Hurricanes, tropical storms, floods. Unfortunately many of us have witnessed the havoc and devastation that unwanted water causes to a building or home, not to mention the emotional stress left in the aftermath. But cumulative secondary damage conditions – including adverse health effects from being exposed to compromised indoor air quality and mold – can occur when stagnant water is not dealt with in a timely manner (typically 48 to 72 hours upon discovery). Delays in responding to water events can also cause    business interruption and deplete the goodwill of employees and occupants.

Whether the cause of damages is a one-time catastrophic event (i.e., hurricane) or an ongoing hidden slow leak, a moisture intrusion plan can be a vital tool to help reduce the overall risks and save time and money. Continue Reading →

Many health and safety professionals think of wearable technology in terms of “sensor” instrumentation – such as monitoring devices for body temperature or for sampling air contaminants. However, exoskeletons have elevated this technology to the level of human/robotics interaction. For many years, comic books and more recently Hollywood, have capitalized on these futuristic concepts (for example, The Avengers Iron Man^® series). But with the latest available technology, some of these uses are starting to become a reality. Continue Reading →

Legionella-related illnesses should be a concern for many businesses and facilities that have been closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we approach the warmer weather when demands of cooling and water consumption increase, the need for system maintenance is enhanced. So, we decided to re-visit the HETI Horizons we published in November 2018 on the need for Legionella Water Management Plans – updating it in light of the reopening and reoccupation of these facilities in the coming months. Continue Reading →

As we publish this edition of HETI Horizons, the world is in the midst of a global pandemic from COVID-19. Many aspects of daily life have changed. Terms such as “social distancing” and “self-quarantine” have become a part of our everyday lexicon. Another thing that has changed is the proliferation of retail, food service and other deemed essential workers wearing respiratory protection while interfacing with the general public.

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More than five years after being initially proposed, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) rule entitled “Management Standards for Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals and Amendment to the P075 Listing for Nicotine” was published in the Federal Register on February 22, 2019 ¹ and became effective August 21, 2019. It is codified in the federal regulations under 40 CFR 266, Subpart P (Subpart P).

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On June 26, 2019, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft perchlorate rule proposing a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 56 micrograms per liter (µg/L) for drinking water. Thousands of U.S. public water supply systems will experience increased administrative and monitoring costs once an MCL for perchlorate is finalized.

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More precious than emeralds? A metal that is lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel, beryllium is a critical material of vital importance to a plethora of modern technologies.

While studying the chemical composition of emeralds in 1798, French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin discovered the element beryllium. The metal was first isolated in 1828, revealing the interesting and useful properties of the silver-grey material. Beryllium is never found in its metallic elemental form in nature.

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Workplace wellness programs in various forms have been around since about the late 1970s. Many employers view these programs as an employee “benefit”. However, successful wellness programs have been found to be a factor in identifying and preventing chronic illnesses while also promoting a culture of  wellness in the workplace. The RAND report ¹, one of the first comprehensive research survey studies into the effectiveness of these programs, found in 2010 that about half of U.S. employers of 50 or more        employees had some sort of workplace wellness program. Most center around screening, chronic illness “intervention”, and disease prevention. Primary prevention includes “lifestyle management” (i.e., diet and exercise); secondary prevention includes chronic disease management (i.e., adherence to prescribed medications).

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Pesticides are substances or mixtures of substances intended for preventing, destroying or repelling an undesirable plant, animal or microorganism. Some of the most common pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and rodenticides. Over the centuries, naturally-occurring elements were used as pesticides; but starting in the 1930’s, chemical synthesis advances allowed for the development of synthetic pesticides. After World War II, several synthetic pesticides, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were introduced and used extensively in the agricultural environment. At that time, the development and  effectiveness of synthetic pesticides were so important that the chemist who developed DDT was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1948 for combating hunger. Pesticide development has progressed since those initial    discoveries; however exposure to this group of chemicals is still a significant hazard to humans. [Note: The use of DDT is now banned globally under the Stockholm Convention of 2001, because it persists in the environment and becomes concentrated in animals at the top of the food chain.] Continue Reading →

Combustible dust generation and accumulation should be considered a potentially serious hazard and a very significant threat to a great many industries and facilities. Excessive, improperly managed dust accumulations are literal powder kegs – readily capable of exploding and causing large-scale loss of life and catastrophic damages, including the destruction of entire buildings. According to a 2018 report by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, there were 105 combustible dust explosion incidents throughout the United States between 2006 and 2017 – resulting in 59 fatalities and 303 injuries along with extensive damage. In fact, there was a reported annual average of 28 dust explosion incidents, with 24 injuries and four fatalities over the past two years. In most of these incidents, employers and employees were unaware that a hazard even existed.

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