan, the revised NFPA 1600 should be a required download and reading. To help understand and apply NFPA 1600, Rochester Business Alliance member organizations can register to participate in "Managing the Emergency," a daylong course being offered at the Business alliance headquarters on Wednesday, May 26. To download a PDF copy of NFPA 1600, click here. |
OSHA Offers New Electric Power Safety eTool
Approximately 80 workers die from electric shock each year while working on electrical equipment or related utility operations. To help prevent such deaths, OSHA recently published the Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution Standard eTool. The eTool covers many of the requirements of 29CFR1910.269. For access to the eTool, click here. |
 New Driver Distraction Web Site Promises Serious Material From Click and Clack
NPR's Car Talk guys, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, may be a couple of motor mouths, but they always put a lid on using cell phones behind the wheel. The perennial jokesters recently teamed with the University of Utah to launch the Driver Distraction Center at their Web site. If you've laughed through even a single hour of Car Talk, you'll know that Tom and Ray can offer straight talk with a smile. If you're trying to convince your employees to avoid distracted driving, click here to check out all the resources available on CarTalk.com. |
| NIOSH Offers Health Hazard ID Service
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's free Health Hazard Evaluation program evaluates new or recently discovered hazards, illnesses from unknown causes, or exposures to chemical, biological and working hazards not regulated by OSHA. For example, an evaluation at one facility found that workers were being exposed to manganese and other chemicals. NIOSH investigators recommended that the employer install safety systems, such as local exhaust ventilation, to reduce worker exposure to dust. To learn more about the program or submit a request form, click here. |
| Technical Data on Nano Materials and Toxicity Studies Available
The National Toxicology Program, a function of the Department of Health and Human Services, has added pathology tables on nanoscale materials to its website. If you are working with nano materials and want to see the NTP material, click here. In addition, a complete set of data tables (body weight, clinical observations, survival, and pathology) for studies planned for peer review are available on the NTP website by clicking here. |
 EPA Makes TSCA Chemical Inventory Free of Charge Online
In order to make the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) chemical inventory more accessible to the public, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now offering this database free online. Before now, the consolidated version of this inventory was only available for purchase. More than 84,000 chemicals currently manufactured, used, or imported in the U.S. are listed on the TSCA inventory. For more information on this topic, click here to visit the EPA website. |
 CPSC Recalls Extension Cords and Power Strips
Brightway brand indoor and outdoor extension cords and power strips manufactured in China by Howard Berger Co. Inc. have been recalled due to inadequate coating material around the cords and copper conductors that are smaller than required, posing a fire hazard to consumers. The items were sold at hardware and discount stores nationwide from August 2009 through October 2009 for $1 to $20. To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled products, click here.
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This health, safety and environment electronic update comes from Chip Dawson and the