On wiping the interior walls of 37-mm closed-face cassettes: an OSHA perspective.

As early as 1976, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) methods for analyzing metal samples collected using 37-mm polystyrene closed-face cassettes specified that any loose dust be transferred from the cassette to the digestion vessel, that the cassette be rinsed, and that, if necessary, the cassette be wiped out to help ensure that all particles that enter the cassette are included along with the filter as part of the sample for analysis. OSHA analytical methods for metal analysis were recently revised to explicitly require cassette wiping for all metal samples. This change was based on policy that any material entering the collection device constitutes part of the sample and on OSHA Salt Lake Technical Center research showing that invisible residue on the cassette walls can significantly contribute to the total sample results reported.

A comparison of traditional handwashing training with active handwashing training in the food handler industry.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that poor personal hygiene is the third most commonly reported food preparation practice contributing to foodborne disease and h further claimed that contaminated hands may be the most important means by which enteric viruses are transmitted. The study reported here compared the effectiveness of traditional (lecture/video) training with that of traditional training that provided an added active (hands-on) component for the retention of handwashing procedures two weeks after the initial training. Sixty-six food handlers attending training courses were included in the study.

Side-by-side comparison of three sampling methods for aerosolized endotoxin in a wastewater treatment facility.

Research studies have established the occurrence of adverse health effects in individuals exposed to organic dusts and water aerosols laden with endotoxin. To determine what exposure levels cause these health effects, it is necessary to quantify airborne endotoxin. Several scientific studies have demonstrated that the quantification of detectable endotoxin is affected by differences in sampling media, analytical method, and aerosol composition.

Fatal injuries to teenage construction workers in the US.

Background: The construction industry is second only to agriculture in the annual number of fatal injuries in workers less than 18 years of age. We examined fatal injury reports for youth and adult workers to determine risk factors for injury and applicability of existing child labor regulations.

Methods: The US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) investigation data for fatal work injuries from 1984 through 1998 were reviewed with respect to type of event, employer characteristics, and apparent violations of existing child labor laws under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

An analysis of VDT monitor placement and daily hours of use for female bifocal users.

A population of 72 bifocal wearers was studied to determine the relationship between VDT (video display terminal) placement for those who reported musculoskeletal pain and those who did not. The mean hours worked was 50.4 minutes (p=0.

An ergonomic comparison between mechanical and manual patient transfer techniques.

Multiple studies have concluded that manual patient transfer and repositioning techniques are a significant cause of low back injuries. The objective of this study was to compare the low back stresses resulting from the use of two different mechanical patient transfer assist devices with the use of traditional manual transfer techniques. The mechanical transfer systems used were the Barton Patient Transfer System and a Sling-Suspension Lift similar to a "Hoyer Lift".

Pressure Correction is Not Required for Particulate Matter Sampling.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Reference Methods for determining particulate matter as PM10 require pressure corrections before comparison to their National Ambient Air Quality Standards. No chemical, physiological, or toxicological basis exists for correction for particulate sampling when results are expressed in weight per unit volume (fxg/m3). The implications of misapplying pressure corrections are at least twofold: a) exposure assessment comparisons at different elevations, using EPA generated data, do not use equivalent doses; and b) cities at higher elevations are held to a more stringent compliance standard.