Document EdkyjjKRm3ZzJBmMrpwMZxDMR

Sourcebook Points To Legal Profession While Examining Aspects of Asbestos The second volume offers the opportunity to become knowledgeable in a few pages "Sourcebook on Asbestos Disease: Medical, Legal, and Engineering Aspects--Vol. 2"-- Peters, Geo. A. and B.J. Peters, Garland Pub lishing Inc., 236 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. 10016, (212) 686-7492, $75/Vols 1&2 $150) 843 pages, 1986. For the safety and health profes sional wakening in the 1980s to dis cover an avalanche of asbestos concern and no single source for direction. Vol ume 1 of this series was a salvation. The fundamental information required to bring professionals up to speed was co gently assembled along a yellow brick road that very few of us found difficult to travel. Volume 2 is twice the size of Volume 1 and fills in the gaps of infor mation on asbestos as we know it today. Reading Volume 2 was like reading a telephone book. The sections were spe cific "look up" areas for selected tidbits of information. Sections such as "Scien tists Involved in Asbestos Research" and "Certified Radiograph Readers (Certified B Readers)" offer vital "needto-know" resources otherwise unavail able in one source. A section on asbes tos tradenames, along with the companies that produced the product and their corporate histories, offers the uninitiated the opportunity to become very knowledgeable in a few pages of reading. The balance of chapters are pointed directly at the legal community, but they also could interest health and safety professionals who dabble as ex perts witnesses in the asbestos arena. I personally found the chapter on "Key Court Opinions" an interesting histori cal review of the evolutionary process experienced in the scientific knowledge and awareness of asbestos risks. The direction of both works, which are written by attorneys (one a safety , 1 By Kenneth S. Cohen, PhD, PE, engineer), is obviously aimed at the le gal profession. Volume 1 could be applied in a num ber of non-legal applications, but Vol ume 2 appears more sharply pointed to those involved in some aspect of asbes tos litigation. If the legal aspect of asbestos touches your professional life in any way, this books makes interesting read ing. Video: EPA Experts Give Advice on Chemicals "TSCA Inventory Update"--U.S. EPA Of fice of Tbxic Substances, Washington, D.C. (800) 424-9065 (202) 554-1404, Cost Unknown, 19:28 Color, 1986. This little video is an agency's effort to educate those it must regulate about the regulation requirements. A panel of EPA experts offers guidance to chemi cal manufacturers who must report technical data on the chemicals pro duced. The application of this video primar ily would be to train in-house personnel in the requirements for EPA compliance with TSCA Section 8(c) final rule, 40 CFR 717, which was published in the federal register on Aug. 22, 1983. A number of tips and guides are offered to address mistakes or misunderstandings that confronted manufacturers since the rule's inception. This videotape obviously is intended for a select group, but if the application is appropriate and professionals were not aware of the service from EPA they might consider purchasing it. Video: Hospital Safety Examined By Tape "Safety is Everybody's Job"--Gordon Costine, Care Enterprises, 273 E. Beverly Blvd., Montebello, Calif. 90640, (213) 7250146,12:00 Color $325 with instructions guide, 1986. This is a sharp, upbeat, well-written and believable hospital safety produc tion. That recommendation does not come easily from one who has seen too many bad hospital training films. The video covers the majority of safety problems encountered in the hos pital environment and focuses effec tively but imperceptibly on the major causes of employee disability claims. The transition from situation to situa tion is smooth and cohesive to the viewer. The sections on lifting and pa tient transfer are to the point and quickly demonstrated. A unique tech nique was the application of a "transfer belt," which proved to be of enormous help in dealing with both obese and unable-to-assist patients. General safety considerations were not ignored. A section that quickly went through oxygen fires and cylinder safety, mopping of halls safely and chemical housekeeping spill protection brought this 12-minute video to a close. For safety orientation of new employees to the hospital environment, this video is a prize. It's also one of the best pro ductions I've seen in quite a while. Text: Publication, Software Look At Asbestos "Model Guide Specifications--Asbestos Abatement in Buildings,"--Don Hill, Na tional Institute of Building Sciences> 1015 15th St., N.W. Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 347-5710, Hardcopy $75 ($60 to NIBS Members) with Software $150 !$120 to NIBS members) 1986. No publications and software sys tems have impressed me recently as much as this work's quality and applica bility All over the country, health profes sionals are being asked to draw up spec ifications for asbestos abatement pro jects with minimal resources available. This "system" is the answer for many applications. The "system" consists of a threeringed binder with a hard copy of the word-processing software. The sections are roughly divided into: technical spec ifications; removal of ACM; encapsula tion of ACM; enclosure of ACM; and maintenance of ACM. IB A .w O o, ' OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH a SAFETY UCC 009021 ror resulting from possible stress and fa tigue; therefore, determining the mini mum staffing requirements and maxi mum duty times for the programs are considered urgent. Safety requirements covering not only staffing, but weather, maintenance, train ing and equipment also were discussed. "If the concerns about safety in the industry are not adequately addressed, I am afraid that expansion of this lifesav ing service will be curtailed, and we may actually see these services begin to re cede," Rep. Norman Mineta (D - Calif.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, told the American Medical News while attending the meeting. Mineta addressed the concerns of many about the increasingly important insurance problem facing the crash-prone industry. "Increasingly, the decisions as to whether some endeavor or activity takes place in our society is made by those almighty beings we call the insur ance industry" he told AMN. "If the in surers determine it is too risky, the EMS industry will simply be priced out of busi ness by rising insurance premiums. This would be truly tragic given the valuable service this industry provides to the pub lic." 0. Ray Wall, an aviation consultant who did a survey of the aeromedical in dustry for the insurance industry, said at the conference EMS operations are a "di saster," and among insurers, the industry has "a terrible, terrible image." About 300 of the 450 helicopter pilots in the United States belong to NEMSPA. The organization was founded by two pi lots, Don Wright and Tbm Eihom, after some of their friends died in helicopter crashes. "We've been working overtime to tell people that we are not a union, but merely a professional organization trying to ad dress some problems in what we feel is a very valuable lifesaving medical tool," Eihom told AMN. Eihom and Wright quit their jobs as aeromedical pilots to de vote time to NEMSPA without pay. Eihom said many aeromedical pilots expressed interest in joining NEMSPA but were forbidden to by their employers who worry the organization is an attempt to form a pilots' union. Wright called any standards adopted by the group as a "starting point" to im proving aeromedical safety. "Responsible operators are always in the forefront of doing all they can to ad dress safety!' Mineta said. "Improved reg ulation may be part of the answer for this industry. The FAA needs to determine if this is the case, and I expect them to move expeditiously on this." APRIL 1987 FARM WORKER BILL EXPECTED A national standard guaranteeing farm workers access to drinking water, handwashing and toilet facilities is ex pected as early as this month, despite a 14-year delay over regulations to improve sanitation facilities for such workers. In February, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., ordered the Labor De partment to issue a field-sanitation stand ard. In October 1985, Labor Secretary William Brock gave states 18 months to improve farm worker sanitation facilities before he would give an opinion on issuing federal standards. At that time, 12 states were enforcing field-sanitation standards of some kind, including California, Connecticut, Florida. Idaho, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylva nia and Tfexas. Since then, 10 more states (Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, New Mexico, South Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming) have adopted similar standards. Eleven states (Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachu setts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Da kota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington) as well as Puerto Rico are developing thedr own rules on the issue. Brock, however, is challenging the ap peals court ruling in an effort to clarify certain parts of the order that he consid ered "an intrusion on executive author ity" that established a "dangerous prece dent for court review of future agency actions." The Labor Department has said only 14 states have approved standards that meet Brock's 1985 guidelines, including guaranteed drinking water, hand-washing and toilet facilities and effective enforce ment programs and methods to compel abatement by employers who violate the regulations. Seventeen states (Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missis sippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ne vada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont and West Virginia) and the Virgin Islands have taken no action to issue a standard. If issued, the federal regulation will af fect only about 500,000 of the nation's es timated 1.5 million farm workers. Farms with 10 or fewer workers are exempted from Occupational Safety and Health Ad ministration jurisdiction. ^0436? UCC 009022 rp4 ePP CP A ,<? & /// e'V A- 9 Come see us at the AOHC, Booth #224 & #226 Circle 14 on card.