Future Environment Designs Training Center specializes in asbestos, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, and occupational safety training programs. We offer New York State asbestos and mold certification courses. We design, develop, and maintain the various indoor air quality, asbestos, and safety programs that are Keeping Your Employees Safe.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Brand You: Engage Your Brain
For years, I've been a big fan of Tom Peters. His book "In Search of Excellance" should be a standard business book for anyone going into business and "Thriving on Chaos" probably applies today as much as when it was written. It seems to me he just gets better with age. This segment from his new book, gives you insights on how to engage your client, audience, etc.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
EPA Calls Formaldehyde a Carcinogen
Image via WikipediaIn the July 2010 issue of Indoor Environment Connections, Mr. Tom Scarlett writes about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issuing a draft report that concludes that inhaling formaldehyde is definitely a human carcinogen. Formaldehyde is widely used in products and can be found in many indoor environments, like the temporary trailers that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) bought. It has been widely published that those temporary trailers had such significant levels of formaldehyde in the indoor air they could not use them as temporary housing for the Hurricane Katrina victims. In addition, the new study also linked increased incidence of asthma to formaldehyde exposure. Needless to say EPA's determination will cause increased regulation of formaldehyde in air. The next steps for this report is for it to be reviewed by an expert panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences. EPA will then use the review and any comments from the public to complete the Health Assessment for Formaldehyde.
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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
NIOSH Publishes Results of Investigation Into Deutsche Bank Fire
Image via WikipediaOn August 18, 2007, two firefighters lost their lives while attempting to put out a fire in the former Deutsche Bank building. This fire has had a significant impact on the construction and the asbestos abatement industries. Recently revised asbestos regulations were the results of suggested changes by a special committee, set-up by Mayor Bloomberg, to specifically investigate the city agency failings and fixed them. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) typically investigates fires that lead to the loss of life of firefighters. The purpose is to assist fire departments across the country in reducing fatalities and injuries to firefighters. NIOSH's investigative report is 44 pages long and determined the following "key contributing factors to this incident included: delayed notification of the fire by building construction personnel, inoperable standpipe and sprinkler systems (published in several news articles), delay in establishing water supply, inaccurate information about standpipe, unique building conditions with both asbestos abatement and deconstruction occurring simultaneously, extreme fire behavior, uncontrolled fire rapidly progressing and extending below the fire floor, blocked stairwells preventing fire fighter access and egress, maze-like interior conditions from partitions and construction debris, heavy smoke conditions causing numerous fire fighters to become lost or disoriented, failure of fire fighters to always don SCBAs inside structure and to replenish air cylinders, communications overwhelmed with numerous Mayday and urgent radio transmissions, and lack of crew integrity."
The report also includes several recommendations, and alot of information regarding what happened including a timeline. So what started the fire? A burning cigarette discarded by a construction employee in the decontamination shower area on the 17th floor. Read the report for more information.
The report also includes several recommendations, and alot of information regarding what happened including a timeline. So what started the fire? A burning cigarette discarded by a construction employee in the decontamination shower area on the 17th floor. Read the report for more information.
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Friday, July 30, 2010
W. R. Grace To Pay For Asbestos Cleanup in Easthampton, MA.
Image via Wikipedia
W.R. Grace and Company leased a facility in Easthampton, Massachusetts where they produced zonolite attic insulation and fireproofing. This facility received vermiculite that was mined in Libby, MT which is known to be contaminated with tremolite asbestos. WR Grace and the owner of the property Oldon Limited Partnership agreed to pay an estimated $833,000 to cleanup the site and reimburse the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for past cleanup costs of $72, 537 as recently reported by Environmental Protection (click on title to see the full article). Related articles by Zemanta
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Friday, July 23, 2010
Riggiing Contractor Cleared Of All Charges
Mr. William Rapetti's trial ended on Thursday with a not-guilty verdict by the judge that heard the case. This ends the first of the construction trials that the construction industry is watching, the other two being the Deutsche Bank Fire and the other crane accident. Mr. Rapetti and his company Rapetti Rigging Services were acquitted all charges. Unfortunately, he and his company, along with other companies on the project, the building owner and New York City, still must face several civil lawsuits in regards to the accident.
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