The California Air Resources Board has certified as safe the first three dozen indoor air purifiers as part of its larger effort to rid the market of machines that pump large quantities of ozone into people's homes.
The agency adopted the regulation primarily because certain manufacturers were selling machines that deliberately pumped high levels of ozone - a known air contaminant - into occupied spaces.
The 34 models - produced by 3M, Hunter Fan, Honeywell by Kaz, Access Business Group, and Woonjin Coway (for General Electric) - are the first to be certified as compliant for sale in California.
"These models are safe for sustained indoor use," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "Consumers should be aware that distributors have until late 2010 to sell uncertified models. Some distributors are still pressing the absurd notion that ozone cleans the air and is safe for humans to breathe. Look for "ARB Certified" labels on packaging and know that certification means no harmful amounts of ozone."
The state legislature empowered ARB to act because some indoor air purifiers are capable of creating indoor ozone concentrations several times higher than the state's outdoor standard.
Ozone is the main constituent of smog, a threat to human health and the focus of decades of regulations aimed at reducing outdoor air pollution. Exposure to ozone can result in lung inflammation, impaired breathing, coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and worsening of asthma symptoms.
The regulation requires that by October 18, 2010, all portable air cleaners intended for California's market be tested, certified and labeled as meeting the state's electrical safety and ozone standards. State enforcement officers are empowered to hold manufacturers, suppliers and retailers accountable for assuring their products meet the requirements.
Honeywell/Kaz obtained the first certification for an air cleaner that uses ionizing technology. This process can unintentionally produce small amounts of ozone as a by-product of its electronics. If levels from a particular model are excessive, the problem is solved by adjusting its design. Though emissions from these machines are typically well below the regulation's limit, certification is required as an assurance for public safety.
All five companies also certified models that use filters to remove particles from the air. Models using this technology, which produces no ozone, need only pass the electrical safety test.
California to Propose 30 New Chemicals to Proposition 65 List
OEHHA is the lead agency for the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65).
Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals. The law imposes a wide array of labeling, posting and related safety requirements.
A public meeting on the proposal to add the additional chemicals will be held on, July 15, 2009 in the Auditorium of the Elihu Harris State Building, 1515 Clay Street, Oakland, California. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until all business has been conducted, or 5:00 p.m. The meeting will be available via audiocast. link will also be provided for the staff presentations.
Teen Summer Worker Safety Campaign: Prohibited and Hazardous Occupations Indianapolis
The Indiana Department of Labor (IDOL) has launched a Teen Worker Summer Safety Campaign. The campaign, aimed at educating and informing Hoosier employers, teens and parents on occupational safety and health hazards and Indiana’s Child Labor laws includes a series of informative bi-weekly press releases. Prohibited and hazardous occupations for teen workers are discussed in this series of the scheduled releases. Indiana Child Labor laws regulate the employment of minors ages 17 and younger.
These laws, enforced by the IDOL’s Bureau of Child Labor, establish specific requirements applicable to the employment of minors, including restrictions on the hours teenagers are permitted to work, types of establishments in which minors are prohibited from working and the types of jobs they are prohibited from performing. Prohibited Occupations Indiana Child Labor laws forbid the employment of minors 14 and 15 years of age in occupations deemed prohibited under the child labor provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Work permits may not be issued and employers must not employ minors ages 14 and 15 in the following occupations:
- Any manufacturing occupation
- Any mining occupation
- Processing occupations such as filleting of fish, dressing poultry, cracking nuts or laundering as performed by commercial laundries and dry cleaning (except in retail, food service or gasoline service establishment and under the restrictions provided for those establishments)
- Public messenger service
- Operation of tending of hoisting apparatus or of any power-driven machinery (other than office machines and certain machines in retail, food service
- Gasoline service establishments, and under the restrictions provided for those establishments),
- Any occupations found and declared to be hazardous by the U.S. Secretary of Labor
- Occupations in connection with:
- Transportation of persons or property by rail, highway, air on water, pipeline or other means
- Warehousing and storage
- Communications and public utilities
- Construction, including repair (except office or sales work in connection with these occupations when not performed on transportation media or at the actual construction site).
- Any of the following occupations in a retail, food service or gasoline establishment:
- Work performed in or about boiler or engine rooms
- Work in connection with maintenance or repair of the establishment, machines or equipment
- Outside window washing that involves working from window sills and all work requiring the use of ladders, scaffolds or their substitutes
- Cooking (limited exceptions) and baking
- Occupations which involve operating, setting up, adjusting, cleaning, oiling or repairing power-driven food slicers and grinders, food choppers and cutters and bakery-type mixers
Department of Labor Presents the Exceptional Service Impact Award to OSHA's Cathy Oliver
A 30-year tenure with one organization could be considered unlikely in today's organizations, but one OSHA employee has already met and surpassed the three decade mark.
Cathy Oliver, director of OSHA's Office of Partnerships and Recognition, began her career at OSHA in 1975 as a program analyst during the agency's early years of publishing new standards and conducting enforcement inspections. The cooperative programs she helped implement gained acceptance after demonstrating their effectiveness in helping businesses reduce worker injuries and illnesses.
Her commitment to OSHA's mission of promoting the safety and health of America's working men and women has earned her the U.S. Department of Labor's Exceptional Service Impact Award.
"I am proud of my collaboration with OSHA staff, labor and business leaders who have dedicated their talents to occupational safety and health. I am honored to accept this award and recognize that the true reward is knowing that my efforts have helped improve the safety of millions of American workers," said Oliver.
Oliver manages the agency's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), which recognize the efforts made by workers and their employers who have implemented exemplary workplace safety and health management systems. Oliver's use of creative strategies has enabled the program to grow to more than 2,000 participants with a potential impact on nearly 900,000 workers. VPP participants have experienced injury and illness rates more than 50 percent below Bureau of Labor Statistics industry averages.
In addition, Oliver assisted in the development and implementation of the OSHA Strategic Partnership Program that brings together management, labor and government to focus on specific hazards and employ safety and health management systems that address worker safety and health.
"More important than the number of years Cathy has served in this agency, is the influence she has had on making worker safety among the top priorities in America's workplaces," said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab. "I congratulate her on receiving this award and for the accomplishments she has achieved."
OSHA Recognizes Aker Construction Inc. for Workplace Safety and Health Success on Longview Power Project
OSHA has certified the Longview Power Project, managed by Aker Construction Inc., as a new star site, the highest in its prestigious Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).
OSHA Deputy Regional Administrator Edward Selker recognized the company at a special ceremony held today at the company's Maidsville facility.
"Since construction began on the Longview Power Project, Aker Construction has shown leadership in workplace safety and health by maintaining an injury and illness rate 59 percent below comparable industry rates," said Selker.
The Longview Power Project, located six miles north of Morgantown, W.Va., began in February 2007 and is scheduled for completion in 2011. The site covers more than 300 acres with about 1,800 workers expected to be onsite during peak construction. Once completed, the Longview plant will be capable of generating 695 megawatts of electricity through the burning of locally-mined coal.
More than 2,200 worksites representing some 270 industries nationwide have earned entry into OSHA's VPP. Requirements include a high degree of management commitment and employee involvement; a high-quality worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control program; and comprehensive safety and health training for all employees. Each of these elements must be effective, in place and in operation for at least one year before a company can apply to join the VPP. Companies in the VPP achieve average injury and illness rates 50 percent below the Bureau of Labor Statistics average for other companies in their respective industries.
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Buy or Use Energize Bullet or New Whey Liquid Products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to buy or use Hardcore Energize Bullet or New Whey liquid products sold in test tube-like vials due to suspected product tampering. The products are being recalled.
The suspected tampering involved a utility knife blade found in one vial of Hardcore Energize Bullet drink, manufactured in the United States and sold in Canada, and another blade in one vial of New Whey liquid products, manufactured and sold in the United States. No one is known to have been hurt.
Hardcore Energize Bullet and New Whey liquid products are manufactured by Protica Inc., of Whitehall, Pa. Protica is investigating this incident.
Hardcore Energize Bullet liquid products were distributed in Canada and are being recalled by iSatori Technologies of Golden, Colo. The liquid is packaged in 2.9 ounce clear, test-tube like vials and in two flavors, Blue Rage and Black Rush.
The affected lots for the Blue Rage liquid product are: 1961, 1962, and 1794. The affected lot for the Black Rush liquid product is 1963.
New Whey liquid products were distributed and are being recalled by IDS of Oviedo, Fla. and were sold at various retail stores. The liquid is packaged in 2.9 ounce clear, test-tube like vials and two flavors, New Whey Fruit Punch 25g and New Whey Blue Raspberry 42g.
The affected lot for the New Whey Fruit Punch liquid product is 1960. The affected lot for the New Whey Blue Raspberry liquid product is 1944.
The FDA advises consumers who may have purchased these products not to consume them.
Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report serious adverse effects or product quality problems with the use of Hardcore Energize Bullet and New Whey liquid products to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online, by regular mail, fax or phone.