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Read the April 2008 Protection Update |
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The draft revised ANSI standard for eye and face protection is available for public comment. Accredited Standards Committee Z87, administered by ISEA, is seeking review and comment on a revision to ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection Devices. The review period closes August 4. Click here for details. How will workers be protected in 2033? ISEA, in cooperation
with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
is sponsoring Protection 2033, a Symposium to examine workplace
hazards and worker protection in the association’s centennial year.
Speakers will include leading futurist John Mahaffie, author of Future Work, who will peer into the future and describe the changing nature of work in the next 25 years. Richard W. Siegel, professor of materials engineering at Rensselaer and director of the Nanotechnology Center, will look at the role of new materials in the design and manufacture of PPE, as well as the hazards these new materials may present. The luncheon speaker will be Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent and author of the new book The Thirteen American Arguments. The Symposium will be November 11 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Arlington, VA, during the ISEA Fall Meeting. In addition to member company executives, ISEA is inviting leaders in worker health and safety from industry, government, labor and professional organizations around the country. More NEWS from ISEA
Setting the Standards for Safety Equipment. Read the June product group update (pdf). ISEA has published a new American National Standard for decontamination showers. Developed to meet the needs of emergency first responders and health care facilities, ANSI/ISEA 113-2008 provides manufacturers, users, and specifiers with a consistent set of design guidance in the form of minimum performance requirements and testing procedures for decontamination showers. In the years following the 9-11 attacks, portable hazmat decontamination shower systems of all types have appeared in the North American marketplace - from homemade plastic and saw horse showers to single user pneumatic and metal framed shower units and multiple line 3- and 4- stage mass casualty shower systems. While most products were well-intentioned, no actual standard in terms of flow rates, water stream, shower head placement, and other pertinent performance characteristics existed prior to the development of this standard. The standard is available from ISEA for $24 a copy. For more information, contact Cristine Fargo, ISEA Manager of Standards Programs. Eyewash and Shower Equipment Goes Far to Protect Workers. In the May 2008 issue of Occupational Health and Safety, ISEA Manager of Standards Programs writes about ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 and its acceptance in workplaces around the world. Read it here. ISEA is seeking comments on a revision to its RPED standard. Air-purifying respiratory protective smoke escape devices (RPEDs), commonly known as "smoke hoods," are worn to enable escape from fire and smoke. The first US standard for these devices was ANSI/ISEA 110-2003, which is now being revised. There's more information here. "How to create an ANSI Z359.2-compliance fall protection plan" is the lead article in the April 2008 edition of Protection Update, ISEA's newsletter for PPE users, specifiers, purchasers and regulators. It begins on page 40 of the February issue of Occupational Hazards magazine, and is also available online. Public safety vests are acceptable for use on federal highways. Effective this November, workers in a federal highway right-of-way have to wear high-visibility clothing that complies with ANSI/ISEA 107-2004, class II or III. Vests that comply with ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 are designed for use by emergency responders and other public safety personnel. In response to requests from user groups, the Federal Highway Administration reviewed the requirements of ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 and found that public safety vests are compatible with its requirements for night-time visibility. Read the FHWA letter.
More STANDARDS
A construction safety coordinator for the State of California has petitioned the state's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to require the use of ANSI/ISEA 107-compliant high visibility apparel. This would align California Construction Safety Orders with Federal Highway Administration regulations. Read the petition here. OSHA has published its final rule establishing that employers must pay for PPE that is required by OSHA standards. Exceptions include prescription safety eyewear, some safety footwear and "ordinary" clothing. Read details here. ISEA and member companies testified at a December 4 OSHA public hearing in Washington, challenging the agency's proposal to modify its PPE standard. None of the witnesses, including labor union representatives and ASSE as well as ISEA, supported OSHA's attempt to substitute "good design standard" for references to familiar consensus product standards in the regulation. Read more about it here. A Congressional committee is taking a hard look at alleged under-reporting of workplace injuries, and OSHA's construction safety efforts. ISEA members can read all about it in latest Washington Report.
Read First Monday for June (PDF). ISEA members have a link to a vast store of information affecting safety equipment markets through the Market Intelligence Digest. Read more about it here. The 75th Annual Meeting, April 27-29 at Amelia Island Plantation in Florida, featured timely and thought-provoking speakers on the economy, politics and global market opportunities. Read more about it in the May First Monday. Bill Lambert, President and CEO of MSA, was reelected Chairman of the ISEA Board of Trustees at the Annual Meeting on April 28. Sid Ellis, President of North Safety Products, was reelected Vice Chairman. Four members were elected to serve on the Board: Joe Reimer, Senior Vice President, Fall Protection for Sperian Protection, was reelected to a three-year term. New Board members are J.P. Sankpill, President and CEO of U.S. Safety; Jim Teigen, Business Manager of OK-1 Manufacturing, and Pat Velasco, President/CEO of Capital Safety. The chairs of six ISEA Product Groups reported on their activities and plans at the Fall Meeting General Session. Review their presentations here. Looking for a speaker on safety equipment? Check the ISEA Speakers’ Bureau. We’ve compiled a list of member company reps and staff who can speak on 60 different topics, such as standards, certification and regulation; making the business case for PPE; conducting a workplace safety audit; trends in worker protection, and public policies that affect safety equipment use. Specific topics cover various types of safety equipment to protect workers in specific industries. How can safety equipment manufacturers and distributors provide the most value to their customers? By making sure they select the safety equipment that best meets their needs. The Qualified Safety Sales Professional (QSSP) course offered by ISEA and its industry partners is an intensive course in the technical and regulatory fundamentals of safety and health, designed specifically for sales and marketing professionals. Go to QSSP for details.
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