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NSC Awards DuPont With Green Cross for Safety The National Safety Council awarded its 2006 Green Cross for Safety Medal to Charles O. Holliday Jr., chairman and CEO of DuPont at a special ceremony in March. To mark receiving the safety award, DuPont donated protective ballistic vests made of Kevlar to 10 police officers who patrol the Washington, D.C. area without ballistic protection. Holliday presented the donation through In-VestUSA, a non-profit organization that focuses on raising awareness and funds to equip police officers with ballistic vests. “DuPont is proud to receive the 2006 National Safety Council’s Green Cross award,” said Holliday. “Safety is in the DNA of DuPont. Every DuPont employee will feel he or she helped earn the Green Cross award. That is as it should be, because at DuPont, safety is a core value that touches every individual in every job. “Safety at DuPont goes back to our founding in 1802 when E.I. du Pont designed and built his first gunpowder mills with the safety of his workers in mind. In the two centuries that followed, our company helped to write the book on industrial safety, and we became one of the safest companies in the world.” Safety and protection businesses make up one of DuPont’s five business growth platforms. Holliday said, “We offer our knowledge, technology and innovations to customers around the world to help make their businesses and homes safer and to protect people, property, operations and the environment. Safety is the very foundation and essence of all that we do at DuPont, so we take great pride in this recognition - for our employees, partners and customers.” EPA, NSF, NIOSH Grant $5M to Study Nanotechnology Nanotechnology has the potential to transform environmental clean-up, treat serious illnesses, and improve computer technology, therefore, the EPA has awarded 14 grants totaling $5 million to universities to investigate the potential health and environmental effects of manufactured nanomaterials. The EPA says it wants to see Americans benefit from this exciting new technology while ensuring that human health and the environment are protected. By performing research on potential adverse affects, EPA says it is doing what is right for both human and environmental health and technological progress. Nanomaterials are created by working at the molecular level, atom by atom, and range in size from one to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is 80,000 times smaller than a human hair. Because of their small size and unique properties, more research is needed to learn if nanoparticles in manufactured products can enter the human body, and if so, how long they remain. Similarly, researchers will study the fate and transport of nanoparticles in the environment. “This emerging field has the potential to transform environmental protection. Researchers are now testing iron nanoparticles that could clean up pollutants in large areas of groundwater cheaper and more effectively than any existing techniques,” said George Gray, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “At the same time, we must understand whether nanomaterials could negatively impact health or the environment. This research will help determine the viability of nanotechnology as a tool for protecting our environment.” Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA has a program to review and assess new chemicals prior to their entry into commerce. The agency is also working with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a stewardship program that will allow EPA to gain a better understanding of the benefits and risks associated with nanomaterials. The nanotechnology grants were awarded through EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research grants program in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). To date, EPA has funded 65 grants for more than $22 million related to the environmental applications and/or implications of manufactured nanomaterials. In addition, EPA has awarded about $2.5 million for nanotechnology research to small businesses through its Small Business Innovation Research program. Cooper Industries Acquires Wheelock Cooper Industries, Ltd. has announced its acquisition of Wheelock, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of fire safety and emergency incident communications systems and devices. Based in Long Branch, NJ, Wheelock is a privately held company with 2005 annual revenues of approximately $46 million. Financial terms were not disclosed. Wheelock manufactures a comprehensive fire notification product line that includes electronic strobe horns, mini-horns, strobes, speakers and speaker strobes, and power supplies. The company also manufactures communication systems that combine background music, messaging and emergency voice evacuation and telephone zone paging for military bases, retail establishments, factory and warehouse operations and campus environments. Wheelock becomes part of Cooper Menvier, which is based in the United Kingdom. With the acquisition, Cooper Menvier gains complementary capabilities to enhance its core product offerings in fire safety and security detectors, panels and signaling devices, including strobes, sounders, call points and bells. Additionally, Wheelock provides Cooper Menvier with UL-approved products. (“With its strong history of innovation, Wheelock provides a strategic extension to our European portfolio with products specifically designed and manufactured for the U.S. market,” said Cooper Industries Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kirk S. Hachigian. “We can now offer an even broader range of products that meet UL, IEC and other major electrical standards to customers and distributors in our international distribution network, including the multi-standard Asia and Middle East markets. This acquisition augments our global reach with new Cooper products that meet fire safety, electronic security and emergency lighting requirements for every region of the world.” Cooper Menvier manufactures fire detection systems, emergency lighting and security equipment for industrial and commercial buildings in Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific Rim. Cooper Industries, Ltd. is a global manufacturer of electrical products and tools, with 2005 revenues of $4.7 billion, approximately 30 percent of which are international sales. Brady Expands in Australia With Acquisition Brady Corp., a developer of identification solutions and specialty materials, has acquired Accidental Health & Safety Pty. Ltd., and its business unit Trafalgar First Aid Pty. Ltd., headquartered in Glendenning, New South Wales, Australia. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the companies had sales of approximately $9 million in 2005, employ about 70 people, market through a national network of distributors as well as a direct sales force, and serve customers in all states in Australia. Accidental Health & Safety and Trafalgar are suppliers and distributors of customized first-aid kits and supplies, and related safety products and signage for commercial enterprises in the Australian market. “The acquisition of Accidental and Trafalgar will reinforce Brady’s position as a provider of safety products and services in Australia by increasing our access to industrial and commercial markets and providing an expanded distribution network for our broader line of safety and workplace identification products,” said Brady Australia Managing Director Stephen Millar. “Joining Brady gives us a great opportunity to further grow our business, and we look forward to working together to provide Australian customers the finest in first-aid and safety supplies,” said Tony de Rooy, accidental health and safety managing director. Brady’s presence in Australia dates back to 1970 when it opened its first sales office there, with production operations added in 1979. Brady acquired Visi Sign near Melbourne in 1999 and Safety Signs Service in Western Australia in 2001. Today, Brady employs about 150 people in Australia and operates from a 60,000 square-foot facility in Regents Park near Sydney. Brady’s fiscal 2005 sales were approximately $816 million. NSC Joins CDC for Off-the-Job Safety The National Safety Council and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working jointly to improve the safety and health of the American public outside of the workplace. Both organizations formalized their commitment to work together by signing a Memorandum of Understanding at the country’s first-ever Off-The-Job Safety Symposium organized by the National Safety Council. “A startling trend is unfolding as more than half of all unintentional injury deaths occur in our nation’s homes and communities,” said NSC President and CEO Alan C. McMillan. “The National Safety Council is moving to aggressively educate consumers and businesses alike about this emerging safety and health concern with an emphasis on preventing injuries in residential, recreational, municipal, educational and community settings. Our partnership with CDC’s Injury Center will further advance these efforts.” According to data from the NSC, falls are the leading cause of unintentional death in the home or community, followed by poisoning, choking, drowning and fire. The CDC reports current annual costs associated with falls for people age 65 or older at more than $27 billion annually. By 2020, the CDC projects these costs will exceed $43 billion. The NSC is the principal organization working with members of Congress to develop older adult falls prevention legislation. The pending “Keeping Seniors Safe from Falls Act” in the U.S. Senate would provide a framework for a comprehensive national education program, research agenda and prevention initiatives. The NSC also is leading efforts to reduce injuries and deaths in the home. The awardwinning 10-minute video, “Safe Haven: Your Home Should Be the Safe Haven You Want It to Be,” identifies dangers inside the home and provides tips to correct the hazards. An interactive CD-ROM allows for a customized, room-by-room list of home safety hazards with an explanation of those hazards and detailed solutions to eliminating them. One specific hazard in homes in the United States is a high level of indoor radon, a leading cause of lung cancer. The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend all homes be tested for radon. The NSC’s Indoor Air Quality Program recently added a “Radon Fix-It” program to its consumer information services. The program, funded by a grant from the EPA, includes a 24- hour radon hotline (800-SOS-RADON) and helpline (800-55-RADON) staffed by NSC air quality information specialists. “We really believe there is potential to make a positive impact on individuals, families and communities,” McMillan added. “We cannot wait until a crisis forces us to commit to working together to create safer homes and communities. By collaborating with CDC, we hope to accelerate our efforts to prevent injuries not only where we work but also where we live.” ASSE Official Testifies On the Value of NIOSH Research Without an aggressive research agenda to address the risks workers face in a quickly changing workplace, their responsibilities will become increasingly difficult to fulfill, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers. ASSE urges NIOSH-led research studies be factored to include the broad subjects of how the components of successful safety and health programs and the organizations that produce them can be evaluated. “Almost all of the literature in this area is anecdotal,” said ASSE Senior Vice President Michael Thompson. “Only NIOSH’s leadership can bring forth definitive data-driven studies that will help set a value on making a case for the safety and health imperative.” “One area of occupational safety and health research that ASSE believes has been wholly overlooked is the role the SH&E professional plays in advancing safety and health,” Thompson testified at a national town hall meeting titled “Direction for National Occupational Research Agenda Second Decade.” Thompson said there’s a need to define the SH&E practice at various levels and urged NIOSH to work with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, and the Institute of Hazardous Material Management to help determine how to apply what is known to encompass the realities of SH&E practice so that a comprehensive understanding of tasks and capabilities throughout industry can be achieved. “The time has come to provide support for research that will give the safety and health community a better understanding of the professional preparation and accreditation needed for SH&E professionals to function appropriately as managers of workplace risks. However much we know about addressing specific risks, if we do not have properly trained and assigned SH&E professionals in the workplace, a key component of achieving safer healthier workplaces may very well be missing.” “This proactive approach in advancing the research our members rely on daily to fulfill their responsibilities in preventing deaths, injuries and illnesses in this nation’s workplaces is very valuable,” he noted. “Our members know that, without an aggressive research agenda to addresses the risks workers face in a quickly changing workplace, their responsibilities will become increasingly difficult to fulfill.” EMCOR Facilities Services Joins EPA Partnership EMCOR Facilities Services has become an official partner in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program to conserve natural resources producing less waste, recycling more and using more environmentally sound products. EMCOR Facilities Services, headquartered in Arlington, VA, is the first facilities management company in EPA’s mid-Atlantic region to enroll in EPA’s voluntary National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program. The program challenges businesses and manufacturers to become more environmentally aware and to adopt a resource conservation ethic that results in less waste, more recycling, and more environmentally-sound products. “There is a national initiative underway called the Resource Conservation Challenge, which encourages companies to find flexible, yet more protective ways to conserve Occupational Research Agenda Second Decade.” Thompson said there’s a need to define the SH&E practice at various levels and urged NIOSH to work with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, and the Institute of Hazardous Material Management to help determine how to apply what is known to encompass the realities of SH&E practice so that a comprehensive understanding of tasks and capabilities throughout industry can be achieved. “The time has come to provide support for research that will give the safety and health community a better understanding of the professional preparation and accreditation needed for SH&E professionals to function appropriately as managers of workplace risks. However much we know about addressing specific risks, if we do not have properly trained and assigned SH&E professionals in the workplace, a key component of achieving safer healthier workplaces may very well be missing.” “This proactive approach in advancing the research our members rely on daily to fulfill their responsibilities in preventing deaths, injuries and illnesses in this nation’s workplaces is very valuable,” he noted. “Our members know that, without an aggressive research agenda to addresses the risks workers face in a quickly changing workplace, their responsibilities will become increasingly difficult to fulfill.” EMCOR Facilities Services Joins EPA Partnership EMCOR Facilities Services has become an official partner in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program to conserve natural resources producing less waste, recycling more and using more environmentally sound products. EMCOR Facilities Services, headquartered in Arlington, VA, is the first facilities management company in EPA’s mid-Atlantic region to enroll in EPA’s voluntary National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program. The program challenges businesses and manufacturers to become more environmentally aware and to adopt a resource conservation ethic that results in less waste, more recycling, and more environmentally-sound products. “There is a national initiative underway called the Resource Conservation Challenge, which encourages companies to find flexible, yet more protective ways to conserve our valuable resources through waste reduction and energy recovery activities that will improve public health and the environment,” said Jim Berlow, EPA’s director of Hazardous Waste Minimization. “EMCOR has stepped up to the plate by committing to develop a comprehensive mercury recycling program for the entire region that can serve as a model for other companies, including the entire property management sector across the nation.” As a new waste minimization partner, EMCOR has been voluntarily finding new and better ways of making the buildings they manage “greener.” For example, EMCOR is eliminating mercury releases into the environment by making sure mercury waste from spent fluorescent lamps’ thermostats is recycled. The buildings that property and facilities management companies manage generate not only spent fluorescent lamps and other wastes that contain mercury but also nickel cadmium batteries, paper and food waste, electronic or e-waste and construction and demolition waste from building construction and renovations. There are many opportunities for this sector to support the Resource Conservation Challenge. “It is very gratifying to be recognized by the EPA for our contribution to the Green Agenda,” said Bill Rodgers, president and CEO of EMCOR Facilities Services. “Green is part of the heritage of EMCOR. Because it encompasses energy, facilities and construction, a suite of services we provide and specifically relates to 75 percent of the LEED Certification criteria, our ability to meaningfully contribute to the advancement of the “Green” initiatives is second to none.” Minimizing waste has the benefit of not only reducing pollution, but it saves companies money, too. Participating companies throughout America are learning that reducing or eliminating waste can also mean greater production efficiency, an improved image in their community, and increased profits. EPA created the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities, one of a suite of voluntary partnership programs, in order to reduce 31 highly toxic, priority chemicals found in our nation’s waste by 10 percent by the year 2008, compared to amounts generated in 2001. For more information about the national partnership for environmental priorities, go to www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/partnership.htm. |
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