When Things Heat Up
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analyzed Chemical Reporting Data (1) gathered from 5,237 sites for the 2020 reporting cycle. The most recent round of data identified 8,649 chemicals used in various manufacturing sectors across the United States, including U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico. These sectors, classified by their three-digit North American Industry Classification System […]
An Explosive Legacy: Beryllium’s Hidden Health Hazards
A national survey conducted at the turn of the 20th century with journalists and the general public ranked the dropping of the atomic bomb and the end of World War II as the top news stories of the century.1 Research and development of the first atomic bomb, code name Manhattan Project, was a massive effort […]
All That Glitters
The aphorism “All that glitters is not gold” is a timeless piece of wisdom that continues to resonate across generations. While it’s commonly associated with William Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice” as “All that glisters is not gold,” the concept predates Shakespeare’s time and has been expressed in various forms throughout history. Vermiculite mined […]
Where There’s Smoke, There’s… PM
Last summer and fall, the Canadian wildfires caused many of us in the eastern portion of the United States to realize how far-reaching the impact of these devastating events can be. And just as we were literally starting to breathe a sigh of relief, those of us here in southwestern Virginia had a significant wildfire […]
Friday The 13th
Editor’s Note: We usually cover topics involving industrial hygiene with our regular articles, but with Friday the 13th upon us and Halloween just around the corner, we couldn’t resist the field of safety. F&R regularly performs safety consulting, and several staff members are certified as Certified Safety Professionals (CSPs). In May 2013, the multi-state Powerball […]
Hot Fun in the Summertime
If you weren’t around way back when that song was released, you might have heard it on a golden oldies station. Sly and the Family Stone released the single in the summer of 1969, and the song quickly rose on the Billboard charts to top out at #2 in October of that year. The lyrics […]
Get the Lead Out – New Regulations, That Is
If someone told you that lead was in the news again, your first thoughts would probably be of antiquated or failing municipal water systems, lead-tainted drinking water, and children under age six suffering health and developmental issues. These are valid concerns that face hundreds of municipalities across the United States. However, this lead news is […]
Industrial Hygiene – A History and the Changing Face of Exposure Limits
What is Industrial Hygiene? In our articles over the past few years, we have discussed many industrial hygiene topics, but until now we haven’t offered a definition of the term. According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), industrial hygiene is “that science and art devoted to the anticipation, […]
Mercurial Management
Virginia Implements Special Procedures for Mercury-Containing Urethane Floor Systems A change in the way Virginia manages polyurethane flooring is effective as of March 25, 2021. This type of flooring system, most commonly used in gymnasiums, is a seemingly innocuous component of many facilities; however, certain actions are required prior to continued occupancy and prior to […]
Virginia Business COVID-19 Standards Compliance
Ready Or Not It’s Time For Compliance… ….Compliance with 16VAC25-220, Emergency Temporary Standard Infectious Disease Prevention: SARS-CoV-2 Virus that causes COVID-19 adopted on July 15, 2020 by the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Program and the Virginia Safety & Health Codes Board. The Emergency Temporary Standard went into effect on July 27, 2020 when […]
Chipping Away at the Virus
Way back in 1979 during an OPEC induced oil crisis, gasoline prices soared at the pumps in the United States. Panic buying exacerbated the problem and soon there was not only an extreme gasoline price increase but a gasoline shortage as well. Marketing companies for automobile products took advantage of the situation and soon there […]
Helping Municipalities Address COVID-19
F&R IS ON THE CASE. F&R is working with the Montgomery County, Virginia Department of Social Services to confirm the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfecting work places where several employees have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease. As part of this response we are conducting on-site third party supervision to evaluate the cleaning and disinfecting process […]