When the mercury hits 90 degrees or more, working outdoors can be uncomfortable and, at times, unsafe. Workers run the risk of developing a heat-related illness when physical exertion is combined with high humidity. Over the past five years, 32 workers received benefits through Oregon’s workers’ compensation system for heat-related illnesses. The workers who qualified for the benefit were disabled for three days or more. Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, does not require companies to report less-severe cases of heat exhaustion.
Employers and workers should be familiar with some of the common indicators of heat exhaustion. A person overcome with heat exhaustion will still sweat but may experience extreme fatigue, nausea, lightheadedness, or a headache. The person could have clammy and moist skin, a pale complexion, and a normal or only slightly elevated body temperature. If heat exhaustion is not treated promptly, the illness could progress to heat stroke and, possibly, even death. Workers on construction sites may be at greater risk for heat illness due to heavy exertion, enclosed operator cabs with poor air circulation, and prolonged exposure to the sun.
To help a person suffering from heat exhaustion:
- Move them to a cool, shaded area. Don't leave them alone. If they are dizzy or light-headed, lay them on their back and raise their legs about 6–8 inches at the feet. If they are sick to theirstomach, lay them on their side.
- Loosen and remove heavy clothing.
- Provide cool water to drink (a small cup every 15 minutes) if they are not feeling sick to their stomach.
- Try to cool them by fanning them. Cool the skin with a spray mist of cold water or a wet cloth.
- If they do not feel better in a few minutes, call 911 for emergency help.
Certain medications can increase a worker’s risk. It’s important to have workers check with their health care provider or pharmacy to see if their medicine affects them differently when working in a hot environment. People who have experienced a heat-induced illness in the past or who must wear personal protective equipment while on the job are at higher risk for heat illness.
Heat stroke is a different condition than heat exhaustion. There are several reactions that occur in the human body with heat stroke: dry, pale skin (no sweating); hot, red skin (looks like a sunburn); mood changes; irritability and confusion; and collapsing (person will not respond to verbal commands).
Follow the same steps for responding to heat stroke as with heat exhaustion, but take note of these critical differences:
- Call for emergency help immediately (ambulance or 911)
- Keep the person in a cool area; if a seizure is under way, remove objects close to the worker that could be harmful.
- Try to find ice for cooling packs while medical services respond. Place ice packs in the armpits and groin area.
The ideal situation to prevent heat illness is to protect workers. Here are some tips:
- Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-induced illnesses and what to do to help other workers.
- Perform the heaviest, most labor-intensive work during the coolest part of the day.
- Slowly build up tolerance to the heat and the work activity (this usually takes up to two weeks).
- Use the buddy system to monitor the heat (work in pairs).
- Drink plenty of cool water (one small cup every 15–20 minutes).
- Wear light, loose-fitting, breathable clothing (such as cotton).
- Take frequent short breaks in cool, shaded areas—allow your body to cool down.
- Avoid eating large meals before working in hot environments.
- Avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages (these beverages make the body lose water and increase the risk of heat illnesses).
A Healthier July Fourth: Eco-Friendly Fireworks and Flares Poised to Light Up the Sky
From the rockets’ red glare to bombs bursting in air, researchers are developing more environmentally friendly fireworks and flares to light up the night sky while minimizing potential health risks, according to an article scheduled for the June 30 issue of Chemical & Engineering News. Some eco-friendly fireworks may soon appear at a Fourth of July display or rock concert near you.
In the C&EN cover story, Associate Editor Bethany Halford points out that fireworks, flares, and other so-called pyrotechnics commonly include potassium perchlorate to speed up the fuel-burning process. But some studies have linked perchlorate, which can accumulate in the soil, air, and water, to thyroid damage. Pyrotechnics also contain color-producing heavy metals, such as barium and copper, which have also been linked to toxic effects.
Researchers recently developed new pyrotechnic formulas that replace perchlorate with nitrogen-rich materials or nitrocellulose that burn cleaner and produce less smoke. At the same time, these nitrogen-rich formulas also use fewer color-producing chemicals, dramatically cutting down on the amount of heavy metals used and lowering their potentially toxic effects. Some of these fireworks are already being used at circuses, rock concerts, and other events. The big challenge in developing these “eco-friendly” pyrotechnics is making them as cost-effective as conventional fireworks while maintaining their dazzle and glow, the article states.
High-Rise Fire-Fighting—Effective Use of PPV
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) engineers recently released a two-disk DVD set that demonstrates how Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV), a technique in which powerful fans force smoke and heat from corridors and stairwells, can increase the effectiveness of firefighters and survivability of occupants in high-rise structures.
The DVD collection of PPV videos, reports, and a narrated slide presentation are the result of more than six years of NIST PPV experiments and computer simulations. A user-friendly graphic menu allows simple access to all the videos of the high-rise experiments. Users can select single and multi-camera views of events in the rooms of the different apartments. The multimedia presentations as well as the extensive discussion of appropriate PPV techniques for different high-rise building fires makes the DVD set a useful tool for firefighter training.
NIST’s PPV work has been supported by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and the United States Fire Administration, as well as fire departments across the country. The DVD set, titled “Positive Pressure Ventilation Research: Videos & Reports” by Stephen Kerber and Daniel Madrzykowski, is free.
Safe Kids Kansas Offers Fourth of July Safety Tips
In the last two years, at least 136 Kansas children ages 14 and under were treated in emergency rooms or hospitalized for injuries involving fireworks during the fireworks season from June 27 to July 13 (with 60% of Kansas hospitals reporting). More than half of the injuries occur on July 4. Unfortunately, many fireworks injuries are not reported.
“Don’t let kids play with fireworks, period. Fourth of July celebrations and exciting and fun—you don’t want to spend it at the emergency room,” says Jan Stegelman, Safe Kids Kansas coordinator. “Fireworks are intended for use by adults in open spaces, with plenty of active supervision for every child present.”
Fireworks, including sparklers and flares, can cause serious burns as well as blast injuries that can permanently impair vision and hearing. “Teach your children what to do if their clothing catches on fire—‘stop, drop and roll’—and how to call 911 in an emergency,” says Stegelman.
Consumer (Class C) fireworks are legal in the state of Kansas with the exception of bottle rockets. However, many Kansas counties and cities have ordinances that are stricter than the state law. Where permitted by law, fireworks should be handled and used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and all warning labels.
In addition, Safe Kids Kansas recommends these precautions for adults using fireworks:
- Light fireworks only on smooth, flat surfaces and aim them away from buildings, dry leaves, flammable materials, and spectators.
- Do not try to relight fireworks that malfunction.
- Do not carry fireworks in your pocket or hold them close to your face.
- Do not modify fireworks or use homemade fireworks.
Keep a phone and water handy, and know first aid for burns. Also, keep a fire extinguisher handy and know how to use it. Finally, as in any activity involving hazardous equipment, keep all children under active supervision—in sight and in reach at all times, with your undivided attention focused on them—when they’re near fireworks. “The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to watch them at a community event where professionals handle them,” says Stegelman.
Newly Approved Ocular Safety Methods Reduce Animal Testing
Federal regulatory agencies have accepted recommendations of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) for two methods that can reduce live animal use for ocular safety testing, the committee announced today. ICCVAM is a permanent interagency committee composed of representatives from 15 federal regulatory and research agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that use, generate, or disseminate toxicology testing information.
The two alternative test methods, the bovine corneal opacity and permeability (BCOP) assay and the isolated chicken eye (ICE) assay, do not involve the use of live animals. These are the first scientifically valid alternative methods to gain regulatory acceptance for ocular safety testing.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the EPA, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concurred with the ICCVAM recommendations for the BCOP and ICE tests. CPSC will now accept these tests instead of the conventional ocular toxicity test for the purpose of classification for labeling under the Federal Hazardous Substance Act (15 U.S.C. 1261–1278).
"Based on an extensive database of product test results, the use of these two alternative test methods will likely reduce the use of live animals for eye safety testing by 10% or more," stated William Stokes, D.V.M., the executive director of ICCVAM and director of the NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods NICEATM). "More importantly, the use of these tests will eliminate the testing in animals of most substances likely to cause the most severe pain and discomfort."
If a positive response is obtained using either of the two new approved alternative methods, the product can be labeled as causing irreversible or severe eye damage and no live animal testing will be required. If the response is negative, the product is then tested in an animal to confirm that it does not cause severe or irreversible damage.
The NIH and other federal agencies are committed to the welfare of animals used in research. All animals used in federally funded research are protected by laws, regulations, and policies to ensure they are used in the smallest number possible and with the greatest commitment to their comfort. ICCVAM is working to promote the development and validation of alternative test methods. Alternative test methods are those that accomplish one or more of the 3Rs of reducing the number of animals used in testing or refining procedures so animals experience less pain and distress, or replacing animals with non-animal systems.
"The use of these alternative methods will help reduce animal use while ensuring the proper identification and hazard labeling for substances that may cause severe or permanent eye damage," Said Marilyn Wind, Ph.D., chair of ICCVAM and principal ICCVAM representative for the CPSC.
Before certain new products such as drugs and pesticides can be marketed in the United States, they must be tested for their potential to adversely affect the health of consumers. Currently, the FDA, the CPSC, and the EPA require that these and other products such as cosmetics, shampoos, detergents, and household chemical products be labeled with information on hazards for human health. Tests that use animals are among the tests used by these federal agencies to evaluate potential damage to the eye that may result from exposure to these products. ICCVAM conducted a comprehensive scientific review of four alternative test methods and concluded that the BCOP and ICE methods can be useful for identifying products that may cause permanent or severe damage to an exposed eye. ICCVAM's evaluation report and recommendations were forwarded to federal agencies for their consideration in October 2007.
The ICCVAM Test Method Evaluation Report: In Vitro Ocular Toxicity Test Methods for Identifying Severe Irritants and Corrosives (NIH Publication 06-4511) contains the ICCVAM recommendations for these two alternative eye test methods and how results can be used to determine appropriate warning labels and special packaging requirements. The report also includes proposals for new studies that might further increase the usefulness of alternative test methods for detecting products that cause severe eye damage.
ICCVAM's recommendations were made after consideration of public comments and a report from an independent scientific peer review panel.
To have the greatest impact on reducing animal use, ICCVAM will seek adoption of these test methods internationally by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) so they can also be used in the other 29 OECD member countries, which include Japan and most countries in the European Union. There is considerable interest in these methods in Europe due to the impending 2009 ban by the EU on the use of animals for testing cosmetic ingredients and the EU chemicals legislation, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemical substances), which may require testing of thousands of existing chemicals.
ICCVAM is also evaluating several other non-animal methods that are expected to further reduce animal use for ocular testing, including a proposed non-animal testing strategy for specific types of anti-microbial products. The overall goal is an integrated testing strategy using several non-animal tests that can accurately predict whether chemicals or products have the potential to damage the eye.
Are New Food Packaging Chemicals Any Safer?
DuPont and other chemical companies have promised to phase out a cancer-causing chemical found in grease-resistant coatings for food packaging. But the new, supposedly green chemicals the industry is pushing as a replacement may be no safer.
An investigation by Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that there are almost no data publicly available on the health risks of the new chemicals, leaving in question whether food packaging and other products using them are any less hazardous to people and the environment. EWG found that DuPont and other manufacturers are continuing a decades-long pattern of deception about the perfluorinated chemicals known as PFCs.
“Calling these replacement chemicals ‘green’ is like saying you’re safer driving a car at 150 miles an hour instead of 200,” said Olga Naidenko, PhD, an EWG senior scientist. “Just like the chemicals they’re replacing, these new compounds are extraordinarily persistent in the environment, they are already found in people’s blood, and they cross the placenta to contaminate babies before birth.”
In 2006, DuPont and seven other companies, under pressure from the EPA, agreed by 2015 to phase out PFOA, a persistent breakdown product of perfluorinated chemicals in fast-food wrappers, pizza boxes, microwave popcorn, and other food packaging. PFOA has been termed a “likely human carcinogen” by the EPA’s Science Advisory Board. Even as it agreed to a phase-out, however, DuPont has insisted—in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary—that PFOA does not harm human health or the environment. But EWG’s investigation found:
- DuPont’s own scientific advisors disagree with the company’s repeated assertions that PFOA is safe, calling them “Somewhere between ‘misleading’ and ‘disingenuous’" and adding that “Such a statement is misleading, whether intentionally or not, and it is unacceptable to mislead in this way."
- Since 2007, various PFC manufacturers have reported to the EPA 19 different new, unpublished studies showing “substantial risks” to human health and the environment from fluorochemicals, but under EPA rules shielding “confidential business information,” in 17 cases the companies redacted the name of the specific chemical and did not disclose its intended uses.
- There is little reason to believe that the industry’s voluntary phaseout program will effectively reduce human exposure to PFCs because it excludes packaging made in China, and, because, again, significant portions of the data on the program’s progress are shielded as proprietary.
“DuPont and the rest of the chemical industry are continuing a decades-long pattern of cover-ups and non-disclosure about the serious hazards of these chemicals,” Naidenko said. “When the industry talks about the safety of existing PFCs or their replacements, they have very little credibility.”
31st Annual Safety and Health Congress July 13–16 in Nashville
The 31st Annual Tennessee Safety & Health Congress will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center from Sunday, July 13, through Wednesday, July 16. Attendance at this year’s Congress is expected to exceed 1,800 safety and health professionals from across the state with approximately 140 exhibitors. Registration is still available to anyone interested in attending.
“I am privileged to have been one of the founding fathers of the Tennessee Safety & Health Congress,” Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner James Neeley said. “It has truly been an honor to be a part of an organization whose goals are to save lives and prevent injury and illness for Tennessee Workers.”
The conference is designed for safety and health managers, supervisors, plant managers, safety committee members, industrial hygienists, human resource managers, risk managers, health care providers, and employees.
More than 60 workshops will be offered on topics from accident investigations to the Federal OSHA Training Institute’s approved “10-Hour General Industry Safety & Health Course.” The Congress is co-sponsored by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) of the Department of Labor & Workforce Development and the Tennessee Chapters of the American Society of Safety Engineers.
“I am honored to have been a part of TOSHA and the Tennessee Safety and Health Congress for the past 27 years,” said TOSHA Administrator John Winkler. “The Congress has grown tremendously, which is a positive reflection of the partnership between TOSHA, employers, and employees to prevent accidents and to save lives.”
MIOSHA Cites Five Companies for Worker Fatality at Wayne State University Construction Site
Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG) Director Keith W. Cooley recently announced that the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) cited five construction companies with $40,350 in proposed penalties for allegedly failing to adequately protect employees from fall hazards.
On March 21, Scott Austin, a 19-year-old carpenter working for TNT's Excavating Company, was part of a crew working on a parapet wall on the roof of the five-story Studio One Apartment building being constructed on the Wayne State University campus in Detroit. The wind picked up and employees were gathering tools and materials to ensure they were secure and would not blow off the roof.
Equipment curbs (sheet metal collars) used as a base for installing heating/ventilation/air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment were on the roof and some were covering roof openings. When Austin picked up an unsecured equipment curb to move it, he fell through the opening it was covering more than 60 feet to his death.
"This tragic workplace fatality could have been avoided. Five contractors had the responsibility to correct the hazards, which led to the death of this young worker," Cooley said. "We are sending a clear message to all construction employers that they must be proactive and consistently protect their workers against fall hazards."
A typical construction site involves many contractors and subcontractors, and the Studio One construction project was no exception. On multi-employer sites, every employer has responsibility for the safety of all workers on the site, and more than one employer may be cited for the same condition.
The MIOSHA inspection determined there were five contractors at the site that had been working on or near the roof openings, were aware of the roof openings, and that workers were exposed to the associated hazards. The contractors below were working at the WSU site at the time of the fatality:
- TNT's Excavating of Howell was working on the roof parapet wall.
- Houseman Construction Company of Grand Rapids was the general contractor at the site.
- Probuild of Delton LLC had a contract to perform carpentry work on the roof.
- Assemblers, Inc. of Pinckney did pre-cast concrete work around the roof openings.
- RJO Mechanical & Residential Plumbing of Portage was responsible for installing the HVAC equipment and the equipment curbs.
"It is not unusual for multiple contractors at a construction site to have their employees exposed to the same hazards. Each contractor at a site is responsible for ensuring that hazards are controlled or eliminated," MIOSHA Director Doug Kalinowski said. "Employers must exert all due diligence to identify hazards, whatever the cause, and take all necessary measures to protect their workers."
As a result of the accident investigation conducted by the MIOSHA Construction Safety and Health Division, five companies received citations for alleged safety violations with total proposed penalties of $40,350. A serious violation exists where there is a substantial probability that serious physical harm or death can result to an employee. The number of serious and other-than-serious (OTS) violations and proposed penalties are as follows.
Company Total Violations Total Penalties
TNT's Excavating 8 Serious/ 1 OTS $10,950
Houseman Construction Co 1 Repeat Serious/
9 Serious/2 OTS $11,300
Probuild of Delton LCC 8 Serius/1 OTS $6,000
Assemblers, Inc. 4 Serious/1 Repeat OTS $6,100
RJO Mechanical & Res.
Plumbing 4 Serious $6,000
Total Penalties $40,350
MIOSHA concluded that the five contractors at the site all had responsibility for the roof-opening hazards that resulted in the fatality. Every employer was cited for failure to secure the roof covers and for failure to identify the roof covers. Each of the contractors had a responsibility to implement the following requirements of MIOSHA Construction Standard, Part 45, Fall Protection:
- Cover or guard floor holes as soon as they are created during new construction.
- Survey the site before working and continually audit as work continues. Guard or cover any openings or holes immediately.
- Covers must be secured and color coded or marked with the words "HOLE" or "COVER."
- Construct all floor-hole covers so they will effectively support two times the weight of employees, equipment, and materials that may be imposed on the cover at any one time.
Among the citations issued to TNT Excavating was a violation for inadequate fall protection training. At the time of his death, Austin had been on the job only three or four days and was a young, inexperienced worker. Young workers experience higher rates of work-related injuries than other workers according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). It's imperative that employers provide young workers with the information and skills to do the work safely.
In March 2008, MIOSHA initiated a proactive "Fall Protection" campaign to increase awareness of fall hazards in construction and general industry, to highlight the need for appropriate fall protection, and to help ensure that employees receive the training required by MIOSHA rules.
The MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division scheduled a series of workshops on fall awareness training across the state, which are posted on the CET Calendar on the MIOSHA website at www.michigan.gov/miosha. For more details on training opportunities, employers can contact the CET Division at 517-322-1809.
All MIOSHA standards are available on its website at www.michigan.gov/mioshastandards.
For more information on construction standards, companies can contact the Construction Safety and Health Division at 517-322-1856.
"This year in Michigan, we've already had five fatal accidents caused by falls," Kalinowski said. "The goal of the ‘Fall Protection' campaign is to alert employers that when fall hazards are present—they must provide the appropriate fall protection and training."
