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IN THIS ISSUE:
· PFOA Shouldn't Cause Alarm, DuPont Says
· CSB Wants BP, Contractor to Revise Procedures
· Scott's Corner
· Gov't to Keep Federal Workers Safe
· Save Big With Coastal's Year-End Special!
· Drug-Free Work Week
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November 1, 2006
Volume 4, Number 21 |
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PFOA SHOULDN’T CAUSE ALARM, DUPONT SAYS
Study finds no increased risk of mortality
PFOA exposure does not increase worker mortality, concludes a new study by DuPont.
The study, which was conducted by DuPont epidemiologists and reviewed by an external board of scientists, examined the occupations of 6,027 people who had worked at DuPont's Washington Works plant between 1948 until the end of 2002. It also examined the causes of death for those who had died over the 54-year period and compared the mortality rates to those found in three groups: other DuPont workers, West Virginia residents and members of the general population.
The results, released Oct. 17, showed lower mortality rates for the Washington Works employees than those found in both West Virginia and the U.S. general population. They also were consistent with mortality rates in comparable workers from other DuPont plants.
"If health effects were associated with PFOA exposure, they almost certainly would be more prevalent among employees who are occupationally exposed to the compound or who handle it regularly," said Sol Sax, chief medical officer for DuPont. "Consequently, the study's observations about worker mortality can be useful in understanding exposure effects on both industrial and lay populations." |
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In 2004, DuPont agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by Ohio and West Virginia residents who contended releases of PFOA from a plant in West Virginia contaminated supplies of drinking water.
A second, similar case involving additional West Virginia claimants is now pending. |
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CSB WANTS BP, CONTRACTOR TO REVISE PROCEDURES
Board issues recommendations following July fire
Based on its investigation of the July 28, 2005, hydrogen fire at a BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, the Chemical Safety Board in October issued a safety bulletin and new safety recommendations.
The fire started when a piping elbow in the resid hydrotreat unit failed, releasing highly flammable hydrogen gas, which ignited. A huge fireball erupted and a fire burned for approximately two hours.
Five months prior to the fire, the unit was shut down for routine scheduled maintenance. During maintenance, contractor JV Industrial Co. inadvertently switched the positions of the carbon steel elbow with one of the alloy steel elbows, placing a carbon steel elbow on the outlet side of the heat exchanger where it would be continuously exposed to high-temperature hydrogen. BP had not informed the maintenance contractor that the elbows were not interchangeable.
In its formal safety recommendations, the board urged BP to revise its maintenance program to include materials testing or verification of all alloy steel piping components and to inform work crews of material handling precautions.
The board also recommended JV Industrial Co. update its piping component installation procedures to require material identification for components removed during maintenance to ensure they are reinstalled in the correct locations. |
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The fire occurred four months after the highly publicized explosion in the refinery’s isomerization unit that killed 15 workers and injured 180.
Click here for more information. |
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SCOTT'S CORNER
A message from E. Scott Geller, Ph.D.
Nurture Your Heroes
Some people have a "talent," you might say, for contributing to your safety processes. How do you find and support that talent in order to sustain your safety efforts?
- Pay attention. It's critical to carefully observe ongoing behavior and actively listen to ongoing conversations. Then you might be able to discover employees' competencies.
- Play up strengths. Help people find what safety assignments they like to do and are good at doing. Then provide training, experiences and feedback to hone their skills.
- Offer support. When you find the right individual for a particular safety job, look for ways to keep that person committed and positive. Don't be too quick to promote them to another role. Make them feel like a hero for their contributions.
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Click here or call
1-888-201-1150 to learn more about the next evolution in safety... People-Based Safety™.
Click here to visit the People-Based Safety™ blog!
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GOV'T TO KEEP FEDERAL WORKERS SAFE
President extends initiative by three years
President Bush has extended for three years the federal government's initiative to reduce occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities within its ranks.
Originally launched in 2004 and scheduled to run for three years, the Department of Labor's Safety, Health and Return-to-Employment initiative established four workplace safety and health goals for federal employees:
- Lower total injury and illness case rates.
- Lower case rates for lost time injuries and illnesses.
- Improved timely reporting of injuries and illnesses.
- Reduced rates of lost production days due to work-related injuries and illnesses.
In extending the initiative through 2009, Bush challenged executive branch agencies to "establish more ambitious performance targets" than the minimum goals established under the initiative. |
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According to the Department of Labor, the federal government is on track to exceed all four of these goals for the first time since the start of the initiative. |
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SAVE BIG WITH COASTAL'S YEAR-END SPECIAL!
From now until 12/29/06, save more than 50% on all Coastal DVDs, videos and Clarity CD-ROMs:
Buy any 5 for $1,195*! Buy any 10 for $1,995*!
Plus, new customers can save 25% on 12 months of ClarityNet courseware and the server set-up fee if purchased by 11/30/06*! It's just like getting three months free!
Update your training library and save more than 50% with Coastal's Year-End Special! This offer expires 12/29/06, so click here to order your FREE 7-day previews today!
*Coastal's Year-End Special may not be combined with any other offer and is not valid on previous purchases. Applies to Coastal-produced Safety & Environmental programs only. Offer expires 12/29/06. |
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Click here to take advantage of Coastal's Year-End Special and order your FREE 7-day previews! |
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DRUG-FREE WORK WEEK
Ways to promote healthier workplace highlighted
Oct. 16-22 was the first ever Drug-Free Work Week, sponsored by the Department of Labor. Its purpose was to educate employers, employees and the general public about the importance of being drug free as a way to improve workplace safety and health, and to encourage workers with alcohol and drug problems to seek help.
Want to build a healthier workplace? Here are a few tips from the Department of Labor:
- Implement a drug-free workplace program, then promote it.
- Remind employees about the availability of Employee Assistance Programs.
- Offer health screenings.
- Publicize available community treatment resources.
- Train supervisors to understand company policy, to deal with workers who have performance problems that could be related to substance abuse, and how to refer employees to available assistance.
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Click here for more information about promoting a drug-free environment. |
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