Tag Archives: air quality

General Safety Issues

TODAY IS EARTH DAY – ARE YOU DOING YOUR PART TO KEEP IT “GREEN?”

Origin of Earth Day

In the 1960s, there were many concerns about the awareness regarding the environment among Americans. During this period, U.S senator and environmentalist, Gaylord Nelson, tried to galvanize the conservation movement through the appropriate creation of a national celebration.

Nelson made many efforts in the Congress to pass legislation to protect the popular Appalachian Trail. He also tried to pass a legislation to ban the use of DDT. In order to organize the first Earth Day, Nelson sought some help from Denis Hayes, who was a graduate of Harvard University.

The first Earth Day was celebrated on 22nd April, 1970. It was specifically designed as an environmental awareness program. Its aim was to educate participants about the importance of conserving the environment. In 1990, Denis Hayes organized a global Earth Day. It was observed in more than 140 countries by 200 million persons. 

Every year on April 22, over a billion people in 190 countries take action for Earth Day. From San Francisco to San Juan, Beijing to Brussels, Moscow to Marrakesh, people plant trees, clean up their communities, contact their elected officials, and more—all on behalf of the environment.Like Earth Days of the past, Earth Day 2014 will focus on the unique environmental challenges of our time. As the world’s population migrates to cities, and as the bleak reality of climate change becomes increasingly clear, the need to create sustainable communities is more important than ever. Earth Day 2014 will seek to do just that through its global theme: Green Cities. With smart investments in sustainable technology, forward-thinking public policy, and an educated and active public, we can transform our cities and forge a sustainable future. Nothing is more powerful than the collective action of a billion people. 

Forty-four years ago, Earth Day began. Great strides have been made through technology by improving water quality, air quality, and recycling. We still have a long way to go, and if you haven’t done your part to make our earth a cleaner place, start today.

  • Dispose of old computers  through the correct channels, as the monitors contain materials that are very harmful.
  • There are ways to destroy personal information by use of shredders. Professional shredding companies contract with hospitals and other businesses to safely remove old paper records.
  • Ride a bike to work, or just simply for the exercise.
  • Teach your children to know the difference between recycling materials and those that we simply toss away.
  • Plastic bottles, plastic grocery sacks are hard on our environment; take reusable bags to the grocery stores,
  • Drink water from a glass rather than a plastic bottle. There are washable cups with lids that you can carry your coffee, tea, or water with you while away from the house.
  • Carry a sack with you when you go for a walk, and pick up debris that others have simply tossed aside.
  • Help keep our lakeshores clean.
  • Plant a tree.

There are so many ways each one of us can do our part, and those small tasks can help improve our little corner of the world.  If everyone would do the same, and businesses would make every effort to comply with environmental laws, what an even greater earth it would be!

For more ideas or to volunteer to help spread the word, check out the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.

Source:  Earth Day Network; Earth Day 2014

 

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Respiratory Safety

THERE’S MORE TO THE BEAUTY BUSINESS THAN MEETS THE EYE!

Beauty salons alone generate more than $60 billion in annual sales in the U.S. and employ about 1.5 million people.  It is reported that nail salons have experienced a nine per cent over-the-year growth rate, with cosmetology and barber schools the fastest growing industry in 2011.  Massage businesses are also popping up all over the country. 

As these industries grow, attention has increased about the risks for those who maintain American’s nail, hair, faces, and bodies.   Compliance Reports focus on the safety and health of massage and salon workers.  Even though their job tasks differ from other types of jobs, the familiar descriptions of other occupations apply: chemical exposure, ergonomics and hazards.  

Hair Straightener:  Headlines were made when it was discovered that some hair smoothing/straightening products may contain formaldehyde.  These products also may release formaldehyde at levels above OSHA’s permissible limits and could be mislabeled.  OSHA states that all three put workers at risk. 

Some of these products are advertised as formaldehyde-free and containing no harsh chemicals, and the Material Data Safety Sheets list no hazardous ingredients.  Stylists, however, reported symptoms similar to those of formaldehyde exposure, including burning nose, eyes, and throat, as well as respiratory problems.  These smoothing/straightening products may release formaldehyde at levels above OSHA’s permissible limits, and could be mislabeled.  All three put workers at risk. 

Here is a brief explanation of health effects of exposure to formaldehyde exposure:

Health Effects

Formaldehyde, a colorless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels (above 0.1 parts per million). High concentrations may trigger attacks in people with asthma. There is evidence that some people can develop a sensitivity to formaldehyde. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans.  Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions. May cause cancer. May also cause other effects listed under “organic gases.” 

This article is not intended to prevent anyone from working in a salon, or being a client.  Its’ purpose is to convey the risks involved for persons who choose this type of work, as in any other industry.

Tomorrow we will look at other occupational hazards in the beauty world: Nails and Massage

OSHA/US Environmental Protection Agency

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Respiratory Safety

OCTOBER IS “HEALTHY LUNG MONTH!”

The American Lung Association has declared October – “Healthy Lung Month.”  Because our lungs are a very important part of our respiratory system, we need to do all we can to keep them healthy.  Bacteria, viruses, tobacco smoke, air pollution, chemicals – any of those things that we breathe can damage the airways and threaten to cause the lungs to not work properly. 

The air we breathe affects us at home, school, work, or outdoors.  Because the environment is full of pollutants, the media even gives us warning of pollen counts and other breathing hazards on a daily basis.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (dictates standards to protect workers’ lungs), and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (researches and generates knowledge of work-related illness), all are working to educate and enforce the importance of safety issues such as air quality for America’s workforce. 

In the workplace, respirators are an important tool of personal protective equipment to aide workers who must breathe in pollutants such as dust, chemicals, gases, fumes, oil-based aerosols, asbestos, and other air-borne particulates.  Respirators are also used in healthcare settings, such as hospitals, and by EMS/EMT, fire and rescue, school healthcare, industrial and manufacturing industries. 

Dust masks are loose-fitting filters that fit over the nose and mouth, capturing dust on the outside while the wearer breathes in air.  Respirators will have NIOSH marked on the outside, meaning they have been tested and certified.  There are many types of designs and uses of respirators.  The type of respirator to be selected depends on the hazards of each particular setting.  There are an estimated five million workers in the U.S. that are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces in the United States. 

 There are more than 159,000 deaths in the U.S. per year from lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  Although smoking is thought to be the leading cause of lung cancer, those workers who wear respirators are better protected from airborne hazards – many of which have been known to cause cancer, lung impairment, asthma, and other diseases, or death.   Last year, because of the H1N1 virus, respirators were in high demand.  I know several persons who wear a respirator when they travel, to avoid catching a “bug.”

It is important that employers take the time to check the air quality of the environment their workers are in every day.  Respirators should be selected and tested on each worker for proper fit.  The choice must be based on the workplace contaminants, concentrations, and all other specific conditions.  All selections should be compliant with State, Federal, and Local regulations on workers safety including but not limited to OSHA regulations on respiratory protection (29CFR 1910.134.)  Some respirators are suited for environments free from oil-based contaminants.  Others are used for types of gases, fumes, oil-based aerosols, and asbestos. 

We need to start our children out with healthy lungs, by keeping our homes properly ventilated and smoke-free.  It’s harmful for children to have to ride in a car that is full of smoke.  Outdoor activities are important for kids and adults, too, so report any locations that may cause pollution in your neighborhood.  Next, we need to be sure that their schools have healthy atmospheres.  They should be built with adequate ventilation and be cleaned regularly.  School buses may contribute to air pollution. 

Focus on good health for you and your family.  Keeping your lungs nice and pink is a smart thing to do.  Too many times we need to stop and take a deep breath, and if your lungs aren’t in good shape, it’s hard to do.