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.
Search This Blog
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Future Environment Designs sponsors PCB video
In addition, to sponsoring this video to assist with Keeping Your Family Safe by being aware about Poly-Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). We want you to be aware that New York Communities for Change is calling on the New York City Board of Education to test all schools for possible PCB contamination and devise an aggressive plan for remediation. After watching the video click on the title to learn more about New York Communities for Change's demand.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Long Overdue Increase in OSHA Inspections
Construction Sign Postings in Rome, Italy. Workers are required to wear gloves, hard hat, work boots, and a full body harness on this work site. |
14 deaths per day is the statistics of the day. How can the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) consider itself successful with a statistic like that? It is long overdue for OSHA to increase the number of inspections and the number of violations it issues. There are companies who have never seen an OSHA inspection and they have been in business for over 50 years. We did a training class where one worker had caustic burns on his hands and three workers were diagnosed with silicosis. The company had never been inspected by OSHA. Until OSHA actually gets serious about performing the number of inspections necessary to prevent injuries, statistics such as 14 deaths per day will continue to be common place. The link shows a video of a worker for Cintas, handling the clearing of a blockage the way he was taught to clear blockage. Though the company says it didn't know this was going on, the question is how did they think the blockage was being cleared considering they did not teach the workers a different procedure to clear the blockage. Again another situation where the accident could have been prevented and the life of a worker saved.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Houston Company Cited by OSHA for Paperwork Errors (eon.businesswire.com)
- Protecting America's Workers Act Manufact (slideshare.net)
- Your Rights Concerning OSHA (constructionlawva.com)
- Occupational Health News Roundup [The Pump Handle] (scienceblogs.com)
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Confined Space Entry Mistakes Caused Tarrytown Tragedy?
OSHA has specific requirements and rules before entering confined spaces. Air testing and training are part of the requirements. |
The death of two men in Tarrytown are still being investigated, however, indications are that the men died when they entered into a sewer system manhole and were overcome by the gases or the lack of air in the area. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the New York State Department of Labor under Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) both regulate entries into confined spaces. These entries require a permit system which is the equivalent of a checklist that is required to be completed by a supervisor before anyone enters the confined space. One of the most important parts of the checklist is the requirement to test the air in the space before entry to determine the contaminants in the space. As outsiders looking in, we could assume oxygen deficiency, methane, and hydrogen sulfide at least. All three should have been tested before entry was made. News reports already have told us the space was deficient of oxygen (14%), normal air has 21% oxygen. Future Environment Designs performs confined space entry training and we train workers that at 14% workers would experience increased respiration and poor judgment. We also train workers that the attendant should never make an entry (for rescue or any other purpose) until they are relieved by another attendant. Our condolences go out to the family and the community of these workers. It is a shame that this accident could have been prevented.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Report Faults Utility, Contractor in Fire (online.wsj.com)
- Toxic fumes kill two in Westchester tragedy (nydailynews.com)
- NY firefighter, manhole worker die; fumes cited (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Manholes explode for 3 straight days in NJ city (sfgate.com)
OSHA Publishes Final Rule On Cranes And Derricks In Construction
Crane in Venice, Italy. FED's training at your convenience will travel to where you need the training. |
Some people would say its about time the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard. The last standard was issued in 1971 and considering in 2007 a number of crane accidents happened across the country including the two crane accidents that happened in New York City. It is not surprising that OSHA finally finished the standard. The rule becomes effective in 90 days after August 9, 2010. Significant requirements in this new rule include: a pre-erection inspection of tower crane parts; use of synthetic slings in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions during assembly/disassembly work; assessment of ground conditions; qualification or certification of crane operators; and procedures for working in the vicinity of power lines.
Several provisions have been modified from the proposed rule. For example:
- Employers must comply with local and state operator licensing requirements which meet the minimum criteria specified in § 1926.1427.
- Employers must pay for certification or qualification of their currently uncertified or unqualified operators.
- Written certification tests may be administered in any language understood by the operator candidate.
- When employers with employees qualified for power transmission and distribution are working in accordance with the power transmission and distribution standard (§ 1910.269), that employer will be considered in compliance with this final rule's requirements for working around power lines.
- Employers must use a qualified rigger for rigging operations during assembly/disassembly.
- Employers must perform a pre-erection inspection of tower cranes.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Travelers Educates Its Construction Customers on OSHA's Revised Cranes and Derricks Standard (eon.businesswire.com)
- OSHA Publishes Long-Awaited Crane Rule [The Pump Handle] (scienceblogs.com)
- A Common Sense Approach to Cranes, Derricks and the Safety of America's Construction Workers (whitehouse.gov)
- NCCCO Publishes Definitive Guide to Personnel Qualification Requirements Under New OSHA Rule (prnewswire.com)
- Crane rigger found not guilty in 2008 East Side crane collapse (nydailynews.com)
- Diane Lillicrap on Crane Safety [The Pump Handle] (scienceblogs.com)
- US Labor Department's OSHA proposes $16.6 million in fines in connection with fatal Connecticut natural gas explosion (prnewswire.com)
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
NYS Mold Task Force Report Open For Comments
Stachybotrys chartrum (toxic mold) growing inside the wall. |
Comments can be submitted in writing to:
Michelle Lavigne
Bureau of Toxic Substances Assessment
Flanigan Square Room 330
547 River Street
Troy, NY 12280
Questions: (518) 402-7820 or 1-800-458-1158
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.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Talking Little Things with Tom Peters (ducttapemarketing.com)
- Like it or not personal branding is all about reputation [Judith Germain] (ecademy.com)
- Tom Peters Wows an Intimate Group at DC's Sweets and Tweets (debbieweil.com)
- Learnings from In Search of Excellence (christopherscottblog.typepad.com)
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.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Does Your Furniture Contain Formaldehyde? (ecochildsplay.com)
- Carl Pope: The Posion Lobby Strikes Back (huffingtonpost.com)
- What is Formaldehyde Anyway and Why Is It In My Keratin Treatment? (amominredhighheels.com)
- Govt's Banned Trailers, Unsafe for Housing, Reappear in Gulf (propublica.org)
- Low Emitting Materials: How Much Urea Formaldehyde is Acceptable? (green-buildings.com)
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.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Att'y: 3 men scapegoated in NYC toxic tower fire (sfgate.com)
- Deutsche construction supervisors: Prosecutors are 'scapegoating' us (nydailynews.com)
- Mysterious, Obscure Company Is Behind 9/11 Demolition Work (atomiurl.com)
- Debate Continues Over Deutsche Bank Tower Demolition (nytimes.com)
- As Deutsche Bank Tower Dwindles, Debate Simmers (nytimes.com)
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
- Mont. delegation pushes EPA on asbestos cleanup (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- For asbestos-ravaged town, questions persist (sfgate.com)
- Asbestos contamination still taking toll on town (msnbc.msn.com)
- Wasting Libby: The True Story of How the WR Grace Corporation Left a Montana Town to Die - Book Excerpt (revolutionbythebook.akpress.org)
- Researchers Seek Past Students From Toxic Mine Town (huffingtonpost.com)
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.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Rigging contractor found not guilty in New York crane collapse (cnn.com)
- Engineer Testifies Crane Rigger Is Careful (nytimes.com)
- Crane rigger found not guilty in 2008 East Side crane collapse (nydailynews.com)
- Rigger Acquitted in Deadly '08 NYC Crane Collapse (abcnews.go.com)
- NYC crane rigger cleared in fatal collapse (cbc.ca)
- Building owner to blame for crane collapse: Attorney (nydailynews.com)
- Engineer Testifies Crane Rigger Is Careful (nytimes.com)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
NYC DEP Plans Increase In Enforcement On Asbestos Investigators
Image via Wikipedia
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) released plans to increase the scrutiny of Certified Asbestos Investigators. As discussed in the New York Times article linked above, NYCDEP has hired two additional inspection monitors to review the work of the Certified Asbestos Investigators and plans to nearly double the number of office audits it conducts each year, to 75, up from 40; the agency will check the records and activities of nearly 15 percent of the 543 asbestos investigators it certifies, and perform 500 spot-check field inspections. What caused this increase in oversight of the Certified Asbestos Investigators? Mr. Saverio Todaro's guilty plea to federal environmental crimes, fraud and making false statements. In our refresher classes we have discussed Mr. Todaro's case, who operated an environmental inspection and testing company, and acknowledged that he had submitted clean asbestos and lead test results for at least a decade without performing any tests.Not only has Mr. Todaro's case caused increased scrutiny of Investigators, it also has exposed our industry to reckless statements such as "The city environmental agency regulates private asbestos inspectors, who play an important role in what has long been viewed as one of the more corrupt sectors of the construction industry." I don't think the New York Times has accurately portrayed our industry. Our industry like many others has individuals that will do anything for the money. However, we have many individuals and companies in our industry that do not give into this weakness and perform their jobs in accordance with the regulations. We provide our clients with an important service and help them protect their properties and the people who use the property. I am very disappointed with the NY Times, in painting our industry with such a broad brush stroke based on the guilty plea of a few individuals.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Inspector Says He Faked Data in New York Building Tests (nytimes.com)
- Faked Safety Inspections Called Tip of the Iceberg (nytimes.com)
- Editorial: Building Inspection Scandal in New York City (nytimes.com)
Monday, July 05, 2010
Clearing Pipes With Natural Gas, A Common But Deadly Construction Practice
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
In Middletown, Connecticut on Febuary 7, 2010 an explosion caused the death of 6 workers building a power plant for Kleen Energy Systems. The article above discusses the findings of an investigation of the cause of the explosion. The findings found that a common construction practice of clearing pipes with natural gas was the cause of the explosion. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) investigation is still ongoing. However, it appears the common practice of clearing pipes with natural gas is also a common cause of explosions at other construction sites. In two other sites this practice has caused explosions that have killed 4 and 6, previously. The article implies that this practice is unregulated, which I find hard to believe. I guess we will find out once OSHA finishes its investigation.Related articles by Zemanta
- Safety Board Weighs Response to Conn., NC Blasts (abcnews.go.com)
- Feds weigh response to fatal Conn., NC blasts (sfgate.com)
- Conn. urges tighter power plant rules after blast (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Friday, July 02, 2010
Doomed Crane Had History of Malfunctions | New York Construction | McGraw-Hill Construction
Image via Wikipedia
Doomed Crane Had History of Malfunctions New York Construction McGraw-Hill ConstructionThe manslaughter trial of William Rappetti, master rigger, and his company Rappetti Rigging Services, began this week. The Manhattan District Attorney maintains that Mr. Rappetti was responsible for the crane accident that happened on March 15, 2008. While Mr. Rappetti's attorneys are trying to prove the accident was caused by a number of alternative causes. Click the link above to get an update on the trial. We will be following this trial and the other manslaughter trial against J. Lomma (see our post "Crane Case Heading to Court") both regarding the crane accidents that happened in 2008. Depending how these trials turn out, will depend how much of an impact the Manhattan District Attorney's Office will have on the construction industry.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Safety Codes Lack Standards For Critical Crane Repairs (constructionlawva.com)
- Rigger declines jury in NYC crane collapse trial (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Crane-collapse survivor testifies at NYC trial (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Credit still tight for U.S. construction-survey (reuters.com)
- Witness: New straps supplied before NYC crane fell (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Witness: New straps supplied before NYC crane fell (sfgate.com)
- Trial opens for crane rigger in NYC collapse (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Trial set to open for rigger in NYC crane collapse (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
ADAO Responds to Potential Canadian Efforts to Revive Jeffrey Mine « ADAO – Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
Image by LHOON via Flickr
ADAO Responds to Potential Canadian Efforts to Revive Jeffrey Mine « ADAO – Asbestos Disease Awareness OrganizationAs the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization notes, Quebec continues to consider chrysotile asbestos less dangerous than other forms of asbestos. Since Jeffrey Mine, Inc.'s current mine has run out of asbestos, Quebec's government is offering $58 million dollar loan guarantee for Jeffrey Mine to open a new mine and continue mining asbestos. Unfortunately, the market for this new asbestos is the Third World, where many industries are concerned more about staying in business versus human life.
Related articles by Zemanta
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
BP's Other Toxic Legacy: 'Decades of Misery' for Gulf Health
Image via Wikipedia
BP's <i>Other</i> Toxic Legacy: 'Decades of Misery' for Gulf HealthAs we feared, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) again is messing up worker protection under the memorandum of understanding (MOU). This time it didn't take long for people to start being concerned about their exposure to chemicals. This article from Esquire Magazine's Politics Blog shows that OSHA really doesn't have a handle on the exposure of the workers down there. In addition, where is the American Industrial Hygiene Association in all of this? I have not heard about a position or any recommendations from this organization regarding what is going on in the Gulf regarding worker protection. So here we are again another disaster and another OSHA MOU, which means allow workers to develop illnesses (from chemical expsoures) because these aren't reported the same way accidents are (slips, trips, falls, etc). I'm sure OSHA will brag about zero accidents like they did at 9/11 but will ignore the illnesses developed. Note the recent news articles about the $700 million settlement that will be paid to thousands of 9/11 responders exposed to toxic World Trade Cener dust, that OSHA could have and should have prevented from happening.
Related articles by Zemanta
- BP Needs to Provide Respirators for Cleanup Workers (fdlaction.firedoglake.com)
- Gina Solomon: OSHA Limits Don't Protect Gulf Coast Workers (huffingtonpost.com)
- Gina Solomon: BP Coughs Up Another Drop of Air Quality Data: Not Reassuring (huffingtonpost.com)
- EPA demands a less toxic dispersant in Gulf spill (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- OSHA Fronts for BP After Congressmen Press for Worker Safety (workinprogress.firedoglake.com)
- Rep. Maloney: Address Health of Gulf Cleanup Workers Now, Before They Lose It (workinprogress.firedoglake.com)
- Gulf Oil Spill: Louisiana Officials Ask OSHA To Investigate Cleanup Safety (huffingtonpost.com)
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Spring 2010 Future Focus Posted
Image by odysseyfx via Flickr
Future Environment Designs has posted its Spring 2010 newsletter finalizing our coverage of the revisions to the New York City asbestos regulation Title 15. This issue we discuss the changes to the work procedures/practices.Related articles by Zemanta
- Editorial: Building Inspection Scandal in New York City (nytimes.com)
- Major New Study of Libby Asbestos Starts (abcnews.go.com)
- Major new study of Libby asbestos starts (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
PCBs are Everywhere?
Image via Wikipedia
It feels like lately, everywhere I turn I find a new article or seminar discussing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) issues. In the Metropolitan New York Chapter of American Industrial Hygiene Association's newsletter I learned that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently holding a series of public meetings for the purpose of “Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the EPA potential reassessment of PCB use authorizations” (follow link from the title of this article for more information). Even on this blog I have written several posts on PCBs (see my most recent post on 4/6/10). Back in April, I attended the joint meeting of the New York Metro Chapter of the AIHA and the Long Island chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (see post on 4/20/10). Mr. Kristen Panella of New York Institute of Technology gave a very good presentation on dealing with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding transformers containing PCBs. The main points of the presentation were:- EPA does not allow “placard” transformers (meaning the transformer has pyranol on the label or placard) to be registered after 1998. EPA’s reason for this is that General Electric’s pyranol transformers contain 50% PCBs be weight.
- These placard transformers are required to be removed. The penalty is $24,000 for not removing them.
- The removal process is a costly and very delicate process because any spill of the PCB oil makes the project a remediation (spill clean-up) having different requirements.
- PCB-tainted caulk with concentrations of 50 parts per million (ppm) or more can cause owners of buildings (including schools, etc.) to face EPA fines of $3,000 and $25,000 per day until the material is removed.
- EPA regulations do not require schools to test for PCBs but EPA is encouraging schools to conduct air testing where PCB use is suspected. This recommendation is inconsistent with other indoor air quality programs (i.e., asbestos or lead) that would first require identifying or testing to confirm the presence of the material prior to an air sampling regimen. I suspect the reasoning for this is; unlike with asbestos or lead, if the school finds PCBs in the caulk above 50 ppm they are required to remove it, as per the above point.
- There are a number of exposure guidelines and standards for chlorodiphenyl (54% chlorine in PCBs) in air:
- ACGIH – TLV is 500 ug/m3
- OSHA – PEL is 500 ug/m3
- NIOSH – REL is 1 ug/m3
- NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – Action Level is 0.5 ug/m3
- EPA – Risk-Based Concentrations (RBCs) is 0.0043 ug/m3
- Testing of caulk for PCBs is a unique method and should be discussed with your laboratory. PCB air testing uses two methods, recognized by the EPA, TO-4A (high volume air) and TO-10A(low volume air). EPA does not recognize NIOSH method 5503.
Even though Congress and EPA banned and phased out in 1979 all PCBs, we are still working on preventing further damage and cleaning up the old damage done to the environment are these future employment opportunities?
Related articles by Zemanta
- The EPA on GE on PCBs (timesunion.com)
- GE: Limit PCB contamination during Hudson dredging (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- PCB Dredging hearings in final day (timesunion.com)
- APNewsBreak: GE Says Hudson Dredging Cost $561M (abcnews.go.com)
- Feds and DEC: Continue Hudson River PCB dredging (timesunion.com)
Thursday, April 22, 2010
New Lead Paint Regulation Goes Into Effect - Happy Earth Day!
Image by wayneandwax via Flickr
Today is the 40th Birthday of Earth Day. To celebrate the occasion, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lead Based Paint (finalized in April 2008) regulation goes into effect today. The regulation we are talking about is the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule. The purpose of this rule is prevent lead poisoning of children. Starting today anyone who is paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978, including all general contractors, maintenance staff, and special trade contractors (such as painters, plumbers, carpenters, and electricians), are required to be trained on lead-safe work practices (become certified renovators), requires the firms to be EPA-certified, and requires the use of lead-safe work practices. In addition, the regulation requires the firms to keep records for three years of reports certifying that lead-based paint is not present, records relating to the distribution of the lead pamphlet, signed and dated opt-out clauses, and documentation of compliance with RRP. These regulations do not apply if the firm obtained a signed statement from the owner (known as the opt-out provision) or the work is considered a minor repair and maintenance activitiy that disturb six square feet or less of paint per room inside, or 20 square feet or less on the exterior of a home or building. The rule require firms performing renovations must ensure that:- All individuals performing activities that disturb painted surfaces are either certified renovators or have been trained by a certified renovator.
- A certified renovator is assigned to each renovation and performs all of the certified renovator responsibilities.
- All renovations use lead safe work practices.
- Pre-renovation education requirements are performed, such as distribution of the Renovate Right pamphlet.
- Recordkeeping requirements are met.
Related articles by Zemanta
- New EPA Rule Requires More Care Around Lead Paint (abcnews.go.com)
- New EPA rule requires home renovators to take more care around lead paint (thenewstribune.com)
- New EPA rule requires more care around lead paint (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Childhood Lead Poisoning Proves a Stubborn Nemesis (nytimes.com)
- Rule on Lead Safety Set to Take Effect (nytimes.com)
- Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Law-Important Legal Issues (constructionlawva.com)
- Earth Day Activities: Send Us Your Photos (huffingtonpost.com)
- Testing for Lead in Paint Gets Easier, Faster and Cheaper with ANDalyze Technology - Powered by DNA (eon.businesswire.com)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Long Island ASSE/Metro NY AIHA Joint Meeting to Discuss PCBs
Wednesday April 21, 2010 at 5 PM, Mr. Kristen Panella, CSP of New York Institute of Technology will be discussing "Recent Compliance Issues with PCBs - Lessons Learned." The meeting is a joint dinner with the Long Island American Society of Safety Engineers and the Metro Chapter of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. It is being held at the Hicksville-On The Border, 1401 Broadway Mall, Hicksville, NY 11801.
Mr. Panella is the Dir. of the Dep. of Environmental Health and Safety at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). Kristen has over 11 years of professional experience in the environmental health and safety field. With a background in geology and environmental management he has worked on numerous EPA Superfund sites as well as emergency hazardous material spill cleanup sites. Kristen joined NYIT as the Dir. of EH&S over 4 years ago and is accountable for all environmental health and safety issues that face their three campuses. His primary focus is on asbestos, lead and mold projects, hazardous waste disposal, medical waste disposal, the proper operation of the onsite wastewater treatment plant and OSHA related issues. Kristen is also utilizing his real world expertise to conduct classes in the Environmental Technology Masters and Continuing Education Programs. He is an active member of AIHA, ASSE, CSHEMA, SEHSA and NYIT’s Radiation Safety Committee, Animal Care Committee, Biosafety Committee and Sustainable Global Community. Join us for dinner and a great presentation. Registration and Networking will begin at 5 PM. Dinner @ 6 PM
Mr. Panella is the Dir. of the Dep. of Environmental Health and Safety at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). Kristen has over 11 years of professional experience in the environmental health and safety field. With a background in geology and environmental management he has worked on numerous EPA Superfund sites as well as emergency hazardous material spill cleanup sites. Kristen joined NYIT as the Dir. of EH&S over 4 years ago and is accountable for all environmental health and safety issues that face their three campuses. His primary focus is on asbestos, lead and mold projects, hazardous waste disposal, medical waste disposal, the proper operation of the onsite wastewater treatment plant and OSHA related issues. Kristen is also utilizing his real world expertise to conduct classes in the Environmental Technology Masters and Continuing Education Programs. He is an active member of AIHA, ASSE, CSHEMA, SEHSA and NYIT’s Radiation Safety Committee, Animal Care Committee, Biosafety Committee and Sustainable Global Community. Join us for dinner and a great presentation. Registration and Networking will begin at 5 PM. Dinner @ 6 PM
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
EPA Submits Final Report on First Phase of Hudson River Dredging
Image via Wikipedia
On March 8, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a detailed technical assessment of the first phase of the dredging operations on the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated sediment in the upper Hudson River. This assessment, along with General Electric's assessment, are being submitted to the panel of independent scientific experts for review. In addition, to the report being submitted to the scientific panel, EPA is also soliciting comments from the public that will also be submitted to the panel. The first phase of this project is being used as a test run for the far larger phase 2 of this project, which EPA hopes to start in 2011. The technical report is 185 pages and covers a number of operations and discusses problems and recommended changes to reduce PCB air emissions and water resuspensions. Needless to say EPA feels that the operation can be done successfully with a few changes and GE has some major issues with the process because of the PCB resusensions. It will be interesting to see what the panel has to say.Related articles by Zemanta
- GE: Limit PCB Contamination During Hudson Dredging (abcnews.go.com)
- Dredging bypasses river highway (timesunion.com)
- EPA notes higher PCB levels in Hudson dredging (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- GE: Limit PCB contamination during Hudson dredging (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Hudson River PCB Dredging - the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- Hudson River PCB dredging studies (timesunion.com)
- Dredging hits a critical phase (timesunion.com)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Syosset School Closure Creates Discussion
Last week, most people on Long Island heard about Syosset School District closing school because asbestos planks (?) were discovered in the dumpster. This occurred after a routine mainteance operation in the boiler room. We have had an excellant discussion at the New York State Asbestos Group at Linked In (join the discussion at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2432277&trk=anet_ug_hm). We have discussed several issues with the articles discussing what happened. First many of us are trying to figure out what is an asbestos plank? We have some speculations but we still have not figured it out. Why didn't anyone know that the asbestos (planks?) were in the boiler room. Schools are required under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) regulations to perform triennial inspections of their facilities for asbestos containing building materials (ACBM) and every 6 months a periodic surveillance of the ACBM is required to ensure it is not disturbed. Obviously, something went wrong. In addition, some of the articles talk about medical testing of the workers to determine if they were exposed. Well in our discussion we know of no such test. The tests can be used as a baseline. However, asbestos diseases can take at least 10 years to develop. It is possible that an intense exposure could cause pleural plaques sooner, possibly as soon as a year, but this does not mean a disease will develop. We thank Mr. Jack Springston, Mr. Donald Weekes, and Mr. Jim Morey for their comments on Linked In for helping flesh out this posting.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Air Quality Tests Show Syosset High School is Safe (Newsday.com)
- Weitz & Luxenberg Cautions Boilermakers on Job-Related Asbestos Exposure (eon.businesswire.com)
- ADAO Praises Senate for Passage of Sixth Annual Resolution That Establishes "National Asbestos Awareness Week" (eon.businesswire.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Chrysotile Asbestos Banned? More Like Certain Conditions of Use Will Be Eventually Banned!
Many of you, as did I, read about the " Ban of Chrysotile Asbestos " and rejoiced over something long overdue. However, after rea...
-
… … … This debate regarding asbestos floor tiles started at the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York's ...
-
We attended the Environmental Information Association (EIA) 2022 National Conference and Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona from March 20, thro...
-
Every year at this time the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers with 10 or more employees to post the O...