OSHA Announces Program to Protect Workers from Isocyanate Exposure

By Anonymous -
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a new national emphasis program (NEP) to protect workers from serious health effects caused by occupational exposure to isocyanates. 

OSHA develops NEPs to focus outreach efforts and inspections on specific hazards in an industry for a three-year period. Through this NEP, OSHA will make efforts to reduce occupational illnesses and deaths by focusing on workplaces in general, construction and maritime industries that use isocyanate compounds. 

Isocyanates are chemicals used in materials such as paints, varnishes, auto body repair and building insulation and can cause occupational asthma; irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat; and cancer. Deaths have occurred because of asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis from isocyanate exposure. Respiratory illnesses also can be caused by isocyanate exposure to the skin. Jobs that involve exposure to isocyanates include spray-on polyurethane manufacturing of products such as mattresses and car seats, as well as protective coatings for truck beds, boats and decks. 

"Workers exposed to isocyanates can suffer debilitating health problems for months or even years after exposure," says David Michaels, OSHA's assistant secretary of labor. "Through this program, OSHA will strengthen protections for workers exposed to isocyanates." 

OSHA's Web page regarding isocyanates provides additional information about recognizing potential hazards, as well as OSHA standards that address isocyanates in the general, construction and maritime industries. For more information, click here. 


(From NRCA Newsletter)


Trenton H. Cotney
Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer
Trent Cotney, P.A.
1211 N Franklin St
Tampa, FL 33602

Comments

  1. Roofing-OakvilleOctober 8, 2015 at 6:14 AM

    Awesome
    "All Stars Roofing is a Roofing company Offering Roof Repair and Roofing installation services in Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Etobicoke, Halton Hills."
    Hamilton Roofing
    Roof Repair Mississauga
    Roofing Companies Oakville
    Roofing Oakville
    Roofing Burlington

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Dotted Line: When Contractors Can Walk Off the Job

By -
When general contractors or subcontractors sign on to construction projects, they usually start off believing everything will run smoothly. But, during the course of the work, issues sometimes arise that force all parties to go running back to their contracts in order to evaluate their options. One of those options for construction companies is to simply stop work, but contractors need to take care when making such a big decision. “Stopping work and ultimately terminating the contract is one of the most radical things you can do,” said Joseph McManus Jr., attorney and shareholder at law firm Carlton Fields.   Luckily, most of the circumstances under which contractors are clearly entitled to stop work are included in the most popular standard forms of contracts. Nonpayment The most common reason that contractors find it necessary to stop work, McManus said, is that they haven’t been paid for approved invoices. In that scenario, he said, contractors have the ...
Read more

"Mass-timber" Sees Greater Use in Roofing and Construction Projects in Europe

By -
Image
The use of "mass-timber," or prefabricated engineered wood components is becoming more common in construction and roofing applications in Europe. In projects such as the galleria roof of a central city building in Surrey, it helps meet demand for wood structures to add visual appeal. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com
Read more