Manufacturing

Washington – NIOSH has developed a sound level meter mobile app designed to measure noise exposure in the workplace.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing bans on certain uses of the chemicals trichloroethylene and methylene chloride, and is asking for input on whether to restrict use of N-Methylpyrrolidone, also known as NMP.

Villejuif, France – Occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene may increase the risk of head and neck cancer in women, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the journal BMJ Open.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency is offering a blueprint for prioritizing and evaluating chemicals that may pose risks to workers and other individuals.

Washington – OSHA has issued a final rule lowering occupational exposure limits for beryllium. The standards apply to general industry, construction and shipyards.

Washington – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied OSHA’s petitions for a rehearing and rehearing en banc of the court’s ruling that the agency failed to follow federal rulemaking requirements when it used a memorandum to announce a revised definition of retail facilities exempt from the Process Safety Management Standard.

St. Louis – Prolonged exposure to fumes from the chemical element manganese may put welders at risk for developing symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study from the Washington University School of Medicine.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized amendments to its Risk Management Program rule in an effort to improve chemical process safety and keep first responders safer.

Although nobody can say for certain when the next revision to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard will take place, the agency hosted a meeting in November to gather stakeholder feedback on efforts to align the standard with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

Olympia, WA – The Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention Program at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has released six industry-specific checklists and summary reports aimed at helping employers identify risk factors that may contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.