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Charges Filed in UCLA Lab Death
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| The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has charged the University of California and a UCLA chemistry professor with three counts each of willfully violating occupational safety standards in connection with a 2008 fire that fatally burned a staff research assistant.
As reported in the Los Angeles Times, on Dec. 29, 2008, 23-year-old Sheharbano Sangji was not wearing a protective lab coat during an experiment involving t-butyl lithium, which catches fire easily when exposed to air. Sangji was transferring the substance from one container to another when the accident occurred. She suffered severe burns and died 18 days later.
UCLA and Sangji’s supervisor are accused of failing to correct unsafe work practices, failing to require adequate protective clothing and failing to provide proper safety training.
In a statement, UCLA called the charges “outrageous” and said that “the facts provide absolutely no basis for the appalling allegation of criminal conduct.”
The UCLA accident was one of several laboratory incidents that prompted the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) to produce a video on lab safety at academic institutions. For more information on lab safety, visit the CSB website.
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Concerns Raised about H5N1 Research
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| The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has asked two leading scientific journals to redact portions of as-yet-unpublished manuscripts describing new developments in research on H5N1 influenza, popularly known as "bird flu."
The manuscripts are under consideration at the journals Nature and Science. According to an article published yesterday on the Nature website, the research involves the creation of an H5N1 variant that spreads easily among ferrets. The article said that the editors of Nature and Science are considering the government’s request.
According to a Dec. 20 press release from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), whose National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) reviewed the manuscripts, NSABB is concerned about the portions of the manuscripts that “describe some of the genetic changes that appear to correlate with” the potential for enhanced transmissibility among mammals, including humans. NSABB recommends “that the manuscripts not include the methodological and other details that could enable replication of the experiments by those who would seek to do harm.”
The NIH press release acknowledges the importance of research on the transmissibility of H5N1 as “critically important to international efforts to prepare and prevent threats to public health.”
NSABB is an independent expert committee that advises HHS and other federal departments on matters of biosecurity.
Read more about NSABB.
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The Mercer ORC Networks Country Profiles Library™ – your source of up-to-date HSE regulations and Audit Checklists for 50+ countries, provinces and global regions. Get the tools you need for Global HSE compliance. Contact Dee Woodhull at Mercer: 202-331-2630, or dee.woodhull@mercer.com.
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Journal Editors Call Diet of Shift Workers an Occupational Hazard
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| In an editorial published Dec. 27, the editors of the journal PLoS Medicine recommend that occupational health and safety practitioners consider workers’ diet—especially that of shift workers—to be an occupational hazard.
“Although some of the effects of shift work are probably unavoidable (such as disruption of circadian rhythms …), others, such as eating patterns, are obvious targets for intervention,” the editors write. “It would, however, require a change in thinking and an acceptance that occupational health needs to move into territory more personal than before: the diet of workers.”
The editors state that “a wealth of evidence” supports the belief that shift workers suffer from poor eating habits and raise concerns that the increasing prevalence of shift work could “accelerate the progression of the global epidemic of obesity and diabetes.”
PloS Medicine is one of several online, open-access, peer-reviewed journals published by the Public Library of Science (PLoS).
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Updated "Facts about Mold" Released
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| AIHA® announced today the release of an updated version of its “Facts about Mold” document. Members of the AIHA Biosafety & Environmental Microbiology and Indoor Environmental Quality Committees contributed to the updated version, which addresses the management of mold in office buildings, schools, industrial workplaces and homes.
The original version of “Facts about Mold” was published in 2003. The 2012 version includes updated references for detailed information on sampling, inspecting, remediating and providing quality assurance of mold remediation; important perspective on the extent of contamination, as well as practical advice on how to react to the different types of mold damage and when expert advice should be sought; and more detailed information on sources of indoor moisture and how to prevent mold growth.
“Facts about Mold” is available from the AIHA website.
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Announcing the Second AsiaPac OH + EHS Conference + Exhibition
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| Yesterday, Jan. 3, AIHA announced that it would host the second annual Asia Pacific OH + EHS Conference + Exhibition in Singapore, Nov. 14–16, 2012. This conference will again offer top-quality education and training focused on industry development in the Asia Pacific region.
Similar to the inaugural conference held in October 2011, this year’s event will be divided into two tracks offering technical and management information on a variety of issues. Professional Development Courses will be offered on Wednesday, Nov. 14.
“We are delighted to be able to host this conference again,” said Peter O’Neil, CAE, executive director of AIHA. “The many corporations and teams that utilized the inaugural event to build business and contribute to the market were essential in the development of our second conference. This conference will again provide attendees an ideal chance to network, educate, and develop occupational and environmental health and safety industries. We’re very thankful to all those who made the first conference a large success, and we fully anticipate another popular event.”
Information on the AIHA Asia Pacific Conference will be posted online. A flyer is available for those seeking detailed programming and sponsorship information.
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Registration Open for AIHce 2012
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| Registration for AIHce 2012 is now open. Scheduled for June 16–21, AIHce 2012 will take place in Indianapolis, Ind., and will include the latest in industrial hygiene technology, methodology and innovation.
The theme for AIHce 2012 is “Redefining Our Future.” Highlights include:
The PDC “get three” guarantee. AIHA® guarantees attendees will receive three new pieces of information during their PDC or their money will be refunded. Attendees requesting a refund can simply stop by the Speaker Ready Room immediately following the PDC (same day) and AIHA will refund their entire registration fee—no questions asked.
AIHce On Demand is back. AIHce On Demand grants full post-conference, online access to speaker presentations synched to PowerPoint slides.
IGNITE. AIHce introduces a new educational experience: a series of fast-paced, five-minute presentations.
Free lunch on AIHce. A coupon valued at $10 will be mailed with badges to all full registrants. The coupon can be used to purchase lunch in the Expo on Tuesday, June 19.
AIHce mobile app. The new AIHce app allows attendees to use their smart phone to create and manage their schedule, view detailed session and exhibitor listings and stay informed about the latest AIHce happenings.
Register for AIHce 2012.
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| The Synergist invites you to complete our survey and become eligible to win a $200 American Express gift card.
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