Putting a research station out on a frozen freshwater lake? Establishing a road on an iced-over river? One bit of bedtime reading for you should be Best Practice for Building and Working Safely on Ice Covers in Alberta, by the Government of Alberta, Work Safe Alberta. Those Canadians know their ice.
Even if your campus isn't doing either of those, Appendix D has some great links and tips for surviving ice water immersion.
Interesting article about mercury in old medical equipment:
http://www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/projects/legacy/healthcare.cfm
The Wisconsin Legislature has wrapped up its fall floor session after taking action on several bills related to recycling and solid waste. Most notably the Legislature adopted bills related to used electronics, oil filters & oil absorbents and mercury containing products. Below are some of the bills that have been introduced during the current session that may impact solid waste and recycling programs across the state. Continue reading on SHWEC’s blog.
The US Fire Administration recently published a report on university housing fires (fires in college and university residential buildings that include dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses).
A summary of the findings:
The US Senate recently approved the Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report (H.R. 2892). Tucked away in the bill is a one year extension of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). The president is expected to sign it into law.
Thanks to John Soucy with Gordon College, who pointed out that the EPA has a document that relates to management of that "stuff" that collects in storm water catch basins. It is:
I'll pass along a couple of IYI's (If You're Interested) from the Journal of Safety Research. One with hard data, and one that is somewhat squish-ier. If your campus subscribes to the journal, you may be able to look these up online.
On Tuesday, September 22, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson signed the final rule for mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Record keeping requirements begin on January 1, 2010 and the first reports are due in 2011.
http://eponline.com/articles/2009/09/23/large-ghg-emitters-must-collect-data-on-jan.-1.aspx
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html
Beginning November 1, 2009, users of EPA's Federal Register Web site will be redirected to Regulations.gov (http://www.regulations.gov/) for all Federal Register information. The Federal Register List Serve will continue for a period after the transition, but will no longer be available after December 31, 2009. List serve subscribers will receive e-mails containing links and bookmarks to Regulations.gov (http://www.regulations.gov/) based on one of the twelve topical list serves they have subscribed to.List Serve users will be able to subscribe to an RSS feed to receive notifications on frequently updated content on Regulations.gov (http://www.regulations.gov/). Regulations.gov (http://www.regulations.gov/) allows subscribers to receive alerts when changes or additions occur in a docket folder. Users will able to select how frequently they would like to receive emails (daily, weekly or monthly).
The guidance mentioned two posts below has been issued:
The guidance, toolkit and other critical H1N1 information can be found at:
http://www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/guidance.html
http://www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/toolkit.html
Aug. 20 -- Aramark Higher Education expects to divert more than 2 million disposable food containers from landfills during the upcoming school year through a new program at college campuses.
The company, which provides services to more than 600 colleges and universities, is introducing a reusable "to-go" container at many of those sites.
"The re-usable ´to go´ container program is the next phase of our ongoing plan to strive toward zero waste and support the sustainability goals of our partner campuses," said Michael Leone, senior vice president, Aramark Higher Education. (More...)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking comment on how the denial of access to LLRW disposal sites have affected research.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18947.pdf
From Resource Recycling:
Just two weeks old but already wildly successful, the Senate voted on Thursday to provide an additional $2 billion dollars for the Cash for Clunkers program, which allows qualifying customers to trade in their gas-guzzlers for up to $4,500 towards a newer, more fuel-efficient vehicle. Overwhelming demand threatened to shut down the program early with over 75 percent of allocated funds already spent within a week of the program's launch.
But many auto scrap processors are complaining that the program's mandate that engines of traded-in vehicles be destroyed is hurting their bottom line. Intended to keep clunkers from reappearing on roadways as unregistered vehicles, the program is set up to send a trade-in from the dealership to the shredder as quickly as possible. Sodium silicate is used to foul the engines before the cars head to the scrap heap, often destroying many reusable and re-sellable parts in the process. According to the Automotive Recyclers Association, engines and drive trains account for 60 percent of processors' revenue from a scrap vehicle.
The approval this week of an extension of the clunker program comes at a time of improving ferrous scrap market conditions. Scrap prices rose in both July and August due to improved export demand and a modest upturn in domestic steel production. Low industrial activity this summer has resulted in many scrap yards holding little inventory of processed scrap. Thus, several industry observers are saying that a scrap surge created by the federal program -- estimated by some to be about 400,000 tons -- can be absorbed under current market conditions.
- Excel spreadsheet, June 24, 2009, alphabetical by fire department name
- Excel spreadsheet, June 24, 2009, numerical by fire department ID number
- Lead inspector and education officer alphabetical by fire department name, June 24, 2009
- County Code Number
(More.....)
On the topic of somewhat recently released standards, here's one on safety, health and environmental training from ASSE:
ANSI Z490.1-2009
Criteria for Accepted Practices in Safety, Health, and Environmental Training
Taken for Granted: Building a Culture of Safety," written by Beryl Lieff Benderly, asks whether researchers are focused sufficiently on safety. It discusses Cal/OSHA penalties assessed in May 2009 against UCLA in connection with the Jan. 16, 2009, death of a research assistant.
Jun 13, 2009
A worrisome look inside the safety of university science labs is currently featured on the online site of Science Careers, which is associated with the journal Science. Titled "Taken for Granted: Building a Culture of Safety," the article written by Beryl Lieff Benderly of Washington, D.C., discusses Cal/OSHA penalties assessed in May 2009 against UCLA in connection with the Jan. 16, 2009, death of research assistant Sheharbano "Sheri" Sangji. She succumbed to burn injuries suffered on Dec. 29, 2008, after her clothing caught fire as she transferred a pyrophoric chemical from one container to another.
Benderly has followed this story closely for Science Careers. Sangji was not wearing PPE or a lab coat, according to the coverage, which notes that UCLA announced May 4 it would not contest or appeal the $31,875 fine.
Benderly's latest article quotes lab safety experts about the state of safety in university laboratories. PPE is not frequently used in some university labs, where the culture prizes individual creativity. One expert urges lab workers to speak up forcefully whenever they see a colleague working in an unsafe manner.
UCLA's May 4 statement quoted Chancellor Gene Block: "In the wake of Sheri's tragic accident, I communicated to the UCLA community plans for a comprehensive review of our laboratory inspection programs and implementation of revised procedures to ensure the safety of our researchers. Although substantial progress has already been made, we will continue to thoroughly monitor and assess our lab training and safety protocols as an integral component of our daily operations. The Cal/OSHA report will provide critical assistance with these ongoing efforts. As we continue to mourn Sheri's death and grieve for her family, we are determined to rededicate ourselves to ensuring the safety of each and every member of our entire Bruin family." (More....)
Cal/OSHA had cited workplace-safety violations in the December death of staff research assistant Sheri Sangji. The school says it has made required changes and paid more than $31,000 in fines.
By Kim Christensen
June 6, 2009
UCLA has appealed state regulators' findings of serious workplace-safety violations in the fatal burning of a staff research assistant last year in a lab fire.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health found last month that Sheri Sangji, 23, was not properly trained and was not wearing protective clothing Dec. 29 when an experiment with air-sensitive chemicals burst into flames. (More...)
Here is the June safety poster from the Department of Administration, highlighting their three
focus areas:
The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program evaluated potential exposures at a college’s sculpture studios. Investigators recommended that managers correct safety hazards in the studios and substitute a less toxic plastics adhesive that does not contain methylene chloride. To reduce exposure to welding fumes, it was recommended that adequate outdoor and replacement air be supplied to the sculpture studios and local exhaust ventilation be installed in the metalworking studio.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2007-0167-3078.pdf
Contact: Latisha Petteway, 202-564-3191 / 4355 / petteway.latisha@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. – May 28, 2009) More than 200 scientists, regulators, and policy makers from around the world convened recently at EPA’s first ToxCast Data Analysis Summit to discuss results of the first phase of ToxCast. ToxCast is an innovative approach for profiling how chemicals in our environment impact important biological pathways that are critical for the function of the body’s systems such as the heart, lungs, brain or reproductive organs.
EPA launched the ToxCast research program in 2007 to develop a cost-effective approach for prioritizing the toxicity testing of large numbers of chemicals in a short period of time. This new approach to determining how toxic chemicals could impact human health uses cutting-edge biological tests to determine how chemicals affect cellular functions. ToxCast will help EPA determine under what conditions environmental exposures pose risks to human health.
During the first phase of ToxCast, EPA researchers conducted more than 200,000 experiments looking at the interactions between approximately 300 chemicals and 500 biological targets such as hormone receptors and liver enzymes. EPA researchers provided early access to the initial ToxCast data to research groups around the world, and this data was the foundation for discussions at the meeting. To evaluate the value of ToxCast, the new data is being compared to those generated by traditional toxicity testing methods
Based upon input from the meeting, EPA researchers are now preparing to launch a second phase of the ToxCast program that will expand on and verify the ability of this approach to predict potential human toxicity. EPA expects to complete this second phase of ToxCast over the next several years, and at that time be ready to deliver an innovative computational method for evaluating potential health impacts of environmental chemicals.
EPA and Pfizer, Inc. announced at the meeting that the company is making public clinical data on more than 100 drugs that showed adverse effects in clinical human testing. EPA will run the compounds through ToxCast, which will provide a critical and direct link to human toxicity outcomes.
Information on the ToxCast program: http://www.epa.gov/ncct/toxcast/index.html
A letter to State of Wisconsin employees on influenza guidance, released today.
PDF Version (2 pp, 82K, About PDF)
[Federal Register: April 24, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 78)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 18668-18669]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ap09-20]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R05-OAR-2008-0683; FRL-8895-9]
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans;
Wisconsin; Finding of Attainment for 1-Hour Ozone for the Milwaukee-
Racine, WI Area
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to approve a July 28, 2008, request from the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) that EPA find that the
Milwaukee-Racine, Wisconsin (WI) nonattainment area has attained the
revoked 1-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 26, 2009.
(More.....)
Several questions have been posed relating to the overfill requirements on USTs. The Comm 10 Spill and overfill prevention requirement applies as below:
Heating oil tanks (Comm 10.310 (5)) refers to Comm 10.505 for USTs 4,000 gallons or greater. Comm 10.310 (3) requires overfill prevention for heating fuel tanks less than 4K, but via other methods.
NIOSH developed an informational database of power tools commonly used in the occupational setting. The database includes data gathered by NIOSH researchers, and could be helpful in determining the "real-world" noise level of power tools as they are used on the job. The database contains such information as sound power levels, sound pressure level and downloadable exposure and wave files. Further, links to the NIOSH Hearing Protector Compendium are included to assist in choosing appropriate hearing protection.
Requests about the status of the Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know (RTK) trickle in from our UW System campuses. Campus-Firewatch.com has a comprehensive update that Ed Comeau does a great job with.
A podcast is also available, which goes a bit more into the public safety background of the Clery Act. It's actually two separate interviews, and I think is worth your listening time (over 30 minutes). Here are some of the things I noted:
In March, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) added six pages to their list of chemicals covered under their Occupational Safety and Health Topics. The six new pages cover 2-Butoxyethanol, Methyl Alcohol (Methanol), Phenol, Hydrazine, Chloroform, and Carbon Disulfide.
NIOSH maintains an index of their chemical topics pages on their website.
The following is an update from EPA's Superfund, TRI, EPCRA, RMP & Oil Information Center:
On March 19, 2009, EPA made available the most recent reporting data from the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program. The Reporting Year 2007 (RY07) TRI public data release (PDR) included information on the combined releases of four billion pounds from approximately 22,000 facilities. TRI's 2007 PDR includes a brochure with a quick overview of the 2007 data with a general comparison to previous years' trends, as well as a detailed report outlining the key findings. Information about TRI's 2007 PDR, including a copy of the report, is available at the following URL: www.epa.gov/tri/tridata/tri07 For additional questions about the TRI 2007 PDR or TRI regulatory requirements, please contact the Superfund, TRI, EPCRA, RMP & Oil Information Center at: (800) 424-9346 -- Toll Free(703) 412-9180 -- Metropolitan DC area and international calls(800) 553-7672 -- Toll Free TDD(703) 412-3323 -- Metropolitan DC area and international TDD To speak with an Information Specialist, please call between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, Eastern Standard Time.
From http://www.wickedlocal.com/lancaster/news/x1331534512/No-cheap-spill-EPA-seeks-200K-in-fines-from-college
By Jason Crotty
Thu Mar 19, 2009, 09:41 AM EDT
Lancaster - Atlantic Union College’s oil spill in August could cost it more than $200,000 in fines, depending on whether the college appeals the complaint brought by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
The college discharged oil last fall into a nearby brook that feeds the Nashua River. The EPA is proposing that the college pay up to $177,500 for failing to institute a spill prevention, control and countermeasure plan required by the federal Clean Water Act, and face another $32,500 per day fine for failing to file hazardous chemical inventory forms.
AUC Public Relations Director Cindy Kurtzhals said Tuesday the case “is in legal hands,” but did not offer further comment. An EPA spokesman also said March 17 the two parties have not yet agreed to terms.
“These are alleged violations. There have not been any resolutions,” said David Deegan, press coordinator of EPA’s New England office.
According to an EPA report, the spill was discovered Aug. 4 by a resident in South Lancaster who observed an oil sheen on the brook, which feeds into the Nashua River. The report stated that the “spill originated from a 500-gallon tank in Atlantic Union’s powerhouse and was discharged through multiple drains in the powerhouse’s cement floor.”
AUC President Norman Wendth could not be reached for comment before the Times & Courier’s Tuesday evening deadline. Wendth said last August the college planned to pay the entire cleanup cost unless state aid was given. Wendth said after the incident there was no lasting environmental damage.
Under federal law, AUC should have had an inventory of its hazardous chemicals on file with the local emergency planning committee, the state Emergency Response Commission and local fire department, the EPA said.
The college was also supposed to file a spill prevention plan to “ensure that measures are in place to prevent leaks and spills from impacting navigable waters,” according to the EPA report, and “facilities are required to have secondary containment such as cement floors and dikes surrounding a storage tank, to capture any oil released from the tank.”
(Jason Crotty can be reached at 978-365-8046 or jcrotty@cnc.com.)
ASHRAE SATELLITE BROADCAST/WEBCAST
“Clean, Lean, and Green – IAQ for Sustainable Buildings”
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. EDT
Is there a fee for the Satellite Broadcast/Webcast?
There is no fee. (More...)
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