Industrial hygiene and safety blogs I follow.

I love to read blogs as much as I love to write them (and draw mangas!). Here's two of my favorite industrial hygiene and safety blogs. They post frequently and have useful information. 

Industrial Hygiene: Industrial Hygiene in Construction

Safety: OSHA Training Blog

If you know of any other ones to add to my reading list, post a comment. FYI I have enabled the "approval" of comments before they are posted. Some of them became "spammy" and I had to delete them. 

Safety in the News! HB 2485 and GAO 13-320.

There's been an increased focus on occupational health and safety in the news lately. I've included links to some interesting articles below.

The first article is from the Tucson Sentinel - it reviews the results of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report (GAO 13-320, "WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH: OSHA Can Better Respond to State-Run Programs Facing Challenges").  The GAO report argues that "States (like Arizona) have difficulty filling vacant inspector positions, obtaining training for inspectors, and retaining qualified inspectors. Recruiting inspectors is difficult due to the shortage of qualified candidates, relatively low state salaries, and hiring freezes." The GAO report goes on to state that Arizona has some of the least-experienced safety inspectors in the nation; 55% of current safety inspectors have less than 5 years' experience, according to the data gathered for the GAO report. The article quotes Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) acting director of consultation services, Jessie Atencio, as questioning the accuracy of the data gathered for Arizona.

The second article is from the Verde Independent - it discusses new legislation recently passed by the House allowing businesses a level of secrecy for internal health and safety program reviews/audits. This legislation (HB 2485) states that audits consist of the following:

"12-2322.  Audit report; contents

A.  Except for an item described in section 12-2326, an audit report shall include each document and communication that is created for an audit to evaluate compliance with a health or safety law or an industry standard of excellence with respect to safety, reliability or training.

B.  An audit report may include the following:

1.  A report prepared by an auditor, consultant, monitor or other Similar person, which may include:

(a)  A description of the scope of the audit.

(b)  The information gained in the audit and findings, conclusions and recommendations.

(c)  Exhibits and appendices.

2.  Memoranda and documents that analyze all or a portion of the materials described by subsection c, paragraph 1 of this section or that discuss implementation issues.

3.  An implementation plan or tracking system to correct past Noncompliance, improve current compliance or prevent future noncompliance.

4.  An evaluation, assessment or accreditation of an organization's facilities, operations or training programs relative to that industry's standards of excellence in safety, reliability or training.

C.  The types of exhibits and appendices that may be contained in an Audit report include supporting information that is collected or developed for the primary purpose of and gathered in the course of a health or safety audit, including:

1.  Interviews with current or former employees.

2.  Field notes and records of observations.

3.  Findings, opinions, suggestions, conclusions, guidance, notes, Drafts and memoranda.

4.  Legal analyses.

5.  Drawings.

6.  Photographs.

7.  Laboratory analyses and other analytical data.

8.  Computer generated or electronically recorded information.

9.  Maps, charts, graphs and surveys.

10.  Other communications associated with a health or safety audit."

The Sierra Club opposes this bill. The Arizona House Democrats also oppose this bill, with representatives stating that it "threatens the health and safety of all Arizonans."

The Industrious Hygienist will be researching and tracking HB 2485, and will keep you updated. It's been sent to Governor Brewer for approval or veto.

Spoggles

So, for those of you not in the environmental health and safety field, I feel I should do a quick follow-up post for the manga I just posted. In section #2 of my latest manga, "The Industrious Hygienist: Keeper of the Safety Box," I use the word "spoggles."

Spoggles is, I admit, a strange word.

This term made one of my report reviewers giggle while reviewing a report, and she commented that it couldn't be a real word since it was so strange. Sorry, W.H., it's sort of a real word. (TRUTH: I thought my clients were making fun of me when they first asked if I had spoggles in my safety gear bag.)  

Spoggles is an industry term for safety eyewear designed to prevent airborne dust and debris from getting in our eyeballs. Airborne dust and debris is a leading cause of eye injuries in today's workplaces.

Spoggles = Safety + Goggles, with a random "p" thrown in there since "sgoggles" or "sagoggles" or "safoggles" sound even weirder. Or maybe it means something else. (?)

Hornet DX "Spoggles"

An example, the Hornet DX. No, I don't own stock or anything in the company, I just think they look comfy and about as cool as you can look in safety glasses/goggles.

The glasses/goggles are supposed to seal up against your face (via the foam inserts at the interior edges of the lenses), and keep dust out of your eyes. Some fun potential issues with spoggles, and reasons why people sometimes choose not to wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) when doing work in a dusty environment:

• the glasses fog up
• the glasses can get scratched so it is hard to see
• the foam can get "smushed" (technical term) and be less effective
• when you take off your glasses, the dust that was at the top and sides/edges of the glasses (and in your eyebrows) can fall right into your eye anyway
• some people think they look nerdy (also a technical term)
• the earpieces can irritate the heck out of the back of your ears

But looking nerdy and having to take care of your PPE and using good personal hygiene while at work are a small price to pay compared to losing your eyesight or getting a nasty infection in your eye from contaminated dust.
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Keep a supply of spoggles on hand. With some lanyards. And some no-fog.

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I thought about posting some horrible pictures of eye injuries, but I think I'll keep this post more light-hearted.

So, to sum up: spoggles are real. Spoggles are good. Spoggles may save your eyesight. Wear them if you have them.

The Industrious Hygienist Manga: Keeper of the Safety Box

Hi all! There have been lots of changes in the Industrious Hygienist's life lately (hence the sad lack of posting and mangas). Before I entertain you with tales of moving out of town, selling a house, finding a rental in the new town that would take my giant dog-beast, and convincing my employer that I can telecommute effectively, I bring you a long-awaited manga.

Special thanks to the people featured in this manga (you know who you are). I love coming to your facility, working my tail off, and hanging out with y'all. I numbered the way you are supposed to read this one - I haven't done a manga in a while and my formatting is wonky and not entirely logical. 

The Industrious Hygienist: Keeper of the Safety Box

Once I find my *new* and *shiny* software in my unlabeled :( moving boxes and convince my brother-in-law to part ways with the Bamboo tablet I allowed him to borrow, I plan to venture into the realm of digital art.

As always, thanks to the artists/creator of Fullmetal Alchemist for creating such wonderful, drawable characters. Eventually I will be able to draw some original characters, but until then, I will borrow/edit/copy/attribute/love your characters.

Funny sign from a large industrial plant

Found this sign at a steam/coal powerplant, right outside the Penthouse (top level of a twelve level industrial boiler). I laughed (thinking other things that it could relate to...husbands...zombie brains...whatever), snapped the picture, and got the heck out of there.  

Banekus = Haikus by Bane

Disclaimer: this post is not IH-related. Spouse and I are nerds. We are especially fond of Christopher Nolan's Batman adaptations, the most recent of which is The Dark Knight Rises. While I was procrastinating the actual "sit down and write" part of being an aspiring novelist, I realized something weird:

Lots of Bane's lines in the movie fit very nicely in Haiku format.

Photo courtesy of Time Warner and Entertainment Weekly

Check it out...

They were mistaken
You fight like a younger man
With nothing held back

(That one is from the spouse.)


Haikus (American-style ones, anyways) follow the 5 syllable-7 syllable-5 syllable, three-line format.

Here's some more, while I was trying to "get in the head" of the character Bane.

It was a mistake
To make me your enemy
You will feel your death

They are my servants
I am the League of Shadows
Join me and serve me

Do you feel in charge?
You will watch your city burn
I have broken you

I always feel it
Pain lets you know you are alive
You can't hear me scream

I tried to save her
Innocence did not belong
Escape from the pit

They breed corruption
Someday they will understand
Death before rebirth

And just to round it out, here's one for Batman:

Rise and face your fear
Life is not just beating death
Climb without the rope

Hope you like them! I have some more unfinished ones, but I am keeping them to myself.

The Banekus also work if you mix and match, i.e.:

I have broken you
I am the League of Shadows
Death before rebirth

Let's see what you can come up with.

I have returned from the dark side! (with slight corrosion)

May was a crazy month for me - I passed the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) exam on May 17th, and received my diplomate certificate from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) a few weeks later. I was also fortunate enough to walk at the Arizona State University College of Environmental Technology and Innovation graduation ceremony for my Master of Science in Technology - Environmental Technology Management degree.

And if that wasn't enough, I also published a book review on Jordan Tama's National Security Reform: How Commissions Can Drive Change During Crises in the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (JHSEM) in May.

I am working on an article with two of my professors from Arizona State University about my graduate research on hospital compliance with the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). It should be finished in a few weeks and then it goes to JHSEM for review.
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Caution: Corrosives ... No, really?

In the vein of chemical safety (and corrosion!), I found these photos from one of the surveys I conducted at a local hospital for my CFATS research.

I loved this picture because there are so many things wrong with it!

This was next to several cooling towers. No one from the Facilities Department seemed to have a problem with the cabinet. :)




When I asked the safety coordinators from many hospitals in the Phoenix area about CFATS and their compliance level, I got a bunch of blank stares and hedging. So I decided to make it my graduate thesis research.
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This is the base of the Caution: Corrosives cabinet.

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The Facilities Department said that there wasn't anything in the cabinet, but I didn't have the proper personal protective equipment with me to check. It was also outside the scope of my survey.

I presented the results of my research to the American Society of Safety Engineers - Arizona Chapter Healthcare Section in 2010.

I look forward to sharing the link to my upcoming article when it is published by JHSEM.

Next week I plan to post about heat stress, since it is ~ 107 degrees Fahrenheit here in the sunny Southwest.