Sept. 2014, Page 1 & SAFETY

In this issue:

CPR and First Aid Classes Available at 2 the Student Life Center

On the Lighter Side 2 The Large Questions About Health Impacts from Tiny Dear EH&S 2 Nanoparticles by Sandy Smith NIOSH Launches ―Buy Quiet‖ Initia- 3 With little industry-specific regula- Airborne nanoparticle sampling was reveals those same amazing, game- tion, some occupational health not performed at the company, and changing properties can be harmful tive specialists and researchers are con- therefore was not available to deter- to unprotected workers. They also cerned that nanomaterial manufac- mine the exposures of workers to raise a lot of questions about poten- Web Bytes 3 turers and downstream users have nanomaterials. tial health impacts. been operating like the Wild West, After returning to work following Currently, there are thousands of with many of them unaware or Did You Know? 4 some time off, the chemist experi- U.S. workers handing nanoparti- choosing to ignore the potential enced a return of the symptoms – cles, according to Journeay, and by dangers to workers handing parti- even when working in other parts 2020 there will be an estimated 6 Bringing Safety cles so small that 100 million nano- 4 of the building – so she went to see million workers handling nanopar- Home particles could fit on the head of a an occupational physician. The ticles worldwide with 2 million of pin. occupational physician spoke with them in the United States. What We‘re Work- A new study, which examines the the company doctor about the need 4 "The implementation of nanotech- ing On case of a chemist who formulated for further assessment and a change nology into the workplace poses a polymers and coatings and devel- in how the nanoparticles were being challenge for occupational risk oped symptoms related to the use of handled. assessment because of difficulty nickel nanoparticle powder, pro- Eventually, the chemist had to isolating exposures to specific types vides new insight into the use of move to another lab that had no of nanoparticles and determining nanomaterials and the impact the metal chemistry work and her symp- the presence or absence of nanopar- lack of personal protective equip- toms improved dramatically. ticle toxicity," Journeay and Gold- ment (PPE) or man noted in their study. could have for many nano workers. W. Shane Journeay, Ph.D., M.D. Department of and Rose H. Goldman, M.D., Workers may not know they are or The 26-year-old, non-smoking, fe- Environmental MPH, examined the case of the were exposed to nanomaterials until male chemist worked as a formula- Health & Safety chemist in a study published in the they suffer an adverse reaction, said tion chemist for 3 years in an indus- American Journal of Industrial Journeay. "The major difficulty is try involved with making metallic Medicine, "Occupational Handling lack of awareness of the differences inks for various applications. She Office: BSB D.111 of Nickel Nanoparticles: A Case in handling nanomaterials," he had no symptoms when doing work Report." noted. "Many of the nanomaterials that involved formulating polymers Phone: 710-2900 will be benign where others will be and making coatings, nor when As Journey and Goldman point out a problem and … we are finding Fax: 710-2405 working in the same laboratory with in the study, "Nanotechnology ap- that many companies do not have a metal -plating baths. plications continue to be used in an full understanding of the nuances increasingly diverse manner in the She usually used silver ink particles, of nanoscale EHS. This ranges from workplace, resulting in engineered One Bear Place #97046 but within one week of starting to management to the workers and nanoparticles with unique proper- work with nickel nanoparticle pow- therefore, if they treat nanomateri- Waco, TX 76798 ties. The science of nanotoxicology der weighed out and handled on a als like traditional chemicals, they is also developing as the unique lab bench with no protective may not realize the need for PPE." physicochemical properties of na- measures, she began to develop Website: www.baylor.edu/ noscale materials are discovered." Acute exposures can lead to symp- throat irritation, nasal congestion, ehs toms such as congestion, headache, post-nasal drip, facial flushing and While nanotechnology has some dermatitis, , Email: [email protected] new skin reactions to her earrings amazing properties that dramatically and belt buckle. will change many products, the study by Journeay and Goldman (continued on page 3)

Sept. 2014, Page 2 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY

CPR & First Aid Classes Available at the Student Life Center

Baylor Campus Recreation offers both CPR/ Friday, September 26: 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. tion, impaled object, amputation, eye injury, AED and First Aid certification classes to cur- Sunday, September 28: 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. and nosebleed. Also covered is proper burn rent Baylor students, faculty and staff. Courses care for minor and major burns caused by are designed to meet OSHA regulations and Monday, October 6: 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. heat, chemical, electrical and by the sun. current recommendations for workplace train- Friday, October 10: 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Participants will also learn how to provide ing programs. Classes are held in the Student Tuesday, October 14: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. first aid for a bone, muscle or joint injury. Life Center (SLC). Tuesday, October 21: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Also included is when and how to properly Friday, October 24: 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. splint or sling an injured body part. Follow- CPR/AED Certification: This is a 2.5 hour Sunday, October 26: 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. ing successful completion of the course, par- course in which the student will learn tech- Tuesday, October 28: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ticipants are issued Course Completion Card niques such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation that is valid for two years. (CPR) and how to deal with airway obstruc- Tuesday, November 4: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. tions for choking situations. These important Friday, November 7: 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Bring your Baylor ID and sign up at the SLC skills are demonstrated and described for the Sunday, November 9: 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. front desk. The course fee is $35, and the adult, child and infant casualty. This program Tuesday, November 11: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. course is held in room 308. will also help the student to recognize and treat for someone who is suffering from a Friday, December 5: 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Classes are held on the following days: Heart Attack or Stroke, which are America's # Sunday, December 7: 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. 1 killers, also known as cardiovascular disease. (Room 314) Thursday, October 2: 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Following successful completion of the course, Saturday, October 25: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. participants are issued Course Completion Card that is valid for two years. First Aid Certification: This 4.5 hour course Bring your Baylor ID and sign up at the SLC approved by American Environmental Health front desk. The course fee is $25, and the and Safety & American CPR Training, this course is held in room 308 (unless otherwise program shows how to handle various impact noted). injuries that may arise at home, work or play. This class provides the participant with Classes are held on the following days: knowledge and skills required to recognize and treat injuries such as major external and inter- Tuesday, September 16: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. nal bleeding. Students will also learn first aid Tuesday, September 23: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. for wounds such as cuts, scrapes, bruises, infec-

On The Lighter Side Dear EH&S

Dear EH&S, injury. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a well- known example of a repetitive use injury. What are ―ergonomics‖? Office work is an area where ergonomics -Inquiring Mind can come heavily into play. The chair, the desk, the positioning of the keyboard

and screen—all of these are variables that Dear Inquiring, can be fit to the worker. This allows for an individual fit that is comfortable for If you want a formal definition, ergonom- the worker and hence increases productiv- ics is ―a science dealing with the applica- ity. tion of information on human physical and psychological characteristics to the If you are interested in an ergonomic design of the work environment‖1. To assessment of your work station, please put that into plain terms, it‘s designing contact [email protected]. the work to fit the worker. 1Nims, Debra K. (1999). Basics of Industri- If you do one thing over and over again al Hygiene. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Used with permission from Randy Glasbergen. for a long period of time, it can cause

Sept. 2014, Page 3 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY

NIOSH Launches “Buy Quiet” Initiative Web Bytes News release— Figuring out how to turn down A Buy Quiet program can help to decrease the the in the workplace just got easier with risk of at the worksite, minimize The ―Laboratory & Chemical Safety‖ sec- the release of new Buy Quiet web resources the impact of noise on communities, and assist tion of the EH&S website contains infor- mation on safety programs that apply pri- companies in complying with the Occupation- from the National Institute for Occupational marily to work in a campus laboratory. Safety and Health (NIOSH). The new, easy to al Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) use materials highlight the benefits of a Buy and other requirements. Included in this section are the following: Quiet program, explain how to establish a Animal Worker Program: The Occupation- program in your workplace, and provide addi- The new resources from NIOSH are intended tional resources for finding quieter tools and al Safety & Health Program for researchers for employers to use as part of Buy Quiet pro- working with animals. machinery. grams or to help them take the first steps in considering how Buy Quiet can improve their Biological Safety: Information on Biosafe- The Buy Quiet initiative encourages compa- workplace. The newly released Buy Quiet re- ty, link to Biosafety Committee. nies to purchase or rent quieter machinery and sources include a video, several posters, and tools to reduce noise exposures for workers, links to partner Buy Quiet websites. The mate- Chemical Hygiene: Information on compli- ance with OSHA‘s Laboratory Standard helping to prevent work-related noise-induced rials and more information about NIOSH‘s hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss is the Buy Quiet efforts can be found by going to Chemical Storage: Information on Com- most common work-related injury in the Unit- http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/buyquiet/. patibility and proper storage. ed States; approximately 22 million U.S. work- ers are exposed to hazardous noise exposures NIOSH‘s Buy Quiet effort is part of the broad- Chemical Waste Handling: Proper han- at work each year. er Hearing Loss Prevention Program, which dling and disposal guidelines, with links to conducts research on the causes of occupation- waste forms. "Work-related noise-induced hearing loss is al hearing loss and works to deliver practical Emergency Response in Laboratories: preventable and, with these new resources, prevention solutions to employers. More infor- Information on the various types of inci- NIOSH is working to help employers make mation on NIOSH‘s Hearing Loss Prevention dents that might occur. better decisions that will have a lasting impact Program can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/ on the quality of life for their workers,‖ said niosh/topics/noise/. Buy Quiet is also a specif- General Chemical Awareness for Office NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. ―Buy ic application of the NIOSH Prevention Personnel: An educational presentation for Quiet programs, as part of our Prevention through Design (PtD) Initiative, which can be persons who do not work with chemicals, but work in areas where chemicals are through Design initiative, provide a way to found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ nearby. create inherently safer worksites that benefit PTD/. both workers and employers in improving the Assessment Table: Outlines the health and safety of our nation‘s workforce." various possible in a lab, and appro- priate precautions to take.

Nanoparticles (continued from page 1) Lab Close Out Procedure & : Information for when a lab is decommis- sioned. cough, fatigue and allergic reactions. Few doc- whether there is a need for new measures to tors in the world are trained in nanotoxicolo- protect workers." Lab Equipment Decommissioning: Infor- gy. The chemist who was the subject of the mation on proper moving or removal of lab apparatus. study by Journay and Goldman originally was Used with permission from EHS Today. diagnosed with a sinus infection by a regular http://ehstoday.com/health/large-questions- Laboratory Inspection Program: Outlines physician. There are some traditional occupa- about-health-impacts-tiny-nanoparticles the various parts of the program. tional health effects that can be diagnosed by existing methods, however, it is deciphering Laboratory Safety Committee: Information the exposure that the worker has had to true on membership and meeting summaries. nanoparticles that few physicians adequately Laboratory Safety Manual: Extensive refer- are trained to assess. ence covering safety in the lab.

"We feel that increasing awareness through Laboratory Safety Training: Requirements, training and education about nanomaterials registration, and training options. EHS is crucial," Journeay told EHS Today. "Nanotechnology in the workplace is becoming New Faculty & Staff Hires: Information more widespread and advanced and companies for new employees to aid in getting their should get assistance in tackling these prob- labs up and running. lems. If companies want to lead in the area of nano EHS, they should find specialized help to determine that good practices are in place or

Sept. 2014, Page 4 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Did You Know? Bringing Safety Home: National Preparedness Month

Baylor became a tobacco-free, smoke-free September is National Preparedness Month. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asks campus on August 11 of this year. This prohibits the use of all tobacco products, that families and workplaces take action by planning a National PrepareAthon Day on or around Sep- including e-cigarettes, on all university- tember 30th. owned property. You can register for the National PrepareAthon Day by visiting: www.ready.gov/prepare. Registration As more places in the developed world move to be tobacco and smoke free, the will give you access to exclusive resources, and you will be able to collaborate in communities of practice, industry is rapidly expanding in the devel- regional groups, national forums, and also to get updates from FEMA and emergency management per- oping world. sonnel. In the 20th century, there were an esti- mated 100 million tobacco-related deaths. While you‘re on the site, you‘ll also be able to access information on various types of hazards, such as: The projected estimate for this century is earthquake, flood, hurricane, tornado, wildfire, and winter storm. Each of these areas will contain infor- a staggering 1 billion! mation on the hazards and how to prepare for them. At present, there are an estimated 1.1 billion tobacco users in the world, and As of the time of this article, over 13 million participants had registered for the PrepareAthon, including that number is expected to rise to 1.6 the EH&S staffer who is writing this article. billion in the next 20 years. This is not the only way you can take part in National Preparedness Month, though. You can also take a China ranks first on the list of top ciga- rette consuming countries, consuming a look at your own emergency preparedness. total of 38% of the world‘s cigarettes and more than the other top four countries Here are some questions to consider: combined.  Do you have emergency supplies in your home, your office, and your car? Coming in second on the list of top countries is the Russian Federation, followed by the United States, Indonesia,  Do you have an emergency plan for your family? and Japan.  Do you know what to do in case of an emergency here on campus? Combined, these top five countries ac- counted for the consumption of 3.5 FEMA statistics say that only roughly 50% of people have made emergency preparations. If you are trillion cigarettes. among the people who have not, now is an excellent time to start. -Information from www.tobaccoatlas.org -Information from www.ready.gov

What We’re Working On

As Baylor gears up for Home- The new stadium is open and it Laboratory inspections have Current Live Training Schedule: coming, Ken O‘Connor and is spectacular! Jim Karban, begun for the semester and will http://www.baylor.edu/ehs/ Cody Rogers are involved with Brent Jones, and Ken O‘Connor involve various labs in the index.php?id=98325 ensuring the safety of the floats have been involved with health Chemistry, Geology, and Physics being built for the parade. and safety inspections and pa- departments. Training Matrix: They‘ll be checking on things trolling during the game day periodically through the build- festivities. Look for them at At last check, the sheetrock had http://www.baylor.edu/ehs/ ing process, to make sure that home games throughout the been put up in our new office doc.php/203191.pdf everyone involved in the floats season. suite and work was continuing. Online trainings available can have a safe and wonderful Estimates have us moving over There will be a meeting of the through Blackboard Baylor Homecoming experience. to Draper before the end of the Sic ‗em, Bears! Lab Safety Committee 10-13. calendar year.

“The Safety Net” is published by the Department of Environmental Health & Safety 10 months a year and intended to share information with the Bay- lor community, promote transparency within the university’s safety program, and encourage the continued development of a culture of safety among university employees and students. Comments, questions, and ideas for future stories are welcomed. Email: [email protected]