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December 2006

Introduction/Administrative News
The TRADE Industrial Hygiene/Occupational Safety Special Interest Group (IH/OS SIG) Steering Committee/Guests met on December 12, 2006 through a conference call meeting.  IH/OS SIG Steering Committee Chair Ralph Hinterman, Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E), facilitated the meeting in which the following Steering Committee members/guests participated:

• Tom Cornell, Fluor Hanford Inc.  

• Mike Homes for Phil Grogin, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

• Ralph Hinterman, ANL-E

• Harvey Grasso, DOE National Nuclear Security Administration, Livermore Site Office

• Bob Kapolka, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)

• Deborah McFalls, ORISE
• Dr. Daniel Marsick, DOE, HS-11, Office Of Worker Safety and Health Policy

• Rob Nicholas, LANL

The following Steering Committee member/guest notified the IH/OS SIG Chair/Coordinator that they could not participate in the meeting:

• Deana Colley, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

• David Weitzman, DOE, HS-11, Office Of Worker Safety and Health Policy

International Conference on Nanotechnology Occupational and Environmental Health & Safety: Research to Practice  
Over 400 people attended the Nanotechnology Conference December 4-7, 2006 in Cincinnati,
Ohio. Steering Committee Members Ralph Hinterman, Dan Marsick, John Peters, and Deborah McFalls attended the conference.  The IH/OS SIG sponsored a booth at the conference that focused on the SIG’s Web site’s new nanotechnology safety related section. 

Speakers with various backgrounds presented at the conference: some presenters were involved in nanotechnology research while others represented regulatory agencies.  Discussions at the conference included information about:

• Exchange of information about working safely with nanoparticles.   
• Development of standard terminology for nanotechnology including a glossary of terms.
• Use of good industrial hygiene practices to help control possible adverse health effects. 
• Use of control banding as a control approach.
• Use of N95 respirators when working with nanoparticles. 
• Creation of a database of information about people who work with nanoparticles that could be used in future studies about potential related health issues. 
• Availability from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is their interim recommendation document: Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/default.html). NIOSH is seeking comments on the document from stakeholders.  They hope this information exchange will advance shared understanding of the current scientific knowledge related to occupational safety and health issues.  This document makes recommendations for interim steps in employing the range of control technologies, work practices, and personal protective equipment demonstrated to be effective with other fine and ultrafine particles. 
• No new standards are expected that are related to working with nanoparticles from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Dan Marsick reported that DOE Management will meet in December to discuss what they should do next in the nanotechnology safety area. Future initiatives could include drafting notices, standards, or some other form of communication about working safely with nanoparticles. Dan encouraged meeting participants to contact the DOE Health, Safety, and Security Office for any assistance needed in addressing their nanotechnology safety concerns.
                       
LANL Biosafety Laboratory Practices (DVD)
The Biosafety Laboratory Practices DVD was developed at LANL to use in refresher training. It contains the following 10 demonstration videos:

• Prepare Your Biosafety Cabinet
• Work Inside Your Biosafety Cabinet
• Perform Aseptic Techniques
• Use Sharps Carefully
• Clean Up and Shut Down Your Biosafety Cabinet
• Autoclave Waste Safely
• Operate Centrifuges Safely
• Verify Spill Kit Contents
• Clean Up a Small Biological Spill in a Containment Device
• Clean Up a Small Biological Spill Outside a Containment Device

A DVD was distributed to Biosafety Officers within the DOE complex to use as needed. Additional requests for the DVD should be made directly to LANL Staff Member Rob Nicholas at E-mail address:  robnicholas@lanl.gov.

LANL’s Safety Short Program
Rob Nicholas reported on a new Safety Short Program that has been put in place at LANL.  The program includes timely, concise information for employee to help them stay safe at home and at work. The new Safety Short program is Web-based and provides fliers, videos, and other tools. In addition is a Manager’s Toolkit that helps managers in presenting each Safety Short during organizational safety meetings, tailgate meetings, and Nested Safety and Security meetings. Managers are encouraged to use this toolkit as part of a new “Safety Share” agenda item, where people have an opportunity to share a safety experience or lesson learned.

The first Safety Short was about human numbers that described the Total Recordable Case monthly rate in human terms. It also showed how many employees are injured, develop illnesses, or receive first aid as a result of their work.

Additional information about the Safety Short Program can be obtained from Steering Committee Member Rob Nicholas at: robnicholas@lanl.gov.

ORISE Distributes Annual Safety Calendar
ORISE distributes a safety calendar each year that is made up of safety related drawings by ORISE employees’ children. Twelve drawing are selected through an ORAU safety calendar contest. The top artists in each of four age groups have their artwork included in the upcoming year’s calendar. Each winner receives a complimentary pass to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, and all participants receive a special token of thanks for their work courtesy of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Calendars are distributed to ORAU employees in December.  Additional information about the calendar can be obtained from Steering Committee Member Bob Kapolka at: kapolkar@orau.gov.

IH/OS SIG 2007 Steering Committee Workshop
The Steering Committee has tentatively agreed to hold their annual 2007 Steering Committee Workshop in conjunction with the 2007 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo that is scheduled for June 2-7 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Suggested date for the workshop was for the morning of June 8. Deborah McFalls will check about securing meeting space for the workshop at a hotel near the conference center or at the conference center.

For committee members extending their stay beyond the conference scheduled time in Philadelphia, the Tut Educational Exhibit will be available at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Information about the exhibit can be found at: http://www2.fi.edu/tut/exhibit_info.html.

Future Steering Committee Conference Call Meeting

For additional information, please contact:
Deborah McFalls, IH/OS SIG Coordinator
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
P. O. Box 117, MS 10
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117