Occupational Health and Safety Issues

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The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced on May 20, 2020, that a recent study has analyzed existing research on whether nanomaterials used in consumer products and at workplaces are absorbed through the skin.  The study was commissioned by EUON and carried out by the RPA consortium of Triskelion and the Dutch National…

On May 4, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published proposed significant new use rules (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and are subject to orders issued by EPA pursuant to TSCA.  85 Fed. Reg. 26419.  The SNURs require persons who…

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has posted two posters from the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) on 3D printing:  3D Printing with Filaments:  Health and Safety Questions to Ask and 3D Printing with Metal Powders:  Health and Safety Questions to Ask.  The posters provide health and safety questions with different…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a proposed rule on April 1, 2020, that would amend the significant new use rules (SNUR) for certain chemical substances that were the subject of a premanufacture notice (PMN) and a significant new use notice (SNUN), including functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) (generic).  85 Fed. Reg. 18173.  This action…

On March 9, 2020, the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) posted a podcast entitled “The Hazards of Nanomaterials and How to Control Exposure.”  CCOHS states that nanomaterials have many useful properties, but the same properties that make them desirable in manufacturing present unique potential safety hazards when workers are exposed…

On March 16, 2020, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) announced publication of an article in the May 2020 issue of Environmental Research entitled “Nanoparticle exposure and hazard in the ceramic industry:  an overview of potential sources, toxicity and health effects.”  In the article, the researchers provide an…

On March 4, 2020, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of its Current Intelligence Bulletin 69:  NIOSH Practices in Occupational Risk Assessment.  85 Fed. Reg. 12786.  The Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) describes the process and logic NIOSH uses to conduct risk assessments, including…

The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) issues Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances (TRGS), which reflect the state of technology, occupational safety and health, and occupational hygiene, as well as other verified scientific knowledge relating to activities involving hazardous substances, including their classification and labeling.  BAuA has published an English translation of TRGS…

On February 19, 2020, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a Science Blog item entitled “Are There Nano- and Microplastics in the Workplace?” that reviews workplace exposure to microplastics (defined by NIOSH as “plastic particles smaller than 5 mm”) and nanoplastics (the nanoscale fraction of plastic particles).  NIOSH states…

We are pleased to announce that Lynn L. Bergeson will present at the 9th Nano Conference hosted by the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) and Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health (NanOEH) Committee.  Abstracts for the October 4-6, 2020, Conference are due March 6, 2020.  As reported in our December 9, 2019, blog item,…