Chemical cleanup workers exposed to hazards

TCS employees not provided safety gear and other protections

Worker safety needs to be taken
seriously, OSHA inspectors say.

For the third time in two years, a chemical tank cleaning service has exposed workers cleaning portable tank wagons to dangerous confined space hazards.

Responding to a complaint, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors found seven repeated and two serious violations at Dedicated TCS LLC's Channahon site. OSHA has proposed penalties of $79,464.

"Once again, Dedicated TCS has failed to protect its workers and expects them to work with hazardous materials such as hydroxide and nitrogen chemical residue in dangerous spaces without safety equipment," said Kathy Webb, OSHA's area director in Calumet City.

"The company's failure to safeguard its employees is a consistent and unacceptable habit. It must stop now."

During a July 28, 2014, inspection, OSHA found that Dedicated TCS gas meters were not in working condition, and neither rescue and retrieval devices nor appropriate lighting for use in permit-required confined spaces were provided.

A confined space is one large enough for workers to enter and perform certain jobs, such as a tank wagon, but it has limited or restricted means for entry or exit and is not designed for continuous occupancy.

The company also failed to train workers about the hazards they faced and how to use personal protective equipment when working with chemical residue.

Inspectors also found that the entry supervisor did not verify that all safety requirements were met before allowing workers to enter the tank wagons.

Dedicated TCS was cited for the same violations at the Channahon facility in September 2012 and the company's Lansing facility in November 2012.

OSHA issues repeated violations if an employer previously was cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

The July 2014 inspection also found slip, trip and fall hazards on floors and stairs and used, damaged extension cords, resulting in two serious violations.

An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

Source: OSHA

Electrocorp's RAP series provide
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Occupational risks are commonplace, but contaminated air doesn't have to be one of them. 
Electrocorp has designed a wide range of industrial and commercial air cleaners with activated carbon and HEPA to remove harmful chemicals, odors, fumes, gases, particles and other contaminants from the air. Source-capture units are available. 
Contact Electrocorp for more information and a free consultation: Call 1-866-667-0297.

Poor IAQ affects Jamaican workers

Sick building syndrome is affecting
workers worldwide.

Scores of Jamaicans are getting sick at work because of the poor quality of the air inside the buildings.

Employees who have experienced symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs at work could all be facing poor indoor air quality.

However, the Jamaica Occupational Health Professionals' Association (JOHPA) notes that this is not unique to Jamaica.

"A growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air, even the largest and most industrialized cities," JOHPA said in a release last week.

"Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 per cent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors," added JOHPA.

Paradigm shift

It noted that as the world focuses on occupational health and safety, the paradigm is shifting towards air quality and the severe health effects that result from breathing poor-quality air.

"This begs the question: if the ambient air is polluted, what about the indoor environment?"

There are several factors that contribute to poor indoor air quality. These include inadequate ventilation, problems controlling temperature, too high or too low humidity, recent remodeling, and other activities in or near a building that can affect the adequacy and quality of fresh air into the building.

Contaminants such as dust from construction or renovation, mold, cleaning supplies, pesticides, or other airborne contaminants may also contribute to poor indoor air quality.

The issue is close to the heart of Opposition Senator Kavan Gayle, who heads the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU).

The BITU represents thousands of Jamaican workers.

Gayle has tabled questions in the Senate about the outstanding occupational safety legislation to amend the 73-year-old Factories Act.

He has also tabled a motion that the issue be debated and that the Government bring a bill to Parliament to enact new legislation.

According to Gayle, Jamaica must move quickly away from the 1940s Factories Act, "to a more comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Act".

Justice Minister Mark Golding has said he expects the chief parliamentary counsel to deliver a draft of the Occupational Safety and Health Act to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security this week.

Gayle, meanwhile, said the OSHA should include equitable global health and safety standards, as Jamaica competes in a global environment.

'Allergies and sinusitis'

"You go into a building and the minute you enter you start coughing or sneezing. It means the air quality in that room is compromised, because of simple things, among them dirty air-conditioning ducts," argued Gayle.

He noted that the exposure to poor air quality in buildings could cause employees to develop "allergies and sinusitis".

The president general of the BITU suggested that employers could improve the quality of air inside a building by doing the simple things, such as removing a dirty carpet.

"Take up the carpet and you will see how health is improved," he said.

Gayle further argued that employees' health is compromised when a building is painted while they are at work, or a desk varnished a day before usage.

"Both employee and clients are exposed to the poisonous fumes," stated Gayle.

"What should be in place are the checks and balances to ensure that companies provide the proper working conditions for all workers, and to protect workers, for their own safety, in a way that goes outside of just checking a building," Gayle said.

Poisonous internal air quality and the effects on the health of employees over the long term will be the main focus of a JOHPA seminar this Wednesday.

This seminar will provide in-depth, up-to-date and relevant information and research on the present paradigm in building design operation and maintenance.

It will also focus on the alarming potential number of workers exposed to sick building syndrome (SBS), the economic impact of SBS for Jamaica, the spread of diseases in the working environment, and practical guidance for improving and maintaining the indoor environment.

Source: The Jamaica Gleaner

Concerned about the indoor air quality at your workplace? Remove airborne chemicals, particles, allergens, mold spores, odors, fumes and other contaminants with industrial and commercial air cleaners by Electrocorp. For more information, contact Electrocorp directly.

OSHA provides new tools to protect workers from chemical exposures

OSHA addresses outdated exposure limits with online tools, annotated PEL tables

OSHA has developed new tools to help employers safeguard workers from exposure to hazardous levels of chemicals.

Workers need protection from
chemical exposure.

The problem is that permissible exposure limits (PELs) for many chemicals are “dangerously out of date, dating from the 1970s or even earlier and do not adequately protect workers,” according to OSHA Chief Dr. David Michaels.

In a press conference, Michaels explained that the rulemaking process is complex and makes it difficult to keep chemical regulations updated.

In response, the agency has developed two strategies for dealing with the PEL problem. Both are available online at no charge.

The first is a toolkit to identify safer chemicals that can be used in place of more hazardous ones. The content walks employers and employees through information, methods, tools, and guidance to either eliminate hazardous chemicals or make informed substitutions.

OSHA also announced a second new online resource, known as the Annotated Permissible Exposure Limits (or annotated PEL) tables. Its purpose is to enable employers to voluntarily adopt newer, more protective workplace exposure limits than those required by OSHA.

The revised tables provide a side-by-side comparison of OSHA PELs for general industry to NIOSH recommended exposure limits (RELs), California OSHA PELs, and threshold limit values (TLVs) developed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.

For many chemicals, the alternate exposure limits listed in the annotated PEL tables are significantly lower than OSHA’s PELs. For example, while respirable quartz, a form of crystalline silica, has an OSHA PEL of 10 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3), Cal/OSHA’s PEL is 0.1 mg/m3, and NIOSH’s REL is 0.05 mg/m3.

“I advise employers who want to ensure that their workplaces are safe to utilize the occupational exposure limits on these annotated tables, since simply complying with OSHA’s antiquated PELs will not guarantee that workers will be safe,” Michaels said.


Following OSHA’s chemical standards isn’t enough

Avoiding chemical exposures is critically important. According to OSHA, workers suffer more than 190,000 illnesses and 50,000 deaths each year related to chemical exposures.

Workplace exposures have been linked to cancers and other lung, kidney, skin, heart, stomach, brain, nerve, and reproductive diseases.

Establishing a chemical management system that goes beyond compliance with OSHA standards and aims to reduce or eliminate hazards at the source is the best way to protect workers.

The agency says that using the new tools will add value in several ways, including:

•     Cost savings by reducing expenses and future risks;
•     Efficiency by improving performance;
•     Industry leadership through investment in innovation to stay competitive; and
•     Corporate stewardship by advancing socially responsible practices.

Source: BLR

Remove airborne chemicals with carbon air cleaners

Handling chemicals at work is always tied to security risks, but even with careful handling and adequate safety measures, the indoor air quality may suffer from airborne chemical substances.

Granular activated carbon is the
most trusted filter for chemicals.

Electrocorp offers industrial and commercial air cleaners for workplaces and buildings that could use healthier and more breathable air.

The air cleaners feature a large activated carbon filter for the removal of airborne chemicals, gases and odors, a HEPA filter for particles and dust as well as optional UV germicidal filtration for biological contaminants.

Check out Electrocorp's air cleaners for offices, units for chemical processing companies and many other applications or contact Electrocorp by calling 1-866-667-0297.

Company culture of health brings value and success, study shows

Study suggests companies with a ‘culture of health’ may outperform others in the marketplace

Those with strong health, wellness, and safety programs bested S&P 500 average rate of return in investment simulations

Companies that build a culture of health by focusing on the well-being and safety of their workforce may yield greater value for their investors, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM), official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Healthy and safe employees are good
for business, researchers say.

The stock market performance of companies that had received ACOEM’s Corporate Health Achievement Award (CHAA), which annually recognizes the healthiest and safest companies in North America, was conducted at HealthNEXT LLC and analyzed by lead authors Raymond Fabius, MD, and R. Dixon Thayer, and colleagues. Companies that receive the award must be engaged in demonstrable and robust efforts to reduce health and safety risks among their employees.

Tracking an initial theoretical investment of $10,000 in publicly traded CHAA-recipients from the mid 1990s to 2012, researchers found that these award-winning CHAA companies outperformed the S&P 500.

Four investment scenarios were created, using a combination of simulations and past market-performance to create investor portfolios for comparison. While the margin of return varied, CHAA recipients outperformed the market in each of the four scenarios.

In the highest-performing scenario, CHAA companies had an annualized return of 5.23% vs. −0.06% for the S&P 500. In the lowest-performing scenario, CHAA companies had an annualized return of 6.03% vs. 2.92% for the S&P 500.

“Our results strongly support the view that focusing on health and safety of a workforce is good business,” said the study authors. “Engaging in a comprehensive effort to promote wellness, reduce the health risks of a workforce, and mitigate the complications of chronic illness within these populations can produce remarkable impacts on health care costs, productivity and performance.”

The authors acknowledge that the study focuses on the performance of a small collection of companies on the stock market for a limited number of years, and that more research is needed before a strong causal relationship can be established between health and safety programs and market results.

But they conclude that the study adds new evidence-based data to a growing body of literature indicating that “healthy workforces provide a competitive financial advantage in the marketplace.”

Source: American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lab Manager

Create healthier indoor environments with air purifiers

Breathing in contaminated air for prolonged periods of time can affect the respiratory tract, cardiovascular and other parts of the human body. Unfortunately, the air in many offices and workplaces contains toxic chemicals, particles, biological contaminants and irritating odors.

Electrocorp has designed highly functional and portable air filtration systems for commercial and industrial applications, which can provide cleaner and healthier air at the workplace.

Examples of Electrocorp's areas of expertise:

• Hospitals and healthcare (clinics, doctor's offices, waiting rooms, etc)
• Offices and office printers
• Law enforcement (police departments, evidence rooms)
• Schools and universities
• Art restoration
• Hair salons and spas
• Museums and libraries
• Chemical and odor control

The air cleaners feature many pounds of activated carbon (activated charcoal) for airborne chemicals and gases, HEPA filters for particulate matter and optional UV germicidal filtration.

For more information or a consultation with an IAQ expert, contact Electrocorp.

Workers unhappy with open offices: Study

Employees in open offices complain about increased noise
and less privacy, researchers say.

Recent trend of activity-based office spaces not popular with workers

A study by researchers at the University of Sydney has found that many employees feel activity-based working environments, which feature open-office plans designed to foster teamwork, are disruptive to their productivity.

Jungsoo Kim, one of the study's authors, said open-office layouts, which have been a growing trend in recent years, have been touted as a way to boost workplace satisfaction and team effectiveness.

"We found people in open-plan offices were less satisfied with their workplace environment than those in private offices," Kim said. "The benefits of being close to co-workers in open-plan offices were offset by factors such as increased noise and less privacy."

The research was based on surveys of more than 42,000 office workers in the United States, Finland, Canada and Australia.

In addition, researchers analyzed a University of California database that measures indoor environment quality in office buildings, factoring in things such as indoor air quality, temperature, lighting, noise, privacy and the amount of space an individual perceives they have.

Researchers said that the data further validated earlier findings that uncontrollable noise and loss of privacy are the main sources of workplace dissatisfaction in open-plan offices.

Kim said open-plan offices dominate modern workplaces, yet there is little solid evidence they improve interaction between co-workers.

The study, co-authored by professor Richard de Dear, was recently published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Source: BusinessNewsDaily 

Ways to improve the office atmosphere

Disgruntled workers don't have high productivity ratings, but there are many things employers can do to improve the situation -- short of remodeling the entire office.

• Enforce office rules to respect privacy and work hours. Make sure employees know that they should concentrate on their work during office hours instead of interacting with each other unnecessarily.

  

  Electrocorp air cleaners feature
  carbon, HEPA and optional UV.

• Tell facilities management to monitor the indoor environment closely. Conditions such as temperatures that are too high or too low, humidity that is too high or too low and poor indoor air quality can affect employees' health, well-being and productivity. Listen to their concerns and make the necessary changes.
• Use portable dehumidifiers, heaters and air cleaners where needed. Some offices require extra help, especially when the existing HVAC system is unable to do the job. The air cleaners should have activated carbon, HEPA and possibly UV germicidal filtration for best results. These filters can remove airborne chemicals, particles, odors, fumes, mold, bacteria and viruses.
• Make sure the office is well lit and ventilated.
• Make some private offices or meeting rooms available to workers. 

Want to know more about indoor air quality in offices and how it affects worker productivity and attendance records? Have a look at some previous posts or contact an Electrocorp IAQ specialist for more information. Electrocorp has designed a wide range of indoor air cleaners with carbon, HEPA and UV for offices
and printers.

Study seeks ways to reduce sick leaves

When an employee goes on sick leave, the absence of collaboration may cause permanent problems, studies have shown.

In order to help employees return to work successfully, the British government has instituted a "fit note" from the employee's doctor to replace the old sickness certificate.

A doctor's fit note can help those
on sick leave return to work.

In the fit note, GPs are encouraged to suggest adjustments in the workplace that will help employees return successfully.

The success rate of the new system is in question, however, and a new study aims to discover the best way to use the doctors' fit notes from the perspectives of employers, GPs and patients.

The research, led by The University of Nottingham and commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) aims to produce recommendations for the appropriate implementation of fit notes as well as informing training for employers and GPs in their usage.

Employers previously said the government's fit note was failing in returning employees to work successfully, in contrast to 71% of workers who agreed that the tool had been helpful in getting them back into the workplace.

The GP fit note was introduced three years ago. However, research into long-term work incapacity demonstrated that the longer people were on sick leave, the less likely they were to return to work.

The study is underway and a final report on both phases will be submitted at the end of September 2014.

Source: Workplace Savings and Benefits

Better air for a healthier workplace

Many reasons for absenteeism of employees can be traced back to poor indoor air quality at the office.

High levels of dust, bacteria, viruses, fumes, mold spores and other contaminants can affect employees' health and well-being.

Air cleaners with HEPA, activated
carbon and UV help provide cleaner air.

Employers can remedy the situation by

• Making sure the office is well ventilated
• Separating office printers and work spaces
• Switching to non-toxic cleaning products
• Placing portable air purifiers at strategic places in the office (these air cleaners should have a HEPA filter, a large activated carbon filter as well as UV germicidal filtration for maximum efficiency)
• Educating employees about the ways they can help keep indoor air clean

Electrocorp has designed a variety of high-efficiency air cleaners for the office and other work spaces.

Custom-built air purifiers are available. The PrintSafe, for example, comes with a direct intake hood for large printers, which helps remove airborne chemicals, fumes and particles before they can spread in the workplace.

Contact Electrocorp for more information.

Toxic fumes affect unlikely companies

Chemical fumes exposure can lead
to headaches, nausea and shortness of breath

Indoor air quality has become increasingly important in the workplace as companies have come to understand how poor indoor ventilation can affect work performance.

Over the past two weeks, three American companies have been hit with various chemical scares leading to several employees falling sick. 

A contractor for the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico cleaned the handrails in the caves one night.  When employees arrived at work the next day, the product’s fumes were still so powerful that employees fell ill, leading to the closure of the caves for two days. 

In Florida, a mortgage company had to evacuate its 12 employees from the offices after people started complaining of headaches and scratchy throats. The culprit? Cleaning products. A Tampa HAZMAT team determined that the chemicals for the cleaning products were mixed at too concentrated a level.

In Hawaii, a United States Postal Service employee was sent to the hospital after experiencing shortness of breath and nausea. He had handled a parcel which contained a chemical that had leaked through the box. Tests indicated the chemical is often used to make cleaning products. 

Source: The Associated Press, Fox 13, HawaiiNewsNow

Protecting your employees

Even companies that do not produce chemicals use them for regular cleaning. When dealing with closed spaces, it is particularly important to have good ventilation.  Putting your employees at risk leads to more work-related absenteeism and possible serious injury.

The first thing companies should invest in is a different selection of cleaning agents. Cleaning products are made with various chemicals, such as xylene, toluene and phenol and side effects can range from headaches to death. Using more green products will help avoid workplace chemical exposure.

Having an air cleaner in areas where chemicals are mixed or used is strongly suggested. For situations such as in the Carlsbad Caverns, an air cleaner should be left on overnight after chemical application. Office kitchens, where chemicals might be mixed, should also have an air cleaner to help mitigate chemical fumes as well as kitchen odors.  

The 5000 series is ideal for office spaces

Electrocorp’s 5000 series contains an 18 pound carbon filter, a medical-grade HEPA filter and its wheels make it easily maneuverable. Check out our air cleaners for offices for more details.

Would you like to speak to one of our IAQ experts? Call us toll free at 1-866-667-0297 or write us on our website.

Have you had a chemical scare at work? Share your stories with us!

Show your support for greener and healthier working environments by becoming a follower of this blog.

Occupational health: How to control presenteeism

Going to work when
feeling sick can be
costly for companies.

The right occupational health and safety measures can help manage presenteeism and productivity

Presenteeism – a term that describes an employee coming to work despite feeling ill or unwell – can affect not only the affected person’s productivity but it can have other impacts on the workplace as well.

A sick employee can spread the infection or disease at work, can disturb others and can bring down overall productivity.

Studies have shown that presenteeism can cost companies billions of dollars and even though the term has been talked about quite a bit, managers are often at a loss about how to handle it.

How can presenteeism be managed?

The term presenteeism applies to two different kinds of employee behaviors:

1. When employees come to work sick or tired and may be less effective because they are stressed, depressed, suffering from headaches or a chronic physical disorder
2. When employees work excessively long hours because they are over-committed to the job or have a fear of losing it

Organizations should be aware that physical conditions often have a psychological connection, studies show.

In many instances, employees with chronic conditions hesitate to tell their employers for fear of stigma, loss of employment or general distrust of managers.

Experts suggest developing a working culture that allows employees to experience optimum well-being. 

Organizations must provide a culture that respects the rights and responsibilities of both employees and employers, they say, and certain strategies may help to improve communication, trust and cooperation.

Source: Personnel Today

A better work environment for healthier employees

Electrocorp's RAP series:
Carbon + HEPA filtration

The right working culture is important, but a healthy work environment also takes good indoor air quality and other health-related factors into account.

Cleaner and healthier air has been shown to have a positive impact on productivity, sickness and the occurrence of presenteeism at the workplace.

Indoor air at work can be teeming with airborne bacteria, viruses, mold, chemicals, odors, particles and allergens that can affect employees’ health and well-being.

Electrocorp has developed portable and powerful air cleaners with activated carbon and HEPA as well as optional UV germicidal filtration to treat the widest range of indoor air pollutants.

Among the many industrial and commercial applications are

• Air cleaners for offices
• Air cleaners for labs
• Air cleaners for facility management
• And many more

The air cleaners are made for 24/7 air purification, minimal maintenance and maximum protection.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.