Free Webinar - The Top NFPA 70E 2018 Changes Worth Discussing

November 08, 2018 2:00pm EST Electrical equipment and electrical safety devices are constantly being changed and improved, hence why your electrical safety program must address those changes. The NFPA 70E Committee addresses these changes and updates the standard every three years as part of keeping up with current technology and safety concerns. This is a standard not only used by facility managers and safety officers, but also by OSHA inspectors, continually educating them on existing trends in electrical safety. In this webinar, we will go over the top 2018 NFPA 70E updates worth discussing. What You Will Gain from Our Webinar: Understanding of what changes were made to NFPA 70E How changes will affect my company How do I implement these changes? When do these changes take effect?

Speaker

David Weszely Safety and Training Manager Lewellyn About David Weszely David is the Safety and Training Manager at Lewellyn Technology and has been with the company for 6 years. He provides vision, leadership, safety training, and technical expertise in areas of workplace safety including electrical safety program development. He also advises management on loss control and risk reduction strategies.  Register Now

WWF report reveals a 60% decline in wildlife populations since 1970

 

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released its latest Living Planet Report, an assessment of the health of our planet, and paints a rather grim picture of the damage caused by humanity's growing footprint on Earth.

.. Continue Reading WWF report reveals a 60% decline in wildlife populations since 1970

Fact sheet outlines questions for employers to consider before making naloxone available at work

WASHINGTON – Opioid misuse and overdose deaths are a public health crisis affecting the nation, including workplaces. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announces a new resource for employers and workers dealing with the opioid crisis. The new factsheet, Using Naloxone to Reverse Opioid Overdose in the Workplace: Information for Employers and Workers at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2019-101/default.html¸ is a resource for workplaces that are considering implementing a naloxone program.

Naloxone is a drug that can reverse many of the life-threatening effects of overdoses from opioids. As the opioid crisis continues, employers and workers are confronting overdose situations at the workplace. Workers, clients, customers, and visitors may be at risk of an opioid overdose in a workplace. This factsheet provides a series of steps for employers to consider when deciding if their workplace should establish a naloxone program, making the overdose reversal medication available in the event of an overdose.

 

According to 2017 data from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, on average 115 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. Workplaces are increasingly becoming sites where overdoses are occurring, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics finding that between 2013 and 2016, overdose deaths at work from non-medical use of drugs and alcohol increased by at least 38% annually.

"With overdose events increasing in the workplace, having naloxone available can provide a tool that workplaces can use, along with first aid measures to support breathing, to provide aide in the event of an opioid overdose while waiting on first responders to arrive on the scene," said NIOSH Director John Howard, MD. "NIOSH developed this factsheet to help employers decide if having naloxone available is right for their workplace."

The NIOSH factsheet provides an overview of opioids and naloxone. It also gives employers and workers a series of questions to consider when looking at whether a naloxone program in their workplace is appropriate, as well as information about resources needed to implement and maintain such a program.

NIOSH developed this resource as part of its broader effort to confront the opioid crisis. The NIOSH framework at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/opioids/framework.html, which is NIOSH's plan to fight the opioid crisis from an occupational perspective, includes providing resources for workers, employers, and occupational safety and health professionals to learn more about the opioid crisis including data, field investigations, and research, as well as tools to help.

The NIOSH effort is part of the larger response by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which outlined a 5-point strategy to combat the crisis, including improving prevention, data collection, and research.

NIOSH is the federal institute that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. For more information about NIOSH, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/.

CSB Releases "Call to Action" on Combustible Dust Hazards

From: DCHAS Membership Chair   

Washington, D.C., October 24, 2018 -  the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, as part of its investigation into the May 2017 Didion Mill explosion, issued "Call to Action: Combustible Dust" to gather comments on the management and control of combustible dust from companies, regulators, inspectors, safety training providers, researchers, unions, and the workers affected by dust-related hazards.

"Our dust investigations have identified the understanding of dust hazards and the ability to determine a safe dust level in the work place as common challenges," said CSB Interim Executive Kristen Kulinowski. "While there is a shared understanding of the hazards of dust, our investigations have found that efforts to manage those hazards have often failed to prevent a catastrophic explosion. To uncover why that is, we are initiating this Call to Action to gather insights and feedback from those most directly involved with combustible dust hazards."

This initiative asks for information from all individuals and entities involved in the safe conduct of work within inherently dust-producing environments at risk for dust explosions. The agency seeks input on a variety of complex issues, including: recognizing and measuring "unsafe" levels of dust in the workplace, managing responsibilities and expectations that sometimes are at odds with each other (e.g., performing mechanical integrity preventative maintenance while simultaneously striving to minimize dust releases in the work environment), and the methods for communicating the low-frequency but high-consequence hazards of combustible dust in actionable terms for those working and overseeing these environments. A full list of questions can be found HERE.

Comments can be emailed to combustibledust(at)csb.gov now until November 26, 2018. The CSB will use the information provided to explore new opportunities for safety improvements.

Dust incidents continue to impact a wide swath of industries. In 2006, the CSB identified 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005. One hundred and nineteen workers were fatally injured, 718 more were hurt, and industrial facilities were extensively damaged. The incidents occurred in 44 states, in many different industries, and involved a variety of different materials.

Since the publication of the study in 2006, the CSB has confirmed an additional 105 combustible dust incidents and conducted in-depth investigations of five, including most recently the Didion Milling dust explosion in Cambria, Wisconsin, that fatally injured five workers and demolished the milling facility.

The CSB has issued four recommendations to OSHA calling for the issuance of a comprehensive general industry standard for combustible dust, and combustible dust safety is on the agency's Drivers of Critical Chemical Safety Change list. To date, there is no general industry standard.

CSB Investigator Cheryl MacKenzie said, "Our investigation of the Didion incident continues and we are analyzing evidence to understand the specifics leading up to the tragic event. However, this investigation reinforces what we are seeing across many industries—that there needs to be a more inclusive approach to creating and maintaining a safe work environment amid processes that inherently produce dust."

The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency whose mission is to drive chemical safety change through independent investigations to protect people and the environment. The agency's board members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical incidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. For more information, contact public(at)csb.gov.

EPA Webcast: Building Resilience in Partnership with Vulnerable Communities

A Watershed Academy Webcast

The ability of a community to respond, recover, and bounce back from increased risk to local waters from extreme weather and natural disasters is not equally distributed. Environmental justice recognizes that some communities experience higher exposure to local water pollution and degraded local waterways on top of other social factors that increase vulnerability. 

Join us for this webinar that will look at the environmental justice factors contributing to vulnerability and examples of how EPA and its partner programs have effectively worked to help build resilience with vulnerable communities. We will also explore how the Urban Water Partnership model can build more resilient networks.

You must register in advance to attend this webcast. Register at the Watershed Academy Webcast website at 

http://www.epa.gov/watershedacademy/watershed-academy-webcast-seminars. 

When?

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Two-Hour Audio Web Broadcast

EST: 1pm – 2:30pm

CST: 12pm – 1:30pm

MST: 11am – 12:30pm

PST: 10am – 11:30am

Speakers:

• Brenda Torres, Executive Director of the San Juan Bay National Estuary Program
• Roberta Swann, Director of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
• Melissa Deas, Climate Program Analyst, Urban Sustainability Administration; DC Department of Energy and Environment

Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance.

Participants are encouraged to download them prior to the webcast.  

The Webcast presentations are posted in advance at

http://www.epa.gov/watershedacademy/watershed-academy-webcast-seminars

The Watershed Academy:

The Watershed Academy is a focal point in EPA's Office of Water for providing training and information on implementing watershed approaches. The Academy self-paced training modules and webcast seminars provide current information from national experts across a broad range of watershed topics. For more information, please visit www.epa.gov/watershedacademy.

Farewell to the GREAT Gary Greenberg...he will be missed.

I am sad to announce that Gary Greenberg, has passed away. 

Gary has been a part of Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics since the early 90's.

I can not speak highly enough of Mr. Greenberg as a person.

He gave his all to help others...what more could this world ask.

Gary Greenberg, MD.  was a ferocious advocate for healthcare for all, and especially for the underserved, Gary exemplified all that is good in this world. 

He cared deeply for each and every one of his patients, students, colleagues and staff. He is already sorely missed and we will remember him forever.

Please share a story about Gary in the Tribute section for family, friends and colleagues to read at:

https://www.forevermissed.com/gary-greenberg/

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Gary's favorite healthcare access project - Urban Ministries of Wake County https://urbanmin.org/donate/ 

Thank you.

-Christopher Haase

Canada is "High"....giving employers impossible enforcement task with impaired workforce

On Tuesday morning, WorkSafeBC sent out a news release reminding employers that they must not allow anyone who is impaired to do work that could endanger a co-worker or anyone else.

Great advice. But how does an employer do that when there is no good test for impairment and

 "Health Canada says that in the normal course a person can expect to experience the effects of cannabis after 24 hours after the use of cannabis."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4864746

Canada's bold and unprecedented legalization of cannabis is a mess.

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/daphne-bramham-canada-steps-off-the-precipice-and-into-legalization/

EPA " found dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside than outside

EPA's Office of Research and Development's "Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) Study" found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside, regardless of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial areas. TEAM studies indicated that while people are using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose themselves and others to very high pollutant levels, and elevated concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is completed.

Sources of VOCs

Household products, including:

• paints, paint strippers and other solvents
• wood preservatives
• aerosol sprays
• cleansers and disinfectants
• moth repellents and air fresheners
• stored fuels and automotive products
• hobby supplies
• dry-cleaned clothing
• pesticide

Other products, including:

• building materials and furnishings
• office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper
• graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers and photographic solutions.

Health effects may include:

• Eye, nose and throat irritation
• Headaches, loss of coordination and nausea
• Damage to liver, kidney and central nervous system
• Some organics can cause cancer in animals, some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.

Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include:

• conjunctival irritation
• nose and throat discomfort
• headache
• allergic skin reaction
• dyspnea
• declines in serum cholinesterase levels
• nausea
• emesis
• epistaxis
• fatigue
• dizziness

The ability of organic chemicals to cause health effects varies greatly from those that are highly toxic, to those with no known health effect.

As with other pollutants, the extent and nature of the health effect will depend on many factors including level of exposure and length of time exposed. Among the immediate symptoms that some people have experienced soon after exposure to some organics include:

• Eye and respiratory tract irritation
• headaches
• dizziness
• visual disorders and memory impairment

At present, not much is known about what health effects occur from the levels of organics usually found in homes.

• Search EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
  • A compilation of electronic reports on specific substances found in the environment and their potential to cause human health effects
• EPA's Office of Drinking Water Regulations
  • List of Contaminants and their MCLs: Organic Chemicals
• U.S. Geology Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program
  • Information on VOCs in Water Sources

Read full at:

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality

U.S. military is exploring the possibility of deploying insects to make plants more resilient by altering their genes.

Phys.Org: A research arm of the U.S. military is exploring the possibility of deploying insects to make plants more resilient by altering their genes. Some experts say the work may be seen as a potential biological weapon. In an opinion paper published Thursday in the journal Science, the authors say the U.S. needs to provide greater justification for the peace-time purpose of its Insect Allies project to avoid being perceived as hostile to other countries. Other experts expressed ethical and security concerns with the research, which seeks to transmit protective traits to crops already growing in the field. That would mark a departure from the current widely used procedure of genetically modifying seeds for crops such as corn and soy, before they grow into plants. The military research agency says its goal is to protect the nation's food supply from threats like drought, crop disease and bioterrorism by using insects to infect plants with viruses that protect against such dangers. The State Department said the project is for peaceful purposes and does not violate the Biological Weapons Convention. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said its scientists are part of the research, which is being conducted in contained labs. The technology could work in different ways. In the first phase, aphids -- tiny bugs that feed by sucking sap from plants -- infected plants with a virus that temporarily brought about a trait. But researchers are also trying to see if viruses can alter the plant's genes themselves to be resistant to dangers throughout the plant's life.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Consumer Reports’ testing shows concerning levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead in many popular baby and toddler foods

ConsumerReports:

A recent study in the journal Lancet Public Health suggests that low
levels of lead from food and other sources contribute to about 400,000
deaths each year, more than half of them from cardiovascular disease.
Getting too much methylmercury can cause nerve damage, muscle
weakness, lack of coordination, and impaired vision and hearing. And
over time, cadmium exposure can lead to kidney, bone, and lung
diseases.
(http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30025-2/fulltext)

"And annual sales of baby food now top $53 billion and are projected
to reach more than $76 billion by 2021, according to Zion Market
Research.

Our tests had some troubling findings:
• Every product had measurable levels of at least one of these heavy
metals: cadmium, inorganic arsenic, or lead.

• About two-thirds (68 percent) had worrisome levels of at least one
heavy metal."

...Exposure to even small amounts of these heavy metals at an early
age may increase the risk of several health problems, especially lower
IQ and behavior problems, and have been linked to autism and attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder.

"The effects of early exposure to heavy metals can have long-lasting
impacts that may be impossible to reverse," says Victor Villarreal,
Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of educational
psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio who has
researched the effects of heavy metals on childhood development.

Exposure to inorganic arsenic may also affect IQ, according to a
recent Columbia University study of third- through fifth-graders in
Maine. Students who had been exposed to arsenic in drinking water had
IQ levels 5 to 6 points lower, on average, than students who had not
been exposed.

Long-Term Risks
The risks from heavy metals grow over time, in part because they
accumulate in the kidneys and other internal organs.

"These toxins can remain in your body for years," says Tunde Akinleye,
a chemist in Consumer Reports' Food Safety Division who led our
testing. Regularly consuming even small amounts over a long period of
time may raise the risk of bladder, lung, and skin cancer; cognitive
and reproductive problems; and type 2 diabetes, among other
conditions.

And research has shown that even in adults, frequent, consistent
exposure to low levels of heavy metals can contribute to other serious
health problems.





Read full at:
https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/heavy-metals-in-baby-food/

New Tool Measures Effectiveness of Workplace Safety and Health Programs

NIOSH: As more organizations offer increasingly comprehensive programs for workplace safety and health, researchers and organizations alike look for the best examples and tools to measure their effectiveness. With so many programs available, how do organizations know which one is best?

Through a NIOSH-funded study at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, scientists designed a new tool to help, according to research published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The Workplace Integrated Safety and Health (WISH) Assessment measures policies, programs, and practices that promote worker safety, health, and well-being.

The WISH Assessment is an expansion of a previous measurement tool, developed by the same researchers in this study. The scientists created this latest assessment tool based on an extensive review of published literature on workplace wellness programs, repeated cognitive testing, and semi-structured interviews. They tested and revised the WISH Assessment to ensure that its elements were clearly understood and effectively measured the intended concepts.

The researchers finalized the tool after identifying six factors for protecting and promoting worker safety, health, and well-being: 1) leadership commitment; 2) participation; 3) policies, programs, and practices that foster supportive working conditions; 4) comprehensive and collaborative strategies; 5) adherence to federal and state regulations and ethical norms; and 6) regular evaluations that guide safety, health, and well-being activities.

Next steps include additional testing on the WISH Assessment to validate the tool across multiple samples, and designing and testing a scoring system that organizations can use. Harvard researchers plan to use the WISH Assessment in a future study focused on the association between Total Worker Health® approaches and quality-of-care outcomes in 500 nursing homes. Ultimately, the WISH Assessment could help direct priorities among organizations, guiding research in workplace policies, programs, and practices to improve worker well-being.

More information is available:

• Measuring Best Practices for Workplace Safety, Health, and Well-Being: The Workplace Integrated Safety and Health Assessment
• NIOSH Total Worker Health® Program
• NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Programs: NIOSH Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health®
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Center for Work, Health, & Well-being

Job Design Linked to Participation in Workplace Wellness Programs

NIOSH: Workplace wellness programs often offer an array of health-improvement activities, including courses to quit smoking, exercise or physical fitness classes, nutrition or stress management education, and ergonomic testing of work conditions and equipment. In 2017, 39% of private industry workers and 63% of state and local government workers had access to such programs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, access does not always mean that employees use these programs.

To understand obstacles to use, NIOSH-funded researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Connecticut explored six different factors. These included job demand, job control, social interactions, leadership, role expectations, and predictability at work. They used surveys, interviews, and focus groups to identify which factors affected participation in workplace wellness programs among 343 employees at a public university in New York.

Of the six factors, job control was the most likely to improve participation in workplace wellness programs, followed by social interactions and then job demand, according to the study published in the Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health. Job control refers to the freedom to choose when and how to complete work. This can include providing flexibility to make time for doctor's appointments, exercising, or meeting with a nutritionist without worrying about work schedules. Social interactions include support from coworkers and management, which reflects employees' satisfaction with their relationship with their supervisors. This supervisor-employee relationship was found to play a critical role in employee participation in workplace wellness programs.

Job demand is defined as the worker's perception of the job's physical and mental demands. Study participants with either low or high levels of job demand reported increased participation in workplace wellness programs. Researchers found that workers with increased job demands participated in these programs to relieve stress.

These findings suggest that successful workplace wellness programs should also address the way jobs are designed to remove any barriers to participation, especially offering flexible work hours and supervisory support.

More information is available:

• Interactive Effects of Work Psychosocial Factors on Participation in Workplace Wellness Programs
• Workplace Psychosocial Environment and Employees' Health Behavior: More Evidence to Support the Link
• NIOSH Total Worker Health® Program
• NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Programs: NIOSH Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health®
• Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace

Exposure to Flame Retardants in Foam Found among Gymnastics Coaches

NIOSH investigators measured gymnastic coaches' exposure to 22 flame retardants in four gymnastics studios, at the request of the owner who expressed concern about foam blocks. First, investigators showed coaches how to wipe their hands using hand wipes. After the coaches wiped their hands, investigators sent the wipes to a laboratory for testing. Investigators collected the hand wipe samples before and after the gymnastics studios cleaned their facilities and replaced old foam blocks with new ones labeled as free of PBDEs and other flame retardants.

The investigators collected hand wipes from 20 coaches before the foam was replaced and from 18 coaches after the foam was replaced. Hand wipes were collected at the beginning and end of one shift. To look at how flame retardants might be distributed in dust deposits on windows, investigators wiped window surfaces, both inside the gyms and in other areas such as offices. Finally, they measured the levels of flame retardants in both the old and new replacement foam blocks.

When compared with the wipes taken before a work shift, post-work hand wipes showed significantly greater levels of 9 out of 13 flame retardants measured, according to the paper published in the journal Environment International. However, these across-shift increases were smaller after the studios cleaned the gymnastics studios and replaced the foam blocks with blocks certified as PBDE-free.

Measurements of 3 of the 13 flame retardants were significantly higher on windows in the gymnastics areas as compared with those in other areas, suggesting the potential for airborne exposure. The three highest levels of flame retardants found on gymnastics area windows were also found in the old foam blocks. Although the study found no PBDEs in the new blocks, it did find several other common flame retardants, highlighting the challenges of identifying chemicals in new products.

The health effects associated with flame retardant exposures are not yet well understood. While research on the potential health effects is being done, the authors recommended ways that employees and employers can minimize gymnastics coaches' airborne and skin exposure to flame retardant:

1. Review the foam safety data sheet information or contact the manufacturer about flame retardant content before purchasing new foam equipment, even if the foam is certified as flame-retardant free.
2. Purchase new foam products that contain little or no flame retardants.
3. Improve housekeeping practices, including using personal protective equipment during cleaning.

The study took place in 2014 and 2015 as part of the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation program. This free program, available upon request, provides information about possible work-related health hazards to workers, employers, and unions.

More information is available:

• Occupational Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Other Flame Retardant Foam Additives at Gymnastics Studios: Before, During and After the Replacement of Pit Foam with PBDE-free Foams
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Bromine
• NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation
  

NIOSH: Controlled Fire Study Finds High Levels of Airborne Chemicals

NIOSH: What do plastic, polyester, and foam have in common? They are synthetic materials found throughout most modern homes in everything from toys to furniture to appliances. Unlike wood, cotton, and other natural materials, synthetic mat­erials are made in laboratories through chemical processes.

During a fire, these chemicals can burn hotter and faster, and produce more toxic smoke than natural materials. Evidence suggests that work-related exposure to these toxicants among firefighters corresponds to an increased risk of acute cardiovascular events and cancer.

To understand the risk of exposure from residential firefighting, NIOSH investigators and university and industry partners measured hazardous air emissions during different stages of firefighting. The investigators set 12 separate fires in safe and controlled settings to simulate residential firefighting conditions. This included furnishing the structures with modern fixtures. Six of the fires involved firefighters entering through the front door of the building to extinguish the fire. The others involved firefighters first dousing the fire through a bedroom window before entering through the front door.

Investigators then collected air samples for several chemicals, including benzene and other volatile organic compounds, poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and hydrogen cyanide. For comparison, they tested air from three areas: 1) inside the structure during active fire; 2) inside the structure after fire suppression, also known as overhaul, when firefighters search for and extinguish any smoldering items; and 3) outside the structure near exterior crew-members like the incident commander. In addition, they took personal air measurements associated with job types in all three areas: fire attack, victim search, overhaul, outside ventilation (help vent smoke from structure), and command/pump operator tasks.

In general, median personal air measurements collected from interior crew-members were substantially higher than the recommended exposure limits for short-term exposure for the chemicals measured. Significant differences occurred by job type, with search and attack exhibiting the highest levels of chemical exposure. The maximum levels recorded for hydrogen cyanide for firefighters assigned to attack, search, and outside ventilation were higher than levels considered immediately dangerous to life and health. Outside ventilation crews may not always wear respiratory protection and as a result could breathe in the chemicals that were measured. Even though search and attack firefighters wear self-contained breathing apparatus to protect their lungs, exposure could also occur via the skin, either through direct contact or when removing contaminated gear after the fire.

Area air measurements also showed that the median amount of several chemicals tested was higher than recommended short-term exposure limits. Even in the area outside the burning structure, where workers like the incident commander typically do not wear respiratory protection, area air measurements downwind of the fire were higher than naturally occurring levels. These results highlight the importance of wearing self-contained breathing apparatus, even when firefighters are assigned to post-fire suppression jobs or exterior operations. They also show the need for establishing command centers upwind of a fire or, if that is impossible, wearing self-contained breathing apparatus for protection against airborne chemicals, according to the study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.

More information is available:

• Airborne Contaminants during Controlled Residential Fires
• NIOSH Fire Fighter Resources
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Hydrogen Cyanide
• Cardiovascular & Chemical Exposure Risks in Today's Fire Service

Banned or severely restricted drugs appearing in the U.S. meat supply more often than was previously known.

ConsumerReports: Ketamine, a hallucinogenic party drug and
experimental antidepressant. Phenylbutazone, an anti-inflammatory
deemed too risky for human use. Chloramphenicol, a powerful antibiotic
linked to potentially deadly anemia.

All these drugs are prohibited in beef, poultry, and pork consumed in
the U.S. Yet government data obtained by Consumer Reports suggest that
trace amounts of these and other banned or severely restricted drugs
may appear in the U.S. meat supply more often than was previously
known.

The data—as well as Consumer Reports' review of other government
documents and interviews with farmers, industry experts, government
officials, and medical professionals—raise serious concerns about the
safeguards put in place to protect the U.S. meat supply.

These concerns start with how poultry, cattle, and pigs are raised in
this country. And they include questions about how the federal
government tests meat from these animals, and how it investigates and
enforces potential violations.

The data come from the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and
Inspection Service, the agency tasked with ensuring the safety of the
U.S. meat supply. Emilio Esteban, Ph.D., chief scientist for the FSIS,
says that the results should be discounted because they came from
unconfirmed screening tests.

Indeed, much remains uncertain about the test results. For one, it's
not always clear how the drugs end up in meat, though experts have
ideas, including contaminated feed and intentional misuse. There are
also questions about whether the amounts of drug residue found in the
samples pose risks to humans, in part because little research has been
done to investigate that possibility.

Still, CR's food safety scientists, and other experts we consulted,
say the results are meaningful and concerning.

"These results are credible enough that you would expect the
government to take the warning signs seriously," says James E. Rogers,
Ph.D., who was a microbiologist at the FSIS for 13 years before
becoming director of food safety research and testing at Consumer
Reports. "You would hope the results would prompt the agency to look
into why these drugs may be present, what risks they could pose, and
what could be done to protect consumers."

Source:
https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/are-banned-drugs-in-your-meat/