Environmental Health and Safety Blog | EHSWire

EPA's Criminal Enforcement Program was established in 1982 and was granted full law enforcement authority by Congress in 1988. It enforces the nation's laws by investigating cases, collecting evidence, conducting forensic analyses and providing legal guidance to assist in the prosecution of criminal conduct that threatens people's health and the environment.

Retail is not typically considered a dangerous occupation. However, the holiday season draws much larger crowds than employees are used to managing. In fact, Black Friday has become such an occupational health risk, that a website called blackfridaydeathcount.com was established to track the injuries and fatalities associated with this American shopping event. The site reports that since 2006, Black Friday has claimed 7 deaths and 90 injuries; this includes both workers and patrons. A November 2012 US News & World Report article summarized some of the worst of the mayhem, but 2013 and 2014 have also resulted in nearly 20 injuries and at least 1 death.  Not the best news for spreading the Holiday Cheers—but news nonetheless.

On October 27 that Certified Industrial Hygienist Nicole Greeson was elected as the new chair of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH).

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans now own approximately 24 electronic products per household. Dave Kruch, CEO of the re-commerce company Cash for Laptops, describes e-waste as a "rapidly expanding issue." And for good reason, it is estimated that fifty million tons of e-waste is generated yearly, with the United States contributing about three million tons on its own.

Workers in the food manufacturing industry have a higher rate of illness and injury than other private industry workers—an incidence rate of 5.4 per 100 workers, compared to an overall private industry rate of 3.4 per 100 workers, based on 2012 data. During the same year, food manufacturers suffered 41 fatalities and more than 18,000 lost-time injuries.

Crazy weather seems to be in the news again—hurricanes, Nor’easters, tornadoes, hail storms and even early snow fall. The tree service industry loves crazy weather, and their service model frequently requires rapid response, particularly when downed trees cause power outages, traffic delays and other issues.   Following any such weather event, tree care workers descend, ready to  clear debris, trim fallen trees and get us all back up and running!  Rapid response still requires safety procedures and two fatal incidents this year prompted OSHA to remind the tree service industry of the consequences of not following mandated safety requirements.  Released on June 16, the OSHA Hazard Bulletin addresses how to help prevent injuries and deaths from falls and falling objects during tree care work.

Gamification is described as the concept of applying game mechanics and game design techniques to engage and motivate people to achieve goals. Gamification incorporates a number of psychological concepts—centered on motivation, behavior, and personality traits—to harness people’s basic desires, needs, and impulses for improved status through achievement.

Where personal protection equipment (PPE) is available for use at a facility, employees must be trained in the proper use of this equipment.  This is a basic requirement for the use of all types of PPE, and one that is often overlooked for the rarely used Emergency Life Support Apparatus (ELSA).  These self-contained breathing apparatus are designed for emergency escape only. With proper training, affected employees will be able to react quickly and properly in the event that use of an ELSA is required. Proper initial training with regular refresher training prepares employees to react quickly and correctly in an emergency. 

Inspect & Test Your Fire Alarm Systems

Reminder that the DOT is now Requiring Commercial Drivers to Receive Physicals from Certified Medical Examiners