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2013 TRI National Analysis—Chemical Release Data The EPA tracks chemical waste disposal and other releases to keep the public informed and to help them “identify priorities and opportunities for government and communities to work with industry to reduce toxic chemical disposal or other releases and potential associated risks.” These chemicals may be released at the […]
Mercury has quite the mystique. Its “quicksilver” identity fueled car brands; its thermal properties made it ubiquitous at one time in thermometers of every sort. But mercury is toxic, and workers who handle or break fluorescent bulbs are at risk of exposure. Here is how to clean up broken bulbs. Preventing Mercury Exposures If you […]
2013 TRI National Analysis—Pollution Prevention and Waste Management One of the biggest challenges for anyone that produces toxic chemical wastes is to find ways to minimize disposal. The generally followed hierarchy of choices begins with source reduction, and moves down to recycling, then energy recovery, treatment, and finally, disposal or other releases. During the past […]
Lasers—intense, focused beams of nonionizing radiation—are in widespread use today. You can buy a laser pointer at your local drugstore to draw attention to your upcoming presentation. Bar-code scanners in retail cash registers use lasers to automatically retrieve the purchase price of consumer goods. Laser surgery clears our vision. We can use laser guidance and […]
On January 5, OSHA announced the renewal of an alliance with the Laser Institute of America (LIA) to protect workers from exposure to beam and nonbeam lasers in industrial, construction, medical, and research workplaces. The word “laser” stands for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.” Lasers are cavities that are filled with crystal, liquid, […]
EPA Targets Oil and Gas Industry Methane Emissions Methane is a potent GHG that represents a global warming potential that is more than 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. It is also the primary constituent of natural gas, and according to the EPA, almost 30 percent of U.S. methane emissions originate in the […]
At this moment, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medicinal use, and Washington and Colorado have famously legalized the plant for recreational use, too. Alaska and Oregon will become the next states where recreational marijuana is legal after voters approved cannabis ballot measures set to become effective in 2015. Under […]
Yesterday, we discussed how to use a sound level meter to perform area noise monitoring as part of your hearing conservation program. Today, we’ll look at when and how to use personal noise dosimetry to characterize worker exposures and determine what hearing protection, if any, might be required. You may need to use personal noise […]
by Dan Hannan, CSP An employer that only focuses on preventing workplace accidents is missing a large exposure. It’s a hard reality that the frequency of off-the-job injuries and fatalities exceed those occurring in the workplace many times over. Even though he’s not “on the job” when an employee makes home roof repairs , fails […]
Spent Foundry Sands Assessment Is Good News Finding ways to safely reuse wastes generated by industry is key to reducing the need for virgin materials and for disposing of the wastes in landfills or other disposal facilities. One such waste is spent foundry sands, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), now says can be reused […]