OHS Canada recently distributed the news that Aurora Pictures has recently released two new safety awareness programs, Combustible Dust Awareness and Ladder Safety.
Combustible dust hazards exist in a wide variety of industries: grain handling, food processing, plastics, wood and paper products, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and metal fabrication, among many others.
In fact, over 130 products or materials have been identified that can present combustible dust hazards. Many facilities that have processes that produce dust or fine particles may be at risk for a dust explosion.
The 8-minute video provides a general awareness of how combustible dust explosions are caused and what you can do to recognize and mitigate the possible hazards before it’s too late. It includes a detailed explanation of what combustible dust is and what makes dust such a highly combustible fuel source.
The other program concerns ladders, a common fixture both at work and at home. But statistics show that falls from ladders result in 300 deaths and 165,000 injuries yearly and that falls from a short height can result in serious injuries.
A 17-minute video details all of the hazards of working on a ladder. It discusses how to select the right ladder for the job, inspecting the ladder before use, how to transport and set up a ladder, working safely on ladders and ascending and descending ladders safely. For those who work with ladders, this video will give you all the information you need to ensure you and your employees are working safely.
Both of the programs are available in DVD and streaming media formats. Additional information or free preview is available by calling Electrolab Training Systems at 1-800-267-7482 or emailing safety@electrolab.ca.
The Toyota Motor Corp. and China’s Tsinghua University are conducting joint research on fine particle pollution. The research is focusing dangerous particulates with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns that are causing serious air pollution and health problems in China.
Toyota and Beijing-based Tsinghua, one of the most renowned Chinese universities in engineering and technology education, intend to complete the research by March 2015, the officials said, adding that some interim results may be released earlier.
Under the project, Toyota, known for its hybrid vehicle technology, is providing data related to exhaust emissions and other information on automotive technology to Tsinghua. Based on the automaker’s data, Tsinghua is trying to discover the generating mechanism of PM2.5 particulates, the main cause of air pollution in China, according to the officials.
In 2009, China overtook the United States as the world’s largest auto market. As demand for cars and trucks is expected to expand for some time in China, particularly in inland areas, reducing exhaust emissions has become increasingly urgent.
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A new study co-authored by an MIT professor suggests that many people are heavily influenced by the positive opinions other people express online — but are much less swayed by negative opinions posted in the same venues. Certain topics, including politics, see much more of this "herding" effect than others.
The results, published in the journal Science, detail a five-month experiment conducted on a major news-aggregation web site. The research group systematically altered the favorability ratings given to certain comments on the site, to see how perceptions of favorability affected people's judgment about those comments. They found that comments whose ratings were manipulated in a favorable direction saw their popularity snowball, receiving a 25 percent higher average rating from other site users.
"This herding behavior happens systematically on positive signals of quality and ratings," says Sinan Aral, an associate professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and one of three authors of the study. At the same time, Aral notes, the results "were asymmetric between positive and negative herding." Comments given negative ratings attracted more negative judgments, but that increase was drowned out by what the researchers call a "correction effect" of additional positive responses.
"People are more skeptical of negative social influence," Aral says. "They're more likely to 'correct' a negative vote and give it a positive vote."
While this phenomenon of social positivity sounds pleasant enough on the surface, Aral warns that there are pitfalls to it, such as the manipulation of online ratings by some political operatives, marketers or anyone who stands to profit by creating an exaggerated appearance of popularity.
"These positive ratings also represent bias and inflation," Aral says. "The housing bubble was a spread of positivity, but when it burst, some people lost their savings and their houses went underwater. Stock bubbles represent a positive herding, and they can be dramatically bad in the wrong context."
Still, the experiment also revealed topical limitations in herding: Stories under the rubrics of "politics," "culture and society" and "business" generated positive herding, but stories posted under the topics of "economics," "IT," "fun" and "general news" did not.
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Executive Recycling, Inc. and Brandon Richter, age 38, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, the owner and chief executive officer of Executive Recycling, were sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez for their roles in a fraudulent scheme related to the disposal and exportation of electronic waste to foreign countries.
Executive Recycling, the corporation, was sentenced to pay a $4,500,000 fine and serve 3 years on probation. Richter was ordered to serve 30 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years on supervised release. Judge Martinez also ordered Richter to pay a $7,500 fine and $70,144 in restitution joint and several with the victims of the crime. Richter was ordered to report to a Bureau of Prisons facility within 15 days of designation. Judge Martinez also ordered $142,241.10 in asset forfeiture.
The defendants were convicted in December 2012 of multiple counts of mail and wire fraud and environmental crimes related to the illegal disposal of electronic waste, smuggling, and obstruction of justice, following an 11-day trial.
Last week former vice president of operations, Tor Olson, age 38, of Parker, Colorado, was sentenced to serve 14 months in prison, pay a $5,000 fine, and pay over $15,000 in restitution. Olson remains free on bond pending appeal.
Executive Recycling, Inc., as a corporation, Brandon Richter and Tor Olson were indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on September 15, 2011. The jury trial before Judge Martinez began on December 3, 2012. The jury reached their verdict on December 21, 2012. Olson was sentenced on July 17, 2013.
According to the indictment, as well as the facts presented at trial, Executive Recycling was an electronic waste recycling business located in Englewood, Colorado with affiliated locations in Utah and Nebraska. The company collected electronic waste from private households, businesses, and government entities. Executive Recycling was registered with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as a “Large Quantity Handler of Universal Waste.” Richter, as owner and CEO, was responsible for supervising all aspects of the company. Olson, the vice president of operations, was responsible for running day-to-day operations.
A significant portion of electronic waste collected by the defendants were Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs). CRTs are the glass video display component of an electronic device, usually a computer or television monitor, and are known to contain lead. The defendants engaged in the practice of exporting electronic waste, including CRTs, from the United States to foreign countries, including the People’s Republic of China. The defendants regularly negotiated the sale of electronic waste to brokers who represented foreign buyers or who sold the electronic waste overseas. The foreign buyers often paid the defendants directly. To transport the electronic waste, the defendants used shipping cargo containers which were loaded at the company’s facility. The containers were then transported by rail to domestic ports for export overseas.
Executive Recycling appeared as the exporter of record in over 300 exports from the United States between 2005 and 2008. Approximately 160 of these exported cargo containers contained a total of more than 100,000 CRTs.
Between February 2005 and continuing through January 2009, the defendants knowingly devised and intended to devise a scheme to defraud various business and government entities who wanted to dispose of their electronic waste, and to obtain these business and government entities’ money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses. The defendants represented themselves on a website to have “extensive knowledge of current EPA requirements.” The defendants falsely advertised to customers that they would dispose of electronic waste in compliance with all local, state and federal laws and regulations. It was part of the scheme that the defendants falsely represented that they would dispose of all electronic waste, whether hazardous or not, in an environmentally friendly manner. Specifically, the defendants falsely represented that the defendant company recycled electronic waste “properly, right here in the U.S.” They also stated that they would not send the electronic waste overseas.
“The defendants in this case not only caused actual harm to the environment by shipping electronic waste overseas for dumping, they defrauded their customers by falsely claiming to be disposing of that waste in an environmentally safe way,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “As cases like this one show, federal investigators and the U.S. Attorney’s Office can and will reach beyond our country’s borders to investigate crime and prosecute wrongdoers.”
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The real-life CIA copied outlandish gadgets from Goldfinger and From Russia With Love, according to a University of Warwick analysis of declassified letters and interviews revealing the bond between Ian Fleming and Allen Dulles.
However the relationship between the former CIA director and the spy thriller writer went far deeper than raiding the novels for technological inspiration.
Through Dulles, the agency actively leaned on the British author to paint it in more positive light at a time when US film-makers, authors and journalists were silent about the activities of the CIA, fearful to even mention it by name.
Dr Christopher Moran from the University of Warwick has trawled through declassified letters and media reports from the 1950 and 60s for the study, Ian Fleming and the Public Profile of the CIA, published in the Journal of Cold War Studies.
He said: “There was a surprising two-way influence between the CIA and the James Bond novels during the Cold War, stemming from the mutual admiration between Allen Dulles and Ian Fleming.
“This ranged from the copying of devices, such as the poison-tipped dagger shoe in From Russia With Love, to the agency using the 007 novels to improve its public profile.
“It’s even more striking that this was going on at time when mentioning the CIA was strictly off-limits for the US media and cultural establishment, whereas Fleming, as a British author, could say what he liked.
“For a long time, the James Bond books had a monopoly on the CIA’s public image and the agency used this to its advantage.”
Declassified letters between Allen Dulles and Ian Fleming reveal the former CIA boss’s strong affection for the Bond novels – he even persuaded the author not to pension off 007 in 1963.
And in a rediscovered 1964 edition of Life Magazine, Dulles describes his meeting with the ‘brilliant and witty’ Fleming in London in 1959 where the author told him that the CIA was not doing enough in the area of ‘special devices’.
On his return to the US, Dulles urged CIA technical staff to replicate as many of Bond’s devices as they could.
The article details how the CIA successfully copied Rosa Klebb’s infamous spring-loaded poison knife shoe from the film From Russia with Love.
But it had less luck with the homing beacon device used in Goldfinger to track the villain's car – the CIA version had ‘too many bugs in it’, Dulles said, and stopped working when the enemy entered a crowded city.
The letters between Dulles and Fleming also show how the CIA tapped into James Bond for public relations support, with the author agreeing to include a number of glowing references to the CIA in his later novels. He did this out of respect for Dulles, a close friend, but the effect was to promote the image of the CIA. In return, Dulles rhapsodised about Fleming in the American press, even saying on one occasion that his organisation “could do with a few James Bonds”.
Dr Moran said: “The early 007 novels, written in the 1950s, introduce millions of readers to the CIA for the first time through the character of its agent Felix Leiter.
“Although Fleming’s portrayal of the CIA is largely favourable, readers are left in no doubt that the British intelligence services are the superior outfit.
“In Live and Let Die, for example, Leiter comes across as a bit of a bungler, unable to blend in with the locals and forced to rely on paid informants.
“But in the later books, as the friendship between Dulles and Fleming deepens, a far rosier picture of the CIA emerges.
“For example, in Thunderball, Bond’s boss ‘M’ dispenses with his characteristic economy of words to speak enthusiastically about the way the CIA is selflessly putting itself in the service of freedom.
“And Allen Dulles is even the subject of several honourable mentions in the later books.
“It really does come across as a bit of a mutual appreciation society.”
Spectrum Training Services, Inc., a state partner to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), will host its annual workplace safety fair Tuesday, June 18, 2013, from 10:00 to 5:00 at the Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel. The Fair will feature vendors and professionals from the occupational health and safety industry who will share the latest information about personal workplace safety and OSHA compliance for Chicago land businesses.
Spectrum Training Services, which provides occupational safety and health training to ensure a safe workplace, has invited exhibitors from industries such as facility maintenance and operation, environmental protection, ergonomics and risk management, to display their safety solutions and products.
Frank L. Berg, CSP, a partner in Accident Prevention Corporation and former OSHA Compliance Officer, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker. This year’s conference theme is “Choose Safety First.”
“OSHA’s strong enforcement, training, outreach and compliance assistance have saved thousands of lives and prevented countless injuries,” stated Tami Gilbert, RN, MSN, MBA and founder of Spectrum Training Services. “It’s imperative that personnel have the knowledge and ability to recognize, avoid and prevent safety and health hazards. And the use of safety is even more important to prevent workplace accidents. Our Annual Workplace Fairs give employers and safety professionals an opportunity to see the latest safety products such as personal protective equipment, hazard controls and fall protection, and learn more about satisfying OSHA requirements.”
For more information about the Annual Workplace Safety Fair, please visit http://www.illinoisoshatraining.com.
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Research at Michigan State University suggests the growing number of workers who are single and without children have trouble finding the time or energy to participate in non-work interests, just like those with spouses and kids.
Workers struggling with work-life balance reported less satisfaction with their lives and jobs and more signs of anxiety and depression.
"People in the study repeatedly said I can take care of my job demands, but then I have no time for working out, volunteering in my community, pursuing friendships or anything else," said Ann Marie Ryan, MSU professor of psychology and study co-author.
Traditionally, companies have focused on helping workers find "work-family" balance. The broader new concept is called "work-life," though for many employers it remains just that -- a concept, said Jessica Keeney, study co-author and recent doctoral graduate in psychology at MSU.
"As organizations strive to implement more inclusive HR policies, they might consider offering benefits such as flexible work arrangements to a wider audience than just parents," said Keeney, who works for APTMetrics, a human resources consulting firm. "Simply relabeling programs from 'work-family' to 'work-life' is not enough; it may also require a shift in organizational culture."
Take, for example, an employee who is single and without children and wants to leave work early to train for a triathlon, Ryan said. Should that employee have any less right to leave early than the one who wants to catch her child's soccer game at 4 p.m.?
"Why is one more valued than the other?" Ryan said. "We have to recognize that non-work roles beyond family also have value."
Childlessness among employees has been increasing in the United States, particularly among female managers, the study notes. Further, a large portion of employees today are single and live alone.
The research encompassed two studies of nearly 5,000 university alumni. Roughly 70 percent of the participants were married or in a domestic partnership and about 44 percent had one or more children living at home. The participants worked in a wide range of industries including health care, business, education and engineering.
The three areas in which work interfered the most for all participants were health (which includes exercising and doctor's appointments); family; and leisure (which includes hobbies, playing sports and reading and watching TV).
Ryan said the findings were similar for both workers with families and those without. Each group reported challenges with maintaining friendships, taking care of their health and finding leisure time -- and this had negative effects above and beyond the challenges of balancing work and family.
The findings were published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior. The other co-authors were MSU doctoral graduates Elizabeth Boyd, Ruchi Sinha and Alyssa Westring.
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Eco-cities are now becoming more the norm than the exception
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos
A recent survey by the University of Westminster indicates China
builds the most eco-friendly cities in the world.
Despite having a reputation for being one of the most
polluted countries on earth, China has been making some significant strides in
creating housing complexes that are both cost-effective and help residents consume less.
These eco-cities are popping up all over China, but people
seem to move there more for the low prices and health benefits than for
environmental reasons.
Despite the fact that questions still abound with regards to China's primary
source of energy used (coal-fired electricity) and how easily plant life can
survive in polluted cities like Dezhou, steps have been taken toward
building more eco-conscious, energy-saving apartment buildings.
The second-most eco-friendly country has been slated at the United
States. Unlike the Chinese, Americans tend to prize eco-friendly homes for the
positive impacts they have on the environment.
When environmentally-friendly apartment complexes are
planned, many different building materials are needed.
From sustainable lumber
to formaldehyde-free insulation to multiple air filtration systems and VOC-free
paints, there are a lot of elements to incorporate into the design and construction
of these complexes.
For buildings that are built in polluted or industrialized
areas, it is extremely important to protect the residents’ health; both on the
inside and outside of the buildings.
Merely using eco-friendly materials is not
enough. Living in polluted surroundings will undoubtedly affect the indoor air
quality. This is why installing air cleaners in the central air system is
extremely important.
Air cleaners for eco-friendly
homes
An integral part of the planning process is the
environmental consultant. He or she will suggest which materials are most
beneficial for the environment.
Working in conjunction with architects,
environmental consultants can determine the best industrial-grade air cleaners
to use with regards to the size of the buildings and their proximity to
polluted areas.
Electrocorp's I-6500 series
Electrocorp’s I-6500 AH is an industrial-grade air cleaner
which contains a filter of up to 160 pounds of activated carbon.
This filter is used to eliminate pollutants,
like ozone, exhaust fumes and other organic chemicals, from the air. It is also refillable.
An additional 12-inch
deep medical-grade HEPA filter helps to rid the air of particles as small as 0.3
microns.
The unit is
completely customizable and can be attached to the building’s central air system.
Installing units such as this one will result in an eco-friendly home, from the inside out.
Do you or someone you know live or have been to an eco-city? Share your story with us!
Show your support for green working environments by becoming a follower of this blog.
A Texas man has filed a lawsuit about benzene exposure in his workplace.
A Texas plaintiff blames oil and chemical companies like Chevron, DuPont and Exxon for the leukemia he developed after being exposed to benzene.
The plaintiff worked as a pipe fitter for various companies for 26 years and says he was exposed to benzene in the workplace and through products made by the defendants.
The lawsuit accuses the companies of negligence because they knew benzene to be harmful. The plaintiff says he suffered physical impairment, disability and will need medical monitoring until he dies.
What is benzene?
Benzene is an industrial chemical used as a solvent in the manufacture of drugs, synthetics and dyes.
The chemical is a colorless or light yellow liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odor and is highly flammable.
Benzene is widely used in the United States. It ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume.
Immediate symptoms of benzene exposure can include drowsiness, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion, unconsciousness and death (at very high levels).
Long-term health effects may include anemia, excessive bleeding and a weakened immune system, increasing the chance for infection, irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of ovaries, low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage (in animal studies) as well as cancer (leukemia).
Create a healthy workplace with industrial-strength air cleaners
Electrocorp offers industrial air cleaners with many pounds of activated carbon, the most effective filter media to remove a wide range of chemicals, gases, VOCs, odors and fumes. Activated carbon has a high adsorption capacity for benzene, for example.
The air cleaners also feature particle filters and pre-filters to ensure a long filter life.
Commercial cleaning involves more than slipping hazards: Harmful chemicals may affect the air quality.
Retail stores, offices, laboratories, manufacturing facilities and other types of commercial spaces often need a good scrubbing – but the type of cleaning products can have an effect on the indoor air quality as well as the health and well-being of the employees or visitors.
Standard commercial cleaning products fall in the harsh chemical category, meaning they contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can become airborne and inhaled by building occupants.
They can not only contribute to poor indoor air quality and affect the people’s health, they can also be harmful to the environment and pollute groundwater.
It may be a better, safer and more cost-effective idea to go for greener industrial cleaning products.
A non-profit organization dedicated to setting standards for eco-friendly products/services/companies, Green Seal has established requirements for cleaning service providers, including in-house and external cleaning services, to create a green cleaning program that protects human health and the environment.
There are many ways facility managers and cleaning service providers can become greener.
Cleaning products: Opt for environmentally friendly, green cleaning products whenever possible (general-purpose, floor, bathroom, carpet and all other types of cleaning agents).
Chemical safety: Products with harsh chemicals need to be diluted properly, cleaners need to be trained properly and it’s a great idea to slowly phase out cleaning chemicals that may pose a risk to human health.
Bulk purchasing: Liquid hand soap, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning cloths and agents can be bought in large quantities to save on costs and packaging in the long run.
Sanitation and disinfection: Use EPA-registered products for special areas that need disinfecting or sanitizing.
Communicate: Good communication between cleaning personnel, facility managers and others involved is key to a safe and functional green cleaning program.
Electrocorp air filtration systems provide simple, cost-effective solutions to meet and exceed regulations and enhance a property’s environmental initiatives.
Using an industrial-strength filtration system at strategic points in the building can have a profound effect on the indoor air quality, reported health symptoms or complaints and perceived irritants.
Health and Safety lawsuits can involve a lot of money, cases show.
Sometimes, fear can be a good thing.
Fear of court is a powerful motivator for employers to go above and beyond the necessary health and safety regulations, says a new UK report.
Researchers reviewed the regulations and approved codes of practice by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and how they are interpreted and applied.
It seems an employer’s fear of court is justified, as they are often encouraged to
Keep large numbers of paper records as evidence
Settle compensation claims if possible
Even if employers are doing everything “reasonably practicable”, they might lose a court case because of some strict regulations.
This type of compensation culture is widespread in the UK and in North America, where employees tend to seek financial compensation for perceived failings in occupational health and safety measures.
Electrocorp offers industrial air cleaners for a wide range of applications that can be portable, HVAC-compatible, wall- or ceiling-mountable to fit into any space.
The air cleaners help keep the air clean by removing gaseous pollutants, particulate matter and pathogens from the air with the help of a powerful multistage filtration system with activated carbon and HEPA.
The refineries call the accidents
"unauthorized discharges."
The state of Louisiana supports 17 oil refineries, which have been polluting less and less in the past 20+ years, but a new study shows that accidents still spew toxic emissions into the air.
According to an article in the Times-Picayune, a new study led by the Louisiana Bucket Brigade found the refineries averaged about an accident a day in 2010, often due to poor maintenance and aging piping.
The air pollution from accidents made up a little less than half of the total emissions by refineries.
One accident per day seems to be a bit worrying, but at least the 2010 accident rate was lower than the average rate for the five previous years.
State records could be underestimating pollution from refineries, the study’s leader says, since departments generally rely on company self-reporting and on estimates rather than direct measurements.
In one accident on March 2, 2010, about 100,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds were released when an emergency flare’s pilot flame failed to light.
Industrial air cleaners to remove chemicals and VOCs
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With the largest adsorbent surface areas, safe and proven air filters and powerful airflow configurations, the industrial air cleaners can remove a wide range of chemicals, gases, VOCs, fumes, particles, dust and pathogens.
Styrene is derived from petroleum and listed as a "reasonably anticipated" carcinogen.
Earlier this year, the 12th Report on Carcinogens listed the synthetic chemical styrene as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”.
This first-time listing is being opposed by the chemical industry, who say there is no proof that styrene is a health threat and that the listing should be reviewed.
A U.S. industry association, the Styrene Information & Research Center Inc. (SIRC) is spearheading the fight, with a new website that offers more information on styrene as well as exposure limits and health studies and a federal lawsuit challenging the listing.
There are a lot of studies done in Canada and the European Union as well as the United States. The U.S. Health and Human Services department, which publishes the Report on Carcinogens, did not assess all the information properly, the association alleges.
What is styrene?
Packaging materials like Styrofoam can release styrene.
Styrene is a synthetic chemical that is used extensively in the manufacture of plastics, rubber, and resins.
It is a clear, colorless liquid derived from petroleum and natural gas byproducts and it is used in materials for food containers, packaging materials, cars, boats, computers, and more products.
According to OSHA, About 90,000 workers, including those who make boats, tubs, and showers, are potentially exposed to styrene.
Health effects from styrene exposure may involve the central nervous system and include complaints of headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, malaise, difficulty in concentrating, and a feeling of intoxication.
The final word on styrene may still be out, but one thing is for certain - the less people are exposed to chemicals, the better it is for their health and well-being.
HEPA filters can remove particles and dust as well as pathogens.
After an OSHA inspection showed willful, serious, repeat and other violations, a trailer manufacturing company and subsidiary have been cited with proposed penalties of almost $1 million.
The inspectors found that workers were exposed to unguarded machinery, fall hazards and large amounts of potentially hazardous dust.
This was not the first time the companies had been cited for hazards like these. Previous abatement fixes were abandoned to accommodate production, according to OSHA.
OSHA took the opportunity to remind employers that they have a responsibility to keep their workers safe and healthy.
Dust describes small particles in the air that can be inhaled through the nose and mouth.
If the dust is small enough it can penetrate deep into the lungs. Exposure to dust has been linked to cancers of the lungs, throat and nose, lung conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, asthma, allergies and even heart disease, among others.
If the dust is allowed to build up, it can also be an explosive hazard.
Air filters remove airborne dust
An industrial air cleaner with HEPA filtration, pre-filters, bag filters and/or micro-HEPA can remove up to 99.97% of airborne particle at 0.3 microns and keep the air clean.
Some of the filters are also cleanable or washable.
Is it possible to end up with clean water after the textile dying process?
Clothing and fabrics are often defined by their color and patterns – but the textile dying process is one of the most environmentally hazardous aspects of the textile industry.
During the dying process, harmful chemicals are used and released into the ambient air and the environment, as waste is often disposed of in rivers and on agricultural land.
A new, environmentally friendly purification process developed by Biotechnology doctoral student Maria Jonstrup at Lund University promises a much greener way of getting rid of the chemicals by leaving only clean water at the end.
The research has been tested only at the lab, not at the factory, but "in the long term it should be possible for textile factories in India, China and Bangladesh to use the technique. If it works on a laboratory scale it is quite likely that it will also work in a real-life situation", Jonstrup says in a news release.
The new method combines two types of purification processes, one biological and one chemical.
In the biological step, microorganism break down the dyes in a reactor and the chemical step involves the use of small amounts of iron and hydrogen peroxide in combination with UV light.
The research will next be tested in larger volumes of water to reflect industry conditions, and researchers will try to use sunlight instead of UV.
Capture airborne chemicals and other toxins in industrial applications
Electrocorp has designed versatile industrial air cleaners that combine the most efficient filtration technologies to remove airborne chemicals, gases, fumes, odors, particles, pathogens and other contaminants.
The air cleaners are equipped with deep-bed carbon filters, the most effective filtration media to adsorb gaseous pollutants, HEPA and particle filters for particulate matter and other options such as UV germicidal filtration to neutralize bacteria, viruses and molds.
The air cleaners come in many different styles, sizes, filter combinations and customizable forms. They can be used as stand-alone air treatment systems, hung up on the ceiling or on the wall or attached to existing HVAC systems.
Factories processing asbestos often
neglected health and safety precautions.
Years after asbestos factories are shut down, the onset of asbestos-related diseases continues to plague countries where people were exposed to the dangerous asbestos fibers.
One such example is Egypt.
A recent in-depth article about the impact of asbestos on Egypt’s population cited studies by the National Cancer Institute and Abbasseya Hospital that revealed a rise of asbestos-related cancer diagnoses in the past few years – despite the fact that Egypt’s asbestos factories were officially shut down in 2005.
The numbers are expected to continue to rise, since there is often a 20- to 30-year time span between exposure to asbestos fibers and the onset of asbestos-related disease.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos describes a group of naturally occurring minerals that can be mined and used in thin, durable threads in a wide variety of materials to make them more resistant to heat, fire and chemicals.
Because of these qualities, asbestos was a common material in home construction and other industries throughout the 20th century.
The health risk is linked to inhalation of minuscule asbestos fibers when the material is disturbed or processed.
The tiny fibers of blue and yellow asbestos (another type of asbestos, white asbestos, is not as harmful to human health, experts say) can penetrate deep into the lungs and stay there, causing the growth of malignant tumors decades later.
Asbestos often causes mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer of the thin membranes lining the chest and abdomen. Symptoms include chest pain, dry cough, shortness of breath and tightness of the chest.
A lack of health and safety measures
Even after many western industrialized countries had become aware of the dangers associated with asbestos, they continued to export it to developing countries.
At least 14 cement factories located around Cairo were using asbestos in the manufacture of water pipes, and failed to introduce security measures - such as the wearing of a mask - to protect their workers, the article says.
Asbestos waste was often carelessly disposed of close to the plant, near residential areas or schools.
Removal of asbestos-containing materials in buildings is difficult because it’s not known or documented where the dangerous asbestos was used, the article says.
And even though asbestos has been banned, companies continue to import the material under the names of subcategories (crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile for blue, yellow and white asbestos), which are not mentioned in the legislation.
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Asbestos is so dangerous that experts agree it’s better to leave materials undisturbed or to ask remediation professionals to mitigate the problem.
Proper health and safety measures are vital to protect the health and well-being of workers, occupants and residents.
Electrocorp manufactures highly efficient industrial air cleaners for asbestos and mold remediation.
The air scrubbers feature a variety of HEPA and particle filters to trap 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns, and they can be re-configured to also remove odors and chemicals with deep-bed activated carbon filters.
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When a longtime dry cleaning operation in Little Chute shut down after almost 50 years in business, the real work started.
That’s because the owners left not only decaying machinery at the downtown facility, but high levels of tetrachloroethylene, a popular dry cleaning chemical commonly known as “perc.”
Perc is a colorless
liquid and sometimes called "dry-cleaning fluid." It has a sweet odor detectable
by most people and it can cause a reaction in people who are chemically
sensitive.
NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) considers the chemical a possible carcinogen.
The site needed official remediation services by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which cleaned up the contaminated soil and groundwater.
This is certainly not a unique example of perc contamination caused by dry cleaners.
The use of perc is widespread. While it is slowly being phased out, between 65 and 70 percent of the country's estimated 25,000 dry-cleaning
facilities still use the solvent, industry
representatives have said.
Many businesses have been operating since before environmentally safe waste disposal regulations existed and it was a common practice to dump the cleaning chemical in the backyard or down the drain.
Often, the contaminated soil needs to be dug up and replaced with clean dirt.
The air cleaners remove the widest range of indoor air pollutants with a multistage filtration system that contains activated carbon, HEPA, UV (optional) and pre-filters.
The units can also be customized with custom carbon blends, special bag filters, or deeper carbon beds to target industry-specific pollutants.
For dry cleaning operations and businesses with high levels of airborne chemicals, consider Electrocorp's versatile RSU Series, which features air cleaners in various sizes and filter configurations.
While it may be difficult for people in some industries to find a job these days, it doesn’t look like qualified welders will run into that problem anytime soon.
According to some sources, there is a mass shortage of skilled welders, as more than 50,000 workers retire each year and only 25,000 new prospects enter the workplace annually.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates there will be 450,000 open welding positions by 2014.
The average welder is in his or her mid-50s, according to the agency, and the job, with its toxic fumes and ultrabright flames that can damage the eyes, isn't amenable to older workers.
Welding is one of those professions dominated by men, although women's share of the field inched up from 5 percent to 6 percent in the five years ending in 2005, according to the Department of Labor.
Protect yourself from harmful welding fumes
Welding is a respected profession with good pay, but risks include loud noise, intense heat, glaring light and toxic welding fumes.
The Fume Extractor LD450
Welders are protected under occupational health and safety standards, but being aware of the risks and making sure that individual protection is adequate is essential for long-term job viability.
The dangerous fumes and gases originate from the metals that are welded and the coatings, residues and solvents. A wide range of toxins can be captured at the source with ventilation hoods and/or an industrial-strength air cleaner with fume extraction.
Electrocorp’s portable fume extractor series is designed for TIG, MIG and arc welding operations. The air cleaners feature a spark arrestor, a flexible source capture arm, a 40 to 80 lb. activated carbon filter to adsorb and trap welding fumes, gases and chemicals, custom carbon blends to enhance the adsorption power for certain gaseous pollutants, and HEPA filters for particle control.
Contact Electrocorp for more information and options and ask about our free webinars: 1-866-667-0297.
The industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) just got an upgraded
risk assessment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
which found that it causes kidney and liver cancer, lymphoma and other
health problems.
As one of the most widespread groundwater contaminants in the nation, TCE may thus be more dangerous than previously thought.
The findings could lead to higher cleanup costs and a new federal
drinking-water standard for the contaminant, which currently stands at 5
parts per billion in water and 1 microgram per cubic meter in the air.
According to EPA officials, the new risk assessment could affect cleanup
strategies at 761 Superfund sites. TCE has been found in almost every
state, but a lot of it is in California, including two Superfund sites
on military bases Camp Pendleton and Edwards Air Force Base.
Underground plumes of TCE often lead to high ambient levels of the
chemical in the air and affect people in their homes, at work or on the
move. Soil vapor intrusion in homes above contaminated groundwater is a
major concern, experts say.
What is TCE?
The chlorinated solvent was developed by chemists in the late 19th
century and was widely used after the Second World War as a metal
degreaser, as a chemical intermediate and extractant, and as a component
of some consumer products.
TCE is designated as a
Hazardous Air Pollutant, is a common groundwater contaminant, and has
been found at more than 1,500 hazardous waste sites, according to EPA.
TCE can be released to indoor air from the use of TCE-containing
consumer products, volatilization from water supplies, and vapor
intrusion through walls and floors from contaminated soil and
groundwater.
Air cleaners for better indoor air quality
RAP 204:
Strong air cleaner
Only an industrial-strength air cleaner with a large activated carbon filter can remove airborne chemicals, odors, gases and fumes that
contribute to poor indoor air quality.
Electrocorp’s portable air
treatment systems are equipped with the largest carbon filters in the
industry as well as HEPA and other filters to capture the widest
range of contaminants from the ambient air.
Electrocorp works with environmental consultants and government agencies
to provide cleaner air in many indoor spaces and also offers
residential air purifiers with carbon + HEPA filtration for single- or
double-family units that may be affected by soil vapor intrusion or other IAQ concerns.
Contact Electrocorp today for more information on our air cleaners, our
exclusive carbon blends to target specific contaminants and other
available options.
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