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Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Importance of Developing a Marketing Plan
Image by EmaStudios via FlickrThe above linked article by Cochrane & Associates, LLC, an environmental, mold, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and indoor air quality industries' only dedicated marketing, public relations and business development consulting firm, discusses the importance of developing a marketing plan. Now is the time to develop your plan for 2011. The article discusses the important points of a marketing plan these are:
Thursday, December 16, 2010
OSHA Orders John Galt Corp. to Compensate Worker Fired After Raising Health and Safety Issues at the Deutsche Bank Building in NYC
Respirators Should Be Fit Tested Before Use |
According to the press release the worker filed a complaint with the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration in August 2006, alleging that he had been fired after requesting additional respirator filter cartridges for himself and for fellow workers performing asbestos removal at the site. OSHA's investigation found merit to the complaint. The department's Regional Office of the Solicitor in New York filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York after the defendants refused to reinstate and compensate the worker.
As a result of that legal action, the defendants have signed a consent judgment that orders them to pay the worker $55,000 in back wages and expunge all references to suspension or dismissal from his personnel file. The judgment also prohibits the defendants from discriminating against employees who file a complaint with OSHA, participate in an OSHA inspection or otherwise exercise their rights under Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
"Terminating workers who raise legitimate safety and health issues is unacceptable," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York. "Intimidating workers into a dangerous silence can mask hazardous and potentially deadly conditions. Employers should be aware that we will pursue appropriate legal remedies in such cases."
Section 11(c) of the OSH Act protects employees' rights to file a complaint with OSHA or to bring safety and health issues to the attention of their employers without fear of termination or other reprisal. OSHA also enforces statutes protecting employees who report violations of various railway, securities, trucking, airline, nuclear power, pipeline, environmental, public transportation and consumer product safety laws. Detailed information is available online at: http://www.whistleblowers.gov/.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.
Related articles
- OSHA Proposes $51,000 in Fines Against David H. Koch Theater in New York for Asbestos, Fall and Crushing Hazards (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- OSHA Reviews Nevada State Probe of Asbestos Exposure (ehssafetynews.wordpress.com)
- OSHA Cites Illinois Plant After Worker Killed While Operating a Laser Cutting Machine (ehssafetynews.wordpress.com)
- OSHA Quick Takes - December 15, 2010 (ehssafetynews.wordpress.com)
EPA Reports a Successful Year Enforcing Environmental Law
Image via WikipediaThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency posted information illustrating its very successful past year in enforcing environmental law. In the past federal fiscal year, which ran from October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010, the Agency took actions that reduced pollution and ensured that environmental laws are being followed. In the past fiscal year, EPA took enforcement and compliance actions in New York State that require polluters to pay nearly $2 million in penalties and take actions that will result in the reduction of more than 41 million pounds of pollution.
Detailed information about EPA’s enforcement of environmental laws can be viewed using an interactive Web-based tool that includes statistics and highlights on a state-by-state basis. The website also includes a map that provides the public with detailed information about the enforcement actions taken at more than 4,500 facilities throughout the U.S, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Island.
Detailed information about EPA’s enforcement of environmental laws can be viewed using an interactive Web-based tool that includes statistics and highlights on a state-by-state basis. The website also includes a map that provides the public with detailed information about the enforcement actions taken at more than 4,500 facilities throughout the U.S, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Island.
Related articles
- Is the EPA the only environmental agency in America? (greenanswers.com)
- Environmental Enforcement Roundup: 2010 Enforcement and Compliance Results; Beazer Settlement; X-Ray Manufacturer Fined (environmentalleader.com)
- 5 things I learned from the EPA's annual enforcement report (mnn.com)
- Obama and Bush: A real difference (salon.com)
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Study Indicates Increase in Risk of Childhood Leukemia Based on Living Close to Heavy-Traffic Roads.
Image via Wikipedia A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives called "Road Traffic and Childhood Leukemia: The ESCALE Study (SFCE)" indicated an increased risk of childhood leukemia among children that lived close to heavy-traffic roads. Published in Environmental Health Perspectives on December 8, 2010, the research used the national registry-based case-control study (ESCALE) carried out in France. Over the study period, 2003-2004, 763 cases and 1681 controls less than 15 years old were included and the controls were frequency matched with the cases on age and gender. The study showed acute leukemia was significantly associated with estimates of traffic nitrogen dixode (NO2) concentration at the place of residence greater than 27.7µg/m3 compared to NO2 concentration less than 21.9µg/m3 and with the presence of a heavy-traffic road within 500 meters compared to the absence of a heavy-traffic road in the same area. The basic conclusion of the study was that it supports the hypothesis that living close to heavy-traffic roads may increase the risk of childhood leukemia.
This study obviously has significant implications for children living near heavy-traffic roads (i.e., the Long Island Expressway) and the indoor air quality where they live. This puts even more emphasis on reducing the emissions from the vehicles that travel these roads.
This study obviously has significant implications for children living near heavy-traffic roads (i.e., the Long Island Expressway) and the indoor air quality where they live. This puts even more emphasis on reducing the emissions from the vehicles that travel these roads.
Related articles
- Lung Cancer Risk After Childhood Leukemia Treatment (everydayhealth.com)
- Study finds link between X-rays and childhood leukemia (parentcentral.ca)
- Complications of Leukemia in Children (brighthub.com)
- Traffic, Pollution and Health- Literature Review (pollutionfree.wordpress.com)
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Asbestos Victims in India on a Hunger Strike
Image via Wikipedia |
Chest X-ray with Asbestosis. |
NIOH had conducted tests on 163 persons, including 56 females. While pursuing the difficult task of getting one’s own medical reports 18 persons have already died and we don't know if they were from amongst those who were ascertained to be positive or are from the others.
We are amazed with this situation because not only would this not happen in the United States, but the Doctors involved with the research would be held liable in the United States for not providing the information to the workers. We guess the Doctor's code of do no harm does not apply to Doctors in India. What do these researchers think they are doing the research for? The researchers themselves should be ostracized. This is the worst kind of researcher one who is interested in the research with no regard for the subjects of their research.
Related articles
- Que. asbestos exports should stop: activists (cbc.ca)
- Asbestosis - All Information (umm.edu)
- Scientists: Urgent ban on all asbestos needed (yubanet.com)
- Asbestos advocates plead for Quebec to push forward with mining loan (canada.com)
- Linda Reinstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), Issues Statement on "Drop the Rock", SB 624 (eon.businesswire.com)
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Riverhead is Soliciting Bids for Asbestos Abatement
Image by dougtone via FlickrThe Town of Riverhead on Long Island is attempting to rid its town of a long-time eyesore, but has had trouble lining up a contractor to remove asbestos from the property at an affordable price. According to Riverheadlocal.com and Mesothelioma Resource Center, the town of Riverhead will solicit bids for the third time to award a contract for asbestos abatement at the former Weeping Willow motel. The town hopes to demolish the structure and develop the land as part of a riverfront greenbelt.
In New York State and many other states asbestos removal is done ahead of demolition to prevent fibers of the hazardous mineral from becoming airborne and causing a health danger to anyone in the vicinity. Asbestos exposure is linked to lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis and has been the focus of many asbestos settlements and mesothelioma lawsuits. The West Main Street property was purchased by the town last year for $1.2 million, the community website reported.
In New York State and many other states asbestos removal is done ahead of demolition to prevent fibers of the hazardous mineral from becoming airborne and causing a health danger to anyone in the vicinity. Asbestos exposure is linked to lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis and has been the focus of many asbestos settlements and mesothelioma lawsuits. The West Main Street property was purchased by the town last year for $1.2 million, the community website reported.
Related articles
- The Lancet slams Canadian 'hypocrisy' on asbestos (canada.com)
- Medical journal takes Canada to task over asbestos (thestar.com)
- Victims, activists urge Canada to stop asbestos exports (thestar.com)
- International Activists Call on Canada to Stop Asbestos Exports (health.change.org)
Colorado Man's Home is a Living Laboratory.
Part 2 of the "Killer In The Attic" articles from AOL News discussed the story of 71 year-old William Cawlfield, who has mesothelioma. Mr. Cawlfield lives in a two-story red-brick farmhouse in Pueblo, Colorado that had been his family's home for more than a century. When he was 15 years old Mr. Cawlfield helped his father install Zonolite insulation in the attic. In addition, Mr Cawlfield also said "I used to play up there and kept my toys and a bunch of books because it was like a sand pile where I could hide things,..." He had no knowledge that the material contained asbestos.
Last month, Cawlfield stood outside his family's home watching a specially trained asbestos-removal experts wearing respirators and dressed head to toe in Tyvek carefully remove the Zonolite insulation from inside. He was paying $15,000 to have them do so. The reason he was doing this was testing conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Denver regional office found that high levels of the lethal tremolite fibers were released from the Zonolite insulation that was spread between the rafters in its attic. EPA inspectors concluded that the almost-invisible asbestos-containing dust from the Zonolite sifted though the light fixtures and switches, ceiling fans and the seams of dried-out joint tape. Copies of the reports from EPA (that AOL News obtained) determined that some of the levels of asbestos recorded in the house exceeded the maximum number of lethal fibers that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says is too dangerous for workers.
Unfortunately, EPA continues to not provide any guidance to the asbestos abatement industry on how to handle this material and continues to rely on its website as the only source of information on this dangerous situation.
Related articles
- Government Refuses to Act on Cancer-Causing Insulation (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- Asbestos-Tainted Zonolite Still Ignored By Feds: Government Refuses To Act (huffingtonpost.com)
- "It's on our website": an insufficient response to asbestos danger lurking in millons of attics (scienceblogs.com)
- Window Company Owner Fined Following Asbestos Exposure (first4lawyers.com)
- The EPA Tracks Down its Asbestos-Abetting Fugitive (sierraclub.typepad.com)
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