Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems in homes. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some pollutants.
This information will help employers (including the self-employed) comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), as amended, to control exposure and protect workers’health.
A literature review of Australian and overseas studies on the release of airborne asbestos fibres from building materials as a result of weathering and/or corrosion.
This review has focussed on the effect of weathering and/or corrosion processes on the release of asbestos fibres from asbestos containing building materials. It references currently available peer-reviewed scientific literature, non-peer-reviewed publications and additional information from selected Australian OHS professionals.
All RCS is hazardous and can cause silicosis and other
serious lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease or lung cancer leading to permanent disability or
early death.
Employers who risk the future health of their employees by exposing them to cancer-causing chemicals at work should be prosecuted under UK safety laws, says the TUC today (Thursday) as it produces a new guide for unions.
Launching a campaign to raise awareness of the toxic chemicals and substances such as wood dust and diesel particles that can make workers ill sometimes years after leaving their jobs, the TUC guide aims to help union safety reps keep up the pressure on employers to make workplaces safer, and stop them from taking unnecessary risks with their employees' lives.
When workers developed the shakes, poor memory and depression working for a South African manganese company, their union knew the job was to blame. The government's compensation body agreed. So why did the company's medics instead suggest the symptoms were caused by alcohol, drugs or Aids?
Un groupe de travail a été mis sur pied en 1994, afin d'émettre un avis de santé publique sur la vaccination de certains groupes de travailleurs hors du réseau hospitalier de soins de courte durée. Les recommandations de ce groupe de travail ont été diffusées dans le document « Vaccination contre l’hépatite B de certains groupes de travailleurs hors du réseau hospitalier de soins de courte durée » publié en 1999 par la Direction de santé publique de Montréal. Le présent document est une mise à jour du document de 1999 et contient aussi, en majorité, des groupes de travailleurs non évalués en 1999. Les situations et lieux de travail examinés ou visités sont situés dans différents endroits de la province de Québec. La prévalence du virus de l’hépatite B, de certains comportements ou situations à risque parmi la population générale ou certains sous-groupes de cette population peuvent être différents selon les régions concernées.
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) has issued a news release that announces there is an urgent need for more testing, extending existing governance arrangements and creating new arrangements for the control of the rapidly developing field of nanomaterials.
Searching for answers - frequently asked questions. Recently relaunched site with improved facilities for information on biocides and pesticides.
There is a new chemicals portal page to help users navigate quickly to their area of interest. The page provides a simple signpost and direct link to the different parts of the website covering health and safety in chemical manufacturing, marketing and supply, carriage or use of chemicals as well as latest news.
The European Commission has given a mandate to the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) to prepare an opinion on the potential of biocidal substances to cause resistance to antibiotics.
The SCENIHR has approved a preliminary version of the opinion which addresses this issue and identifies priorities for further research in this field.
Two studies with opposing viewpoints on whether or not influenza immunization should be mandatory for healthcare workers.
Commercial flavorings used in the food service industry are often complex mixtures of flavoring chemicals, many of which are volatile, meaning that they evaporate into the air from their liquid or solid form. Diacetyl is a prominent chemical ingredient in butter flavorings and is a component of the vapors coming from these and other flavorings. Inhalation of butter flavoring chemical mixtures, including diacetyl, has been associated with severe obstructive lung disease popularly know as "popcorn lung." In many symptomatic individuals exposed to flavoring who have undergone lung biopsy, an irreversible type of lung damage called constrictive bronchiolitis has been found. In this condition, the smallest airways carrying air through the lungs, the bronchioles, are scarred and constricted. This can decrease or block air movement through these airways.
L'essor des nanomatériaux s'accompagne d'une prise de conscience croissante des risques potentiels associés, que ce soit pour la santé ou pour l'environnement. Alors que les initiatives en matière de nanomatériaux se multiplient, l'Afsset est désormais identifiée comme un pôle de référence dans son périmètre d'activité : le risque sanitaire lié aux milieux de vie et de travail.