The NIOSH Personal Protective Technology Program and the National Protective Technology Laboratory want to know about potential barriers to the proper selection and the use of PPE by agriculture pesticide handlers and their employers. They are looking for pesticide handlers, their employers or any organizations who work on their behalf to protect their health.

If you fit the above description, you can help NIOSH by letting them know as much as possible about your difficulties in selecting, matching, access, laws, comfort, etc in dealing with PPE and pesticides.

To find out more about this program, go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/default.html. By participating in this study, you will help NIOSH provide the best guidance for PPE use among pesticide handlers.

From the folks at AIHA – An introduction to the Science of Nanotechnology and Occupational Health. This is a teleweb – so the CM points are fairly inexpensive. Early registration ends March 19 – so hurry.
Here is the link to get the scoop:

http://www.aiha.org/education/dl/Pages/NanoOccHealth.aspx

This looks like a very interesting webinar – especially for all of us Health and Safety Professionals who constantly complain about the outdated OSHA PEL’s. I know I will attending this and will be posting my thoughts on what was presented.

ACGIH is pleased to present the following webinar:

DERIVED NO EFFECT LEVELS (DNELs): WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW WILL THEY
CHANGE THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH OEL LANDSCAPE?

Date: LIVE on March 3, 2010

Time: 2:00 - 4:30 PM Eastern Time

Registration and Course Information Link:
http://www.acgih.org/events/course/DNEL_webinar.htm

Course Content:

The European Union (EU) REACH regulation has prompted hazard and
exposure assessments and risk characterizations of thousands of existing substances currently in commerce in the EU. Derived No Effect Levels(DNELs)are examples of the information being generated as a result of the new requirements, and are used for purposes of risk
characterization. There are some concerns that DNELs will become
de-facto occupational exposure limits (OELs) - an issue this webinar
will address. To adequately assess how DNELs compare to OELs, it is
important to understand how they are derived and how they will be
applied or used in Europe. Just as OELs have limitations and conditions
regarding their use, the same can be said for DNELs and that comparison
will be made as well. Finally, the benefits of DNELs and how they could
fit into the OEL derivation process will be discussed.

Presented by - John Mikan, CIH and T. Stuart Webster, MS, CIH

To attend this webinar, you must first register for it. Once you have
registered, you will receive an email message confirming your enrollment status and information that you need to join the event

Click the following link for further course information including
pricing and to register :

http://www.acgih.org/events/course/DNEL_webinar.htm

This webinar has been approved by the American Board of Industrial
Hygiene (ABIH) for .42 ABIH (IH) Certification Maintenance (CM) Point.
This webinar qualifies for .16 BCSP (SP) Continuance of Certification
(COC) Point for Certified Safety Professionals.

Bad news for all of us that work with formalin or formaldehyde. Recently a ten-member, independent, scientific expert panel convened by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) voted unanimously to list formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen in the upcoming 12th Edition of the Report on Carcinogens (RoC).

The expert panel’s peer review comments on the draft background document, listing recommendation, and scientific justification are now available on the RoC website (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/29682).

Currently, formaldehyde is listed in the 11th RoC as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. Even though the chemical will be listed as a known carcinogen, there is no movement afoot from OSHA to reevaluate the current PEL. OSHA currently has an 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) exposure value of 0.75PPM and a Short Term Exposure Level (STEL) of 2PPM. For my money, I would not want to be exposed anywhere close to those values.

If you are someone who works with this chemical, you may want to take additional steps to protect yourself.

Hi – I am from OSHA and I am here to help you. Sounds funny doesn’t it? But it’s true. Come February 10, 2010 OSHA is having a public meeting to solicit comments and suggestions form stakeholders (read YOU) on key issues facing the agency.

Details:
Date –February 10, 2010
Time – 9AM to 5PM
Place–Frances Perkins Building Auditorium, US Dept. of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington DC 20210

There are many ways you can participate. By emailing your questions to stakeholder.meeting@dol.gov. By mailing in your questions. Or by showing up in person. You must register to do the latter. You must register before February 3, 2010 by going to stakeholder.meeting@dol.gov and follow the instructions.

This is a tremendous opportunity to get your self heard. Remember the squeaky wheel gets oiled. Not happy with 30 year old PEL’s? Let OSHA know. Not happy with continued inactivity? Let OSHA know. Not happy with the rule making process? Let OSHA know.

I hope there is an overflowing turnout of people at the meeting.