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Work-related deaths are a persistent occupational health issue that can be prevented. However, prevention opportunities can be hampered by a lack of adequate public health resources. The Western States Occupational Network (WestON) is a network of federal, state, and local occupational health professionals that includes a 19-state region of the United States. To encourage public health collaboration, WestON partners examined work-related fatalities within the region. Fatality counts (numerators) were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries restricted-access research files for all workers ages ≥15 years and fatally injured in WestON states from 2011 through 2017. Estimates of full-time equivalent hours worked (FTE) (denominators) were retrieved from the BLS Current Population Survey. Annual average fatality rates were calculated as number of fatalities per 100,000 FTE over the study period. Rates were stratified by state, select demographics, industry sector, and event/exposure types. Pearson chi-squared tests and rate ratios with 95% confidence probability limits were used to assess rate differences. All analyses were conducted using SAS v.9.4. From 2011 through 2017, the annual average overall occupational fatality rate for the WestON region was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 FTE, comparable to the overall U.S. fatality rate. Male workers had a fatality rate almost 10 times higher than female workers in the region. Fatality rates increased with successive age groups. Alaska and New Mexico had significantly higher fatality rates for all racial/ethnic groups compared to respective regional rates. Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana had the three highest occupational fatality rates among foreign-born workers. Agriculture/forestry/fishing, mining/oil/gas extraction, and transportation/warehousing/utilities were industry sector groups with the three highest fatality rates regionally. Transportation-related incidents were the most frequent event type associated with occupational fatalities for all 19 states. Work-related fatalities are a crosscutting occupational public health priority. This analysis can be an impetus for collaborative multistate initiatives among a dynamic and varied occupational public health network to better meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the first 20 high-priority chemical substances selected by USEPA to undergo risk evaluation as part of the Toxic Substances Control Act, as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act of 2016 is 1,3-butadiene (1,3-BD). Because much of the literature related to occupational exposure to 1,3-BD is associated with the use of the substance in synthetic rubber production and few data have been published for exposures to 1,3-BD manufacturing workers, existing industrial hygiene data collected at facilities where the substance is manufactured or processed as a reactant were compiled and analyzed. The dataset was comprised of personal air samples collected between 2010 and 2019 at facilities located throughout the United States and was compiled into a single database using a uniform data collection template. Data designated by the companies as full-shift were stratified by job group and one of three operational conditions of the workplace: routine, turnaround, and non-routine. Data designated by the companies as short-term and task-level were stratified by task description, sample duration, and operational condition. The final aggregated database contained a total of 5,676 full-shift personal samples. Mean concentrations of 1,3-BD for the job groups ranged from 0.012 ppm to 0.16 ppm. High-end estimates of 1,3-BD air concentrations for the job groups under routine operations ranged from 0.014 ppm to 0.23 ppm. The aggregated database also included 1,063 short-term and task-level personal samples. For short-term samples (< =15 min), mean concentrations ranged from 0.49 ppm to 3.9 ppm, with the highest concentrations observed for the cleaning and maintaining equipment tasks. For task samples with durations greater than 15 min, mean concentrations ranged from 0.49 to 3.6 ppm, with the highest concentrations observed for the unloading and loading task. In addition to the personal air sampling records, information on the use of PPE during various tasks was compiled and analyzed. This data set provides robust quantitative air concentration data and exposure control information for which occupational exposures to 1,3-BD in the Manufacturing and Processing as a Reactant condition of use can be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian and Asian Americans (A/AA) are a group overlooked in general health outcomes but especially occupational safety and health outcomes. In the United States, the beauty service microbusiness industry (e.g., nail salons) predominantly employs immigrant Asian women who regularly encounter a plethora of occupational hazards (e.g., harmful chemical exposures -toluene, formaldehyde, bloodborne pathogens, fungi. However, due to the precariousness of beauty service jobs, cultural and linguistic barriers, and social determinants of health, A/AA beauty service workers face complex occupational safety and health challenges that require interdisciplinary collaboration and cultural competency to address. This commentary will discuss a multi-level approach including specific outreach partners that will offer the required diverse skillsets necessary for improving the occupational safety and health for this worker population in this microbusiness industry. Implications and suggestions for interventions and policy changes are also recommended utilizing the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities' Research Framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of water consumption bolus volume and frequency on hydration biomarkers during work in the heat is unknown. In a randomized, crossover fashion, eight males consumed either 500 mL of water every 40 min or 237 mL of water every 20 min during 2 hr of continuous walking at 6.4 kph, 1.0% grade in a 34 °C/30% relative humidity environment, followed by 2 hr of rest. Hydration biomarkers and variables were assessed pre-work, post-work, and after the 2 hr recovery. There were no differences in body mass between trials at any time point (all p > 0.05). Percent change in plasma volume during work was not different when 237 mL of water was repeatedly consumed (−1.6 ± 8.2%) compared to 500 mL of water (−1.3 ± 3.0%, p = 0.92). Plasma osmolality was maintained over time (p = 0.55) with no difference between treatments (p = 0.21). When consuming 500 mL of water repeatedly, urine osmolality was lower at recovery (205 ± 108 mOsmo/L) compared to pre-work (589 ± 95 mOsmo/L, p < 0.01), different from repeatedly consuming 237 mL of water which maintained urine osmolality from pre-work (548 ± 144 mOsmo/L) through recovery (364 ± 261 mOsmo/L, p = 0.14). Free water clearance at recovery was greater with repeated consumption of 500 mL of water (1.2 ± 1.0 mL/min) compared to 237 mL of water (0.4 ± 0.8 mL/min, p = 0.02). Urine volume was not different between treatments post-work (p = 0.62), but greater after 2 hr of recovery when repeatedly consuming 500 mL of water compared to 237 mL (p = 0.01), leading to greater hydration efficiency upon recovery with repeated consumption of 237 mL of water (68 ± 12%) compared to 500 mL (63 ± 14%, p = 0.01). Thirst and total gastrointestinal symptom scores were not different between treatments at any time point (all p > 0.05). Body temperatures and heart rate were not different between treatments at any time point (all p > 0.05). Drinking larger, less frequent water boluses or drinking smaller, more frequent water boluses are both reasonable strategies to promote adequate hydration and limit changes in body mass in males completing heavy-intensity work in the heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of new sensing technologies and robust field-deployable analyzers, monitoring approaches can now generate valuable hazard information directly in the workplace. This is the case for monitoring respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica concentration levels. Estimating the quartz amount of a respirable dust sample by nondestructive analysis can be carried out using portable Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) units. Real-time respirable dust monitors, combined with small video cameras, allow advanced assessments using the Helmet-CAM methodology. These two field-based monitoring approaches, developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), have been trialed in a sandstone quarry. Twenty-six Helmet-CAM sessions were conducted, and forty-one dust samples were collected around the quarry and analyzed on-site during two events. The generated data generated were used to characterize concentration levels for the monitored areas and workers, to identify good practices, and to illustrate activities that could be improved with additional engineered control technologies. Laboratory analysis of the collected samples complemented the field finding and provided an assessment of the performance of the field-based techniques. Only a fraction of the real-time respirable dust monitoring sessions data could be corrected with laboratory analysis. The average correction factor ratio was 5.0. Nevertheless, Helmet-CAM results provided valuable information for each session. The field-based quartz monitoring approach overestimated the concentration by a factor of 1.8, but it successfully assessed the quartz concentration trends in the quarry. The data collected could be used for the determination of a quarry calibration factor for future events. The quartz content in the dust was found to vary from 14% to 100%, and this indicates the need for multiple techniques in the characterization of respirable dust and quartz concentration and exposure. Overall, this study reports the importance of the adoption of field-based monitoring techniques when combined with a proper understanding and knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of each technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 2001–2002, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collaborated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) at the United States Department of Labor to conduct a voluntary survey of U.S. employers regarding the use of respiratory protective devices. In 2003, the survey results were jointly published by NIOSH and BLS. This study highlights and evaluates the scientific impact of the 2001–2002 survey by using the Science Impact Framework which provides a historical tracking method with five domains of influence. The authors conducted interviews with original project management as well as a thorough document review and qualitative content analysis of published papers, books, presentations, and other relevant print media. A semi-structured and cross-vetted coding was applied across the five domains: Disseminating Science, Creating Awareness, Catalyzing Action, Effecting Change, and Shaping the Future. The 2001–2002 survey findings greatly enhanced understanding and awareness of respirator use in occupational settings within the United States. It also led to similar surveys in other countries, regulatory initiatives by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Mine Safety and Health Administration, and ultimately to a renewed partnership between NIOSH and BLS to collect contemporary estimates of respirator use in the workplace within the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on predicting the particulate respirator model which being the best fit in a particular population. Topics include using particulate respirators in healthcare increasing due to surgical masks providing barrier protection against droplets; and surgical masks not providing adequate protection against infectious respiratory diseases transmitting through droplets and aerosols.

Workers in the electric power industry commonly perform physically demanding jobs in hot environments, which combined with the protective clothing worn, places them at risk of disease and health problems related to occupational heat stress. With climate change fueling an increase in the occurrence of hot weather, a targeted approach to heat stress management within the industry is needed. To better understand current heat management practices and identify opportunities for refinement, we conducted an exploratory survey among 33 electric utility companies operating in the United States (n = 32) and Canada (n = 1). Forty-six employees responsible for health and safety of company workers completed 26 questions assessing heat stress as a workplace hazard and heat management practices within five categories: (1) use and administration of heat stress management program; (2) surveillance of heat stress and heat strain; (3) job evaluation and heat-mitigation guidance; (4) education and training programs; and (5) treatment of heat-related illness. While a majority of the respondents (87.0%) indicated heat stress is a workplace hazard and their organization has a heat stress management program (78.3%), less than half reported performing real-time monitoring of heat stress in the workplace (47.8%) or tracking worker heat strain (19.6%) (i.e., physiological response to heat stress). However, most organizations indicated they conducted pre-job evaluations for heat stress (71.7%) and implemented an employee training program on managing heat stress (73.9%). The latter included instruction on various short- and long-term heat-mitigation guidance for workers (e.g., use of work exposure limits, hydration protocols) and the prevention (52.2%) and treatment (63.1%) of heat-related illnesses. Altogether, our survey demonstrates that although many companies employ some form of a heat management program, the basic components defining the programs vary and are lacking for some companies. To maximize worker health and safety during work in hot environments, a consensus-based approach, which considers the five basic components of a heat management program, should be employed to formulate effective practices and methodologies for creating an industry-specific heat management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on technology tools for expanding accessibility in instructional media and digital content. Topics include remote work posing certain ergonomic challenges offering needed opportunities for accommodating workers with disabilities; and number of workers living with permanent physical or intellectual disabilities requiring reasonable accommodation for successfully maintaining employment.

Mexican immigrants suffer a disproportionately large number of work-related injuries and deaths given their share of the workforce. Barriers of language, culture, and mistrust are often cited as factors that complicate efforts to reach these workers with occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions. By partnering with the Mexican government and its consulate network in the United States, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health were able to assess the impact of four different information dissemination approaches (posters, passively distributed brochures, actively distributed brochures, and video kiosks) in Spanish in a five-phase study. Exit interviews conducted with Mexicans seeking consular services indicated that while nearly all respondents considered OSH to be of importance, significant differences in impact measures, such as noticing the materials and liking of content, were found when comparing the different approaches. Despite these differences, even the least effective approaches were noticed by large numbers of individuals and significantly increased their stated behavioral intentions regarding OSH. Considering all materials together, significantly more participants reported liking the materials (p < 0.001) than did not, learning something new (p < 0.01), trusting the information (p < 0.05), intending to seek out additional OSH information (p < 0.01), and intending to speak to their bosses about OSH (p < 0.05). These findings contribute to building an evidence base for moving research knowledge into practice, which is an essential, but often overlooked, element of occupational safety and health research, particularly among workers from underserved communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on the concept of precarious employment and longstanding hazards of employment in meat packing and meat processing. Topics include characterized by low wage, poor protection from termination, absence of access to regulatory protections, and benefits associated with standard employment; and experiencing high levels of precariousness as a consequence of job insecurity and economic and political powerlessness.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of past and current rotating shift assignments on U.S. law enforcement officers' health outcomes. In a nationally representative sample of 2,867 officers, with an oversample of female officers, we estimated models of sleep quality and fatigue, physical health outcomes, and psychological health outcomes. Further, we examined individual and agency-level factors associated with officers who reported currently working a rotating shift, to investigate what patterns there may be in shift assignments. A history of rotating shift assignments was positively associated with lower sleep quality, and with hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, but not with gastrointestinal disorders, perceived stress, emotional well-being, or suicidality. The associations of shiftwork with health outcomes did not vary by gender. Demographic characteristics did not predict current rotating shift assignments, but a longer history of shiftwork and more working hours did predict a current shift assignment. Attention to mitigating shift system designs as well as the effect of cumulative years of working a rotating shift for the benefit of officer health outcomes is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon monoxide (CO) exposure levels encountered by wildland firefighters (WLFs) throughout their work shift can change considerably within a few minutes due to the varied tasks that are performed and the changing environmental and fire conditions encountered throughout the day. In a U.S. Forest Service study during the 2009–2012 fire seasons, WLFs from 57 different fires across the U.S. were monitored for CO using CO data-logging detectors while an observer recorded worker tasks, fire characteristics, and environmental conditions at scheduled intervals. Exposures to CO for 735 WLF's work shifts were analyzed to assess the effect of variations among work tasks, fire characteristics, and environmental conditions. Geometric mean full shift time-weighted averages were low at 2.4 parts per million (ppm) and average length of work shift was 11 hr and 15 min. The task with the highest mean CO exposure was sawyer/swamper at 6.8 ppm; workers performing that task had an estimated 9 times higher odds of a having a 1-min CO measurement exceeding 25 ppm than the referent pump task (OR = 8.89, 95% CI = 1.97, 40.24). After adjusting CO exposure limits for shift length, elevation, and work level, 2% and 4% of the WLF's work shifts exceeded the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's recommended exposure level and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist's threshold limit value, respectively. In regression modeling, variables that were significantly associated with elevated levels of CO exposure included: task, fuel model, wind orientation, crew type, relative humidity, type of attack, and wind speed. In the absence of instruments such as CO detectors that can determine and alert WLFs to elevated CO levels, recognition of the conditions that lead to elevated levels of CO exposure can assist WLFs to effectively use administrative controls, such as work rotations, to minimize exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A United States industry-specific gap analysis survey of the death care sector—which comprises organizations and businesses affiliated with the funeral industry and the handling of human remains— was developed, the results analyzed, and training and education needs in relation to highly infectious disease mitigation and management were explored in an effort to identify where occupational health and safety can be enhanced in this worker population. Methods: Collaborating national death care organizations distributed the 47-question electronic survey. N = 424 surveys were initiated and results recorded. The survey collected death care sector-specific information pertaining to the comfortability and willingness to handle highly infectious remains; perceptions of readiness, current policies and procedures in place to address highly infectious diseases; current highly infectious disease training levels, available resources, and personal protective equipment. Results: One-third of respondents have been trained on how to manage highly infectious remains. There was a discrepancy between Supervisor/Management and Employee/Worker perceptions on employees' willingness and comfortability to manage potentially highly infectious remains. More than 40% of respondents did not know the correct routes of transmission for viral hemorrhagic fevers. Conclusions: Results suggest death care workers could benefit from increasing up-to-date industry-specific training and education on highly infectious disease risk mitigation and management. Professional death care sector organizations are positioned to disseminate information, training, and best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses "the Action Level"VR , a self-study, continuing education program, provides a convenient and interesting opportunity for individuals to expand knowledge in relevant areas of industrial hygiene, as well as occupational and environmental safety and health.

The article discusses "the Action Level"VR , a self-study, continuing education program, provides a convenient and interesting opportunity for individuals to expand knowledge in relevant areas of industrial hygiene, as well as occupational and environmental safety and health.

Manufacturing of nanoscale materials (nanomaterials) is a major outcome of nanotechnology. However, the potential adverse human health effects of manufactured nanomaterial exposure are not yet fully understood, and exposures in humans are mostly uncharacterized. Appropriate exposure control strategies to protect workers are still being developed and evaluated, and regulatory approaches rely largely on industry self-regulation and self-reporting. In this context of soft regulation, the authors sought to: 1) assess current company-reported environmental health and safety practices in the United States throughout the product life cycle, 2) consider their implications for the manufactured nanomaterial workforce, and 3) identify the needs of manufactured nanomaterial companies in developing nano-protective environmental health and safety practices. Analysis was based on the responses of 45 U.S.-based company participants in a 2009–2010 international survey of private companies that use and/or produce nanomaterials. Companies reported practices that span all aspects of the current government-recommended hierarchical approach to manufactured nanomaterials’ exposure controls. However, practices that were tailored to current manufactured nanomaterials’ hazard and exposure knowledge, whether within or outside the hierarchical approach, were reported less frequently than general chemical hygiene practices. Product stewardship and waste management practices—the influences of which are substantially downstream—were reported less frequently than most other environmental health and safety practices. Larger companies had more workers handling nanomaterials, but smaller companies had proportionally more employees handling nanomaterials and more frequently identified impediments to implementing nano-protective practices. Company-reported environmental health and safety practices suggest more attention to environmental health and safety is necessary, especially with regard to practices that can cause external effects. Given reported impediments, smaller companies may especially benefit from more attention. However, the manufactured nanomaterial workforce within smaller companies is particularly difficult to identify and hence locate, posing challenges to developing and enforcing appropriate workplace environmental health and safety. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition ofJournal of Occupational and Environmental Hygienefor the following free supplemental resource: a file containing Survey of Current Health and Safety Practices in the Nanomaterial Industry and a file containing figures.] [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An emergency response plan for industrial permit-required confined space entry is essential for employee safety and is legally required. Maintaining a trained confined space rescue team, however, is costly and technically challenging. Some employers turn to public fire departments to meet their emergency response requirements. The confined space emergency response practices of employers and fire departments have not been previously assessed. We present (1) federal data on the U.S. occurrence between 1992 and 2005 of confined space fatal incidents involving toxic and/or oxygen-deficient atmospheres; (2) survey data from 21 large companies on permit-required confined space emergency response practices; (3) data on fire department arrival times; and (4) estimates by 10 senior fire officers of fire department rescue times for confined space incidents. Between 1992 and 2005, 431 confined space incidents that met the case definition claimed 530 lives, or about 0.63% of the 84,446 all-cause U.S. occupational fatal injuries that occurred during this period. Eighty-seven (20%) incidents resulted in multiple fatalities. Twelve (57%) of 21 surveyed companies reported that they relied on the fire department for permit-required confined space emergency response. Median fire department arrival times were about 5 min for engines and 7 min for technical rescue units. Fire department confined space rescue time estimates ranged from 48 to 123 min and increased to 70 and 173 min when hazardous materials were present. The study illustrates that (1) confined space incidents represent a small but continuing source of fatal occupational injuries in the United States; (2) a sizeable portion of employers may be relying on public fire departments for permit-required confined space emergency response; and (3) in the event of a life-threatening emergency, fire departments usually are not able to effect a confined space rescue in a timely manner. We propose that the appropriate role for the fire department is to support a properly trained and equipped on-site rescue team and to provide advanced life support intervention following extrication and during ambulance transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Washington State workers' compensation data can be used to guide prevention efforts focused on occupational carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Between 2000 and 2005, a total of 345 individual claims comprising 221 different exposure incidents were identified for the 6-year time period. The construction industry had 43 (20%) CO incidents, followed by wholesale trade with 32 (15%), and agriculture with 27 (12%) incidents. Fuel-powered forklifts caused 29% of all incidents, while autos/trucks/buses were responsible for 26%. The number of forklift incidents in fruit packing and cold storage companies declined significantly from 1994 through 2007 (Spearman's rho = 0.6659, p < 0.01). While this study used multiple medical records from workers' compensation claims to identify CO poisoning, a surveillance system that lacks extensive medical records may rely principally on carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) tests. This study demonstrated that 71% of the identified workers' compensation claims had associated COHb tests. The recurrence and timing of CO poisoning as well as control of the CO-generating source were determined. Approximately 8% of all work sites had recurring CO poisoning incidents. Two percent experienced a recurrent incident within 16 days of the initial incident, and 6% experienced a recurrent incident between 16 days and 3 years after the initial incident. Sixty-seven percent of claimants exposed to CO were not in direct control of the CO-generating source; this has implications for CO prevention and underscores the need for all employees to be trained on CO hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. mining industry struggles with hazardous noise and dust exposures in underground mining. Specifically, longwall coal mine shearer operators are routinely exposed to noise levels at 151% of the allowable daily dose, and approximately 20% exceed regulatory dust levels. In the current study, a partial barrier was mounted on the full-scale mock shearer at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Pittsburgh Research Laboratory. A simulated, full-scale, coal mine longwall shearer operation was employed to test the feasibility of utilizing a barrier to separate the shearer operator from the direct path of the noise and dust source during mining operations. In this model, noise levels at the operators' positions were reduced by 2.6 to 8.2 A-weighted decibels (dBA) from the application of the test barriers. Estimated insertion loss underground was 1.7 to 7.3 dBA. The barrier should be tested in an underground mining operation to determine if it can reduce shearer operators' noise exposure to below regulatory limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's inspection of a metal foundry which manufactures hardware for the mining industry. The inspection was conducted as a result of a worker health and safety complaint against the company. It was found that employees were exposed to crystalline silica that exceeded exposure limits and there was no engineering controls to control silica dust.

Drilling holes into concrete or metal ceilings is one of the most physically demanding tasks performed in construction. The work is done overhead with rotary impact hammer drills that weigh up to 40 N. The task is associated with pain and musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist, forearm, shoulder, and back. The mechanism of injury is thought to be the high forces and non-neutral shoulder and wrist postures applied during drilling. Previously, we described a field study of a foot lever and inverted drill press intervention devices that received poor usability ratings compared with the usual method for overhead drilling based on problems with mobility and productivity. Using a participatory intervention model, feedback from construction workers (N = 13) was used to develop a new intervention design that incorporated a wheeled tripod base and a unique method of aligning the drilling column to vertical. A different group of construction workers (N = 23) evaluated usability and fatigue of the new device during their regular overhead drilling in comparison with the usual method. Four of 12 usability ratings were significantly better with the intervention device compared with the usual method. Subjective shoulder fatigue was less with the new intervention (1.1 vs. 3.3; scale 0 to 5; p < 0.001). This difference was supported by objective outcome measures; the mean hand forces during drilling were 26 N with the intervention compared with 245 N with the usual method. The percentage of time with the shoulder flexed or abducted to more than 60 degrees was less with the intervention compared with the usual method (21 vs. 40%; p = 0.007). There was significantly less head extension with the intervention compared with the usual method. There were no significant differences in overall productivity between the two methods. This study demonstrates that a new intervention device for overhead drilling has improved usability and subjective fatigue ratings compared with the usual method. These improvements are most likely due to the reduced hand forces, reduced shoulder abduction and flexion, and reduced drilling time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job tasks that involve exposure to work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) risk factors may impact both the risk of injury and production downtime. Common WMSD risks factors associated with mining tasks include forceful exertions, awkward postures, repetitive motion, jolting and jarring, forceful gripping, contact stress, and whole body and segmental vibration. Mining environments that expose workers to temperature/humidity extremes, windy conditions, and slippery and uneven walking surfaces also contribute to injury risk. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers worked with powder crew members from the Bridger Coal Company to identify and rank routine work tasks based on perceived exposure to WMSD risk factors. This article presents the process followed to identify tasks that workers believed involved the greatest exposure to risk factors and discusses risk reduction strategies. Specifically, the proposed prill truck design changes addressed cab ingress/egress, loading blast holes, and access to the upper deck of the prill truck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to provide new insight into the etiology of primarily nonfatal, work-related electrical injuries. We developed a multistage, case-selection algorithm to identify electrical-related injuries from workers' compensation claims and a customized coding taxonomy to identify pre-injury circumstances. Workers' compensation claims routinely collected over a 1-year period from a large U.S. insurance provider were used to identify electrical-related injuries using an algorithm that evaluated: coded injury cause information, nature of injury, 'accident' description, and injury description narratives. Concurrently, a customized coding taxonomy for these narratives was developed to abstract the activity, source, initiating process, mechanism, vector, and voltage. Among the 586,567 reported claims during 2002, electrical-related injuries accounted for 1283 (0.22%) of nonfatal claims and 15 fatalities (1.2% of electrical). Most (72.3%) were male, average age of 36, working in services (33.4%), manufacturing (24.7%), retail trade (17.3%), and construction (7.2%). Body part(s) injured most often were the hands, fingers, or wrist (34.9%); multiple body parts/systems (25.0%); lower/upper arm; elbow; shoulder, and upper extremities (19.2%). The leading activities were conducting manual tasks (55.1%); working with machinery, appliances, or equipment; working with electrical wire; and operating powered or nonpowered hand tools. Primary injury sources were appliances and office equipment (24.4%); wires, cables/cords (18.0%); machines and other equipment (11.8%); fixtures, bulbs, and switches (10.4%); and lightning (4.3%). No vector was identified in 85% of cases. and the work process was initiated by others in less than 1% of cases. Injury narratives provide valuable information to overcome some of the limitations of precoded data, more specially for identifying additional injury cases and in supplementing traditional epidemiologic data for further understanding the etiology of work-related electrical injuries that may lead to further prevention opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study on industrial safety of Hispanic workers in the U.S. construction industry. It is mentioned that the Hispanic workers are affected by accidents, injuries and fatalities on the construction work site. It presents a pilot study on potential safety training issues for Hispanic construction workers, which found that few had formal safety training, the participating few did not understand construction and safety terms increasing the risk for fatalities.

In support of a nested case-control study at a U.S. naval shipyard, the results of the reconstruction of historical exposures were summarized, and an analysis was undertaken to determine the impact of historical exposures to potential chemical confounders. The nested case-control study (N = 4388) primarily assessed the relationship between lung cancer and external ionizing radiation. Chemical confounders considered important were asbestos and welding fume (as iron oxide fume), and the chromium and nickel content of welding fume. Exposures to the potential confounders were estimated by an expert panel based on a set of quantitatively defined categories of exposure. Distributions of the estimated exposures and trends in exposures over time were examined for the study population. Scatter plots and Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to assess the degree of association between the estimates of exposure to asbestos, welding fume, and ionizing radiation. Correlation coefficients were calculated separately for 0-, 15-, 20-, and 25-year time-lagged cumulative exposures, total radiation dose (which included medical X-ray dose) and occupational radiation dose. Exposed workers' estimated cumulative exposures to asbestos ranged from 0.01 fiber-days/cm3 to just under 20,000 fiber-days/cm3, with a median of 29.0 fiber-days/cm3. Estimated cumulative exposures to welding fume ranged from 0.16 mg-days/m3 to just over 30,000 mg-days/m3, with a median of 603 mg-days/m3. Spearman correlation coefficients between cumulative radiation dose and cumulative asbestos exposures ranged from 0.09 (occupational dose) to 0.47 (total radiation dose), and those between radiation and welding fume from 0.14 to 0.47. The estimates of relative risk for ionizing radiation and lung cancer were unchanged when lowest and highest estimates of asbestos and welding fume were considered. These results suggest a fairly large proportion of study population workers were exposed to asbestos and welding fume, that the absolute level of confounding exposure did not affect the risk estimates, and that weak relationships existed between monitored lifetime cumulative occupational radiation dose and asbestos or welding fume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control banding (CB) is a control-focused risk management model that has received international attention. CB strategies are designed to control workplace chemical exposures after the completion of a qualitative risk assessment. Connecticut was one of the first states to provide training on how to use this control-focused tool. Joint labor/management teams and individuals from 34 workplaces attended a control banding workshop and learned how to use one CB model, the United Kingdom (UK) Health and Safety Executive's Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Essentials Toolkit. After the initial training program the investigators used follow-up workshops, questionnaires, site visit data, and case studies to evaluate the training curriculum and assess the utility and effectiveness of this CB strategy. We found that the model is easily learned, although several areas for improvement were identified. Participants from 10 workplaces used COSHH Essentials to evaluate at least one task. The training curriculum was effective in that the agreement between the exposure variables coded by these workplaces and one of the workshop instructors, a certified industrial hygienist (CIH), were highly concordant. The training curriculum and the model promoted a discussion of risk between workers and managers and resulted in the implementation of improvements in the work environment. The model agreed with both the CIH's and the worksites' qualitative risk assessments 65% of the time, and likely over-controlled for 71% (5/7) of the cases of nonagreement. Feedback from workshop participants benefits the current dialogue on the implications of implementing CB in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal welding produces gaseous fumes that contain manganese, resulting in potential occupational exposure to welders. It has been hypothesized that occupational exposure among welders could increase risk of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. The present study examines welding occupation and mortality from neurodegenerative diseases among men in the United States using the National Cause of Death databases 1985 to 1999. Information was abstracted from death certificates for states that collected data on occupation. Of 4,252,490 men who died during the study period, 107,773 had welding-related occupations. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate mortality odds ratios (MOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for odds of dying from Parkinson's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases among men who were welders as compared with men of other occupations, adjusting for attained age, race, region of residence, and year of death. During the study period, 49,174 deaths were attributed to Parkinson's disease, 54,892 to Alzheimer's disease, and 19,018 to presenile dementia. There was no evidence of an increased odds of Parkinson's disease mortality among welders as compared with men with other occupations (MOR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.78-0.88). Furthermore, welding occupation was unrelated to the odds of mortality from Alzheimer's disease (MOR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.89-1.00) or presenile dementia (MOR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.87-1.06). Earlier research suggested that welding exposures could predispose individuals to earlier onset Parkinson's disease. However, there was no evidence in this data of an increased mortality odds ratio associated with welding occupations among men younger than 65 (MOR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.74-1.44); while there was a suggestion of a lower odds Parkinson's disease death among men age 65 years and older (MOR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.77-0.88). Data from this large study do not support an association between welding occupations and death from Parkinson's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases, nor that welders are at increased odds of dying from Parkinson's disease at a younger age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational exposure databases are being used increasingly to characterize worker exposures in industries involving a variety of exposure scenarios. The glass and rock/slag segments of the synthetic vitreous fiber industry (in the United States) has developed a large (>14,000 samples) exposure database that can be used to estimate worker exposures based on industry sector, fiber type, product type, and job function. This article describes the development of this database as part of an industry-Occupational Safety and Health Administration collaborative Health and Safety Partnership Program and summarizes the findings and potential applications of the database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Army has a need for continuous, accurate estimates of the wet bulb globe temperature to protect soldiers and civilian workers from heat-related injuries, including those involved in the storage and destruction of aging chemical munitions at depots across the United States. At these depots, workers must don protective clothing that increases their risk of heat-related injury. Because of the difficulty in making continuous, accurate measurements of wet bulb globe temperature outdoors, the authors have developed a model of the wet bulb globe temperature that relies only on standard meteorological data available at each storage depot for input. The model is composed of separate submodels of the natural wet bulb and globe temperatures that are based on fundamental principles of heat and mass transfer, has no site-dependent parameters, and achieves an accuracy of better than 1°C based on comparisons with wet bulb globe temperature measurements at all depots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although mold air sampling is technically straightforward, interpreting the results to decide if there is an indoor source is not. Applying formal statistical tests to mold sampling data is an error-prone practice due to the extreme data variability. With neither established exposure limits nor useful statistical techniques, indoor air quality investigators often must rely on their professional judgment, but the lack of a consensus “decision strategy” incorporating explicit decision criteria requires professionals to establish their own personal set of criteria when interpreting air sampling data. This study examined the level of agreement among indoor air quality practitioners in their evaluation of airborne mold sampling data and explored differences in inter-evaluator assessments. Eighteen investigators independently judged 30 sets of viable mold air sampling results to indicate: “definite indoor mold source,” “likely indoor mold source,” “not enough information to decide,” “likely no indoor mold source,” or “definitely no indoor mold source.” Kappa coefficient analysis indicated weak inter-observer reliability, and comparison of evaluator mean scores showed clear inter-evaluator differences in their overall scoring patterns. The responses were modeled on indicator “traits” of the data sets using a generalized, linear mixed model approach and showed several traits to be associated with respondents' ratings, but they also demonstrated distinct and divergent inter-evaluator response patterns. Conclusions were that there was only weak overall agreement in evaluation of the mold sampling data, that particular traits of the data were associated with the conclusions reached, and that there were substantial inter-evaluator differences that were likely due to differences in the personal decision criteria employed by the individual evaluators. The overall conclusion was that there is a need for additional work to rigorously explore the constellation of decision criteria, the weightings employed by individual practitioners, and the rationale under which criteria are adopted as first steps toward the larger goal of developing a consensus mold decision strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health researchers conducted a study to investigate the human response issues related to wearing a self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR). The goal was to develop training to educate miners on what they could expect from their units during an escape. Subjects included miners who had experience wearing SCSRs, manufacturers, and researchers. Results identified nine key areas of concern: (1) starting the unit, (2) unit heat, (3) induction of coughing, (4) unit taste, (5) difficulty in breathing while wearing the unit, (6) quality of the air supplied, (7) nose clips, (8) goggles, and (9) the behavior of the breathing bag. In addition, researchers reviewed the literature on human response under duress. This article describes the expectations training program, which comprises the findings of the SCSR study and what is known about the normal human response in an emergency. The authors present background on SCSRs and the SCSR switchover procedure mandated in the recent federal Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, which provided the impetus for the expectations training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzene may be present as a trace impurity or residual component of mixed petroleum products due to refining processes. In this article, the authors review the historical benzene content of various petroleum-derived products and characterize the airborne concentrations of benzene associated with the typical handling or use of these products in the United States, based on indoor exposure modeling and industrial hygiene air monitoring data collected since the late 1970s. Analysis showed that products that normally contained less than 0.1% v/v benzene, such as paints and paint solvents, printing solvents and inks, cutting and honing oils, adhesives, mineral spirits and degreasers, and jet fuel typically have yielded time-weighted average (TWA) airborne concentrations of benzene in the breathing zone and surrounding air ranging on average from <0.01 to 0.3 ppm. Except for a limited number of studies where the benzene content of the product was not confirmed to be <0.1% v/v, airborne benzene concentrations were also less than current occupational exposure limits (e.g., threshold limit value of 0.5 ppm and permissible exposure limit of 1.0 ppm) based on exceedance fraction calculations. Exposure modeling using Monte Carlo techniques also predicted 8-hr TWA near field airborne benzene concentrations ranging from 0.002 to 0.4 ppm under three hypothetical solvent use scenarios involving mineral spirits. The overall weight-of-evidence indicates that the vast majority of products manufactured in the United States after about 1978 contained <0.1% v/v benzene, and 8-hr TWA airborne concentrations of benzene in the workplace during the use of these products would not have been expected to exceed 0.5 ppm under most product use scenarios. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene for the following free supplemental resource: a document containing exposure modeling scenarios and results, historical benzene content of petroleum-derived products, and air monitoring results.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National occupational exposure databanks have been cited as sources of exposure data for exposure surveillance and exposure assessment for occupational epidemiology. Formaldehyde exposure data recorded in the U.S Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) between 1979 and 2001 were collected to elaborate a multi-industry retrospective picture of formaldehyde exposures and to identify exposure determinants. Due to the database design, only detected personal measurement results (n = 5228) were analyzed with linear mixed-effect models, which explained 29% of the total variance. Short-term measurement results were higher than time-weighted average (TWA) data and decreased 18% per year until 1987 (TWA data 5% per year) and 5% per year (TWA data 4% per year) after that. Exposure varied across industries with maximal estimated TWA geometric means (GM) for 2001 in the reconstituted wood products, structural wood members, and wood dimension and flooring industries (GM = 0.20 mg/m3. Highest short-term GMs estimated for 2001 were in the funeral service and crematory and reconstituted wood products industries (GM = 0.35 mg/m3. Exposure levels in IMIS were marginally higher during nonprogrammed inspections compared with programmed inspections. An increasing exterior temperature tended to cause a decrease in exposure levels for cold temperatures (-5% per 5°C for T < 15°C) but caused an increase in exposure levels for warm temperatures (+15% per 5°C for T >15°C). Concentrations measured during the same inspection were correlated and varied differently across industries and sample type (TWA, short term). Sensitivity analyses using TOBIT regression suggested that the average bias caused by excluding non-detects is approximately 30%, being potentially higher for short-term data if many non-detects were actually short-term measurements. Although limited by availability of relevant exposure determinants and potential selection biases in IMIS, these results provide useful insight on formaldehyde occupational exposure in the United States in the last two decades. The authors recommend that more information on exposure determinants be recorded in IMIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the filtration performance of NIOSH-approved N95 and P100 filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) against six different monodisperse silver aerosol particles in the range of 4-30 nm diameter. A particle test system was developed and standardized for measuring the penetration of monodisperse silver particles. For respirator testing, five models of N95 and two models of P100 filtering facepiece respirators were challenged with monodisperse silver aerosol particles of 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 30 nm at 85 L/min flow rate and percentage penetrations were measured. Consistent with single-fiber filtration theory, N95 and P100 respirators challenged with silver monodisperse particles showed a decrease in percentage penetration with a decrease in particle diameter down to 4 nm. Penetrations less than 1 particle/30 min for 4-8 nm particles for one P100 respirator model, and 4-12 nm particles for the other P100 model, were observed. Experiments were also carried out with larger than 20 nm monodisperse NaCl particles using a TSI 3160 Fractional Efficiency Tester. NaCl aerosol penetration levels of 20 nm and 30 nm (overlapping sizes) particles were compared with silver aerosols of the same sizes by a three-way ANOVA analysis. A significant (p < 0.001) difference between NaCl and silver aerosol penetration levels was obtained after adjusting for particle sizes and manufacturers. A significant (p = 0.001) interaction with manufacturers indicated the difference in NaCl, and silver aerosol penetrations were not the same across manufacturers. The two aerosols had the same effect across 20 nm and 30 nm sizes as shown by the absence of any significant (p = 0.163) interaction with particle sizes. In the case of P100 FFRs, a significant (p < 0.001) difference between NaCl and silver aerosol (20 nm and 30 nm) penetrations was observed for both respirator models tested. The filtration data for 4-30 nm monodisperse particles supports previous studies that indicate NIOSH-approved air-purifying respirators provide expected levels of filtration protection against nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a speech given by the author after being honored with the Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award. He apologized to the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) awards committee for selecting him as the recipient of the 2007 Donald E. Cummings award. He referred to the efforts of mentors, friends and colleagues who provided wonderful guidance and opportunities for his selection as this year's recipient.

The article discusses various cases refereed to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It informs that fatal traumatic injury rates in immigrant Latino workers are one-third higher than total workers in the U.S. It reports that inspection of various OSHA citations found that the incidents in plastic products manufacturing industry received 18 citations for various reasons including inadequate safety requirements for scaffolding, improper guarding of floor and wall openings and holes, and improper storage and handling of liquefied petroleum gas.

Within the workplace, there is less reliance on engineering controls for dermal exposure protection and more reliance on the worker's motivation and training in use of personal protective equipment. Behavior thus becomes a significant determinant of dermal exposure, and its assessment paramount in examining and understanding factors influencing exposure. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) assess worker knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of workplace dermal hazards using a self-complete questionnaire and to examine KAP associations with behavior and exposure; (ii) compare worker and manager scores to identify potential gaps in KAP between the two groups; (iii) utilize a semiquantitative observational DeRmal Exposure Assessment Methodology (DREAM) to evaluate worker dermal exposure; and (iv) identify potential behavioral factors underlying exposure using DREAM and KAP. Nineteen industries across the Baltimore, Md. and Lancaster, Pa., regions participated in the study including a total of 89 workers and 17 managers. The scales within the KAP questionnaire that served as the outcome measure included knowledge, training, behavior, behavior beliefs, information beliefs, self-efficacy, and overall beliefs. DREAM scores ranged from 0.15 to 545 with a median of 8 and a mean (SD) of 22 (62.5). Whereas worker self-efficacy with respect to PPE use, and the group "workers with 10-20 years of experience" were marginally positively associated with protective behavior (p < 0.08 and p < 0.06, respectively), a question related to barriers to PPE use was negatively associated with precautionary behavior (p < 0.01). Dermal exposure was positively associated with workers in the age group 40-49 years as compared with those less than 40 years of age (OR = 4.86, 95% CI = 0.93, 25.62). There were no statistically significant associations between KAP and DREAM. This is one of the first studies to begin to elucidate worker knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions that underlie behaviors that lead to occupational dermal exposures. Results of the KAP questionnaire can inform strategies to improve awareness and protective practices in the workplace through factors such as increased worker dermal hazard knowledge, well-informed company PPE selection and availability, and improved worker training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health researchers investigated control measures for the removal of mortar between bricks, using a grinder. This task, 'tuck pointing,' is associated with crystalline silica exposures many times greater than the permissible exposure limit enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Previous studies showed that local exhaust ventilation (LEV) of the grinding wheel through a shroud was often ineffective. Tuck pointing occurs on a scaffold. For practical purposes, this limits the size and power of the LEV system. Thus, the goal of this study was to develop a recommended flow rate for exposure control. Flow induced by the rotating grinding wheel, flow induced by the mortar particle stream, and particle momentum are potential control challenges. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation of the grinder, supported by some experimental measurements, showed the relative importance of these factors through varying parameters and tracking particles. In a simulation of the shroud and grinding wheel, with the wheel inserted to a cutting depth of 0.750 inch flush into the brick wall, -0.461 cubic feet per meter (0.461 into the exhaust takeoff) was induced by the rotating wheel. The more realistic situation of the wheel in a cut in the wall 1.25 inches deep (forming a trench circumferentially 0.500 inch below the wheel edge) induced an airflow of 8.24 cfm out of the shroud exhaust. Experimental measurements taken for validation were 7.3% lower than the CFD value. The trench effect disappeared when a stream of 10-μ m particles was launched from the grinding wheel edge, as the simulations with and without the trench had nearly identical induced flow rates, 10.8 cfm and 10.9 cfm. We thus interpreted the particle stream as more important than the wheel in inducing flow. This insight was possible because of the power of CFD, compared to intuition and classical boundary layer analysis. In this situation of no forced exhaust, all particles escaped through the gap between the shroud edge and the brick wall into the worker's environment. Experiments and simulations indicated that approximately 85 cfm was required for good control of silica exposure, clearly demonstrating that the exhaust rate must accomplish much more than balancing the induced flow. The simulations showed that the exhaust must create a vacuum in the shroud sufficient to bend the particle paths into the shroud. In the simulations, stopping the particle stream through collision (effectively removing or reducing the 'daylight' between the wall and shroud) greatly lessened the required flow rate. This is difficult in practice because the gaps between the shroud and the brick and between bricks create escape paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on an inspection at an autobody repair shop and collision center conducted by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The repair shop also operated a spray-on truck bed coating operation. The inspection was initiated by a complaint by an employee that alleged that workers were exposed to harmful vapors during application of truck bed liner.

The article presents a case study of a health hazard evaluation (HHE) of a steel ladder fabrication plant by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The inspection was to gauge employee exposures to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) during spray painting operations in one of the largest heavy steel fabrication specialists in the Midwest.

Column Editor Alice Greife [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the inspection done by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to workers in the maker of residential bathtubs and showers. The inspection detected that workers were overexposed to styrene during the manufacture of residential bathtubs and showers. Among other hazards, the inspection documented exposures to styrene in excess of the OSHA permissible exposure limit. The facility being inspected makes approximately 125 bathtubs and showers per day by spray applications of styrene-based gel coat and polyester resin onto a variety of plastic bathtub and shower molds.

Column Editor Larry Mazzuckelli [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes how nearly 3700 air samples of benzene collected in a typical chemical manufacturing (acetic acid) facility in the United States from 1976 to 1987 were used to characterize daily time-weighted average (TWA) exposure levels. We found that those workers directly involved in manufacturing operations had likely TWA exposures to benzene of about 2.0 ppm from 1976–1981 and about 1.0 ppm from 1982–1987. These results are consistent with the improved industrial hygiene programs at chemical facilities, which often occurred following the adoption of stricter occupational exposure limits. Additionally, about 97% of all personal TWA samples had reported benzene concentrations less than 10 ppm, which was the permissible exposure limit in place prior to 1987. Because one of the primary objectives of historical workplace air sampling efforts was to understand the source of release of contaminants, a large number of short-term (typically about 1 min) area samples were also collected. Although these types of samples are often not useful for predicting human exposure without time-motion information, airborne benzene concentrations were about five- to tenfold higher for many of the short-term area samples than for the personal TWA measurements. The methodology presented here should be useful for evaluating industrial hygiene data collected after the early 1970s (after the promulgation of OSHA), and our findings support prior reports that large corporations in the United States have tended to reduce workplace exposures to airborne contaminants consistent with historical changes in occupational exposure limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the inspection conducted by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the long-term occupational exposure to ethylene oxide (ETO) at a commercial sterilization operation. Documentation of employee exposure in excess of the permissible exposure limit by OSHA; Requirements under the OSHA Ethylene Oxide Standard; Actions taken by OSHA to the complaints from several employees.

The widespread use of semi- and nonvolatile organofluorochemicals in industrial facilities, concern about their persistence, and relatively recent advancements in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) technology have led to the development of new analytical methods to assess potential worker exposure to airborne organofluorochemicals. Techniques were evaluated for the determination of 19 organofluorochemicals and for total fluorine in ambient air samples. Due to the potential biphasic nature of most of these fluorochemicals when airborne, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) versatile sampler (OVS) tubes were used to simultaneously trap fluorochemical particulates and vapors from workplace air. Analytical methods were developed for OVS air samples to quantitatively analyze for total fluorine using oxygen bomb combustion/ion selective electrode and for 17 organofluorochemicals using LC/MS and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The experimental design for this validation was based on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Guidelines for Air Sampling and Analytical Method Development and Evaluation, with some revisions of the experimental design. The study design incorporated experiments to determine analytical recovery and stability, sampler capacity, the effect of some environmental parameters on recoveries, storage stability, limits of detection, precision, and accuracy. Fluorochemical mixtures were spiked onto each OVS tube over a range of 0.06–6 μg for each of 12 compounds analyzed by LC/MS and 0.3–30 μg for 5 compounds analyzed by GC/MS. These ranges allowed reliable quantitation at 0.001–0.1 mg/m3 in general for LC/MS analytes and 0.005–0.5 mg/m3 for GC/MS analytes when 60 L of air are sampled. The organofluorochemical exposure guideline (EG) is currently 0.1 mg/m3 for many analytes, with one exception being ammonium perfluorooctanoate (EG is 0.01 mg/m3). Total fluorine results may be used to determine if the individual compounds quantified provide a suitable mass balance of total airborne organofluorochemicals based on known fluorine content. Improvements in precision and/or recovery as well as some additional testing would be needed to meet all NIOSH validation criteria. This study provided valuable information about the accuracy of this method for organofluorochemical exposure assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training of managers and workers is a mainstay of health and safety practice but it is rarely evaluated. We assessed the change in knowledge and perceived competence of participants, regarding the Washington State Ergonomics Rule, with the implementation of a 4-hour training session. We used the before and after study design without a control group to evaluate training workshops conducted between April 2001 and August 2002. There were 511 participants involved in the evaluation. Overall, participants knowledge of the ergonomics rule and hazard reduction methods increased significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigated the capabilities of noise dosimeters to measure personal exposure to impulse noise. The two leading types of commercially available dosimeters were evaluated in terms of their ability to measure and integrate impulses generated from gunfire during live-fire exercises at a law enforcement indoor firing range. Sound measurements were conducted throughout the firing range using dosimeters, sound level meters, and a measurement configuration that consisted of a quarter-inch microphone and a digital audiotape recorder to capture the impulse waveforms. Personal dosimetry was conducted on eight shooters, an observer, and the range master. Peak levels from gunfire reached 163 decibels (dB), exceeding the nominal input limit of the dosimeters. The dosimeters clipped the impulses by acting as if the gunfire had a maximum level of 146 dB. In other cases, however, peak levels (e.g., 108 dB) were below the dosimeter input limits, but the dosimeters still showed a peak level of 146 dB. Although NIOSH recommends that sound levels from 80 to 140 dB (A-weighted) be integrated in the calculation of dose and the time-weighted average, our present data suggest this criterion may be inadequate. These results showed that some instruments are incapable of providing accurate measures of impulse sounds because of their electroacoustic limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Environmental Protection Agency estimates, 20% of hazardous waste drums currently managed in the 6500 known, uncontrolled Superfund removal or remediation sites contain some degree of elevated internal pressurization. This estimate increases to 90% during the summer months, and, overall, up to 5% of the drums stored in active treatment, storage, and disposal facilities may be pressurized. The ability to identify pressurized drums in real-time would enhance worker health and safety, reduce the potential for environmental contamination, and minimize property damage. A prototype hand-held drum pressure detection device was field tested at an active Resource Conservation and Recovery Act mixed waste operation using acoustic resonance spectroscopy technology to identify pressurized drums. The waste operation used a drum venting system that measured the actual drum pressure of retrieved drums. Drum venting system data were analyzed to quantify the ability of the drum pressure detection device to correctly identify drums with elevated internal pressure. After 456 drums were measured, the dichotomous pressure data (pressurized vs. nonpressurized) were analyzed. The relationship between the drum venting system and drum pressure detection device pressure data was found to be statistically significant. With alpha and beta values of 0.05, the negative predictive value was 0.94, the positive predictive value was 0.47, the sensitivity was 0.82, and the specificity was 0.77. Although capable of identifying nonpressurized drums, this instrument may not be appropriate for general use. Study results and critical improvements necessary to improve the instrument's predictive value, specificity, and sensitivity are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]