News from around the World

News Archive

March 2011

Do not be without up-to-date authoritative fire information!

FIREINF is arguably the world's premier collection of validated, authoritative information on fire and fire related information including wildland fire as well as a broad range of occupational safety and health information.

FIREINF emphasis is on all aspects of fire, emergency and preparedness management principles, fire risk assessment, current practices, training and research.

FIREINF leads the searcher to quality guidance and advice from around the world. It is used worldwide by organisations, including those teaching fire science as well as fire brigades and their union, rescue services, forensic and fire experts.

The Full Text Collection has 5 databases and The Bibliographic Collection has 12 databases. Together these sources contain over 536,000 records with links to more than 35,000 full text documents to journal articles, guidance and advice, circulars, reports, conference proceedings, research reports, statistics and codes of practice from worldwide sources, all of which may be easily accessed. One of the databases - from the British Standards Institution - contains references to over 4000 fire and fire related standards.

• FIREINF is continuously enlarged as information including new research and new ways of working is published
• It helps those responsible for fire, emergencies and preparedness in workplaces of all kinds to keep ahead with the latest information and developments
• It assists individuals and organisations that cannot afford to subscribe to a range of journals/magazines because these are indexed within FIREINF
• FIREINF contains information that has been published in the past, so an easy reference point for researchers

One way to quickly gain access to legislation, guidance and advice that is up-to-date and relevant is to take a 15-day Free Trial of FIREINF - the service that is focused, affordable, easy to use and continuously updated as new data is published.

Published by Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. since 1997 FIREINF uses the powerful Headfast software. FIREINF is accessible via the Internet Service www.fireinf.com

Contact Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. for 15 day FREE trials for all services that are cost effective. Why pay more for information? Go to www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

Major Hazards Accidents and Incidents Database (MHAID) added to OSH UPDATE

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd has launched the Major Hazards Accidents and Incidents Database - (MHAID) as an additional database in the OSH UPDATE electronic service www.oshupdate.com. This is the 20th database in OSH UPDATE.

The MHAID database contains information on worldwide accidents or incidents involving hazardous materials that resulted in, or had the potential to lead to a significant impact on the public at large, including evacuation. The information covers all industries and transport.

MHAID database of major accidents and incidents can be used for validating assumptions and judgments in safety assessment. The contents also act as case studies and lessons learned.

The data in MHAID has been collected from regular international sources, with the emphasis where possible, in making links to the full text of the document or report of the accidents or incident.

When the report or document is out of print, also added are locations where it can be borrowed or located for loan or photocopy e.g. The British Library in London, UK.

The data goes back many years so MHAID a useful tool for those researching past accidents and incidents.

If you have information on major accidents and incidents please send details to the publishers Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd.

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1909 771024 | Fax: +44 (0) 1909 772829 | Email: sp@sheilapantry.com

Places still available - this 'standalone training week' is part of the Leeds University Fire and Explosion Engineering MSc programme, Monday - Friday, 4 - 8 April 2011

Gas, Vapour and Dust Explosion Hazards - protection, mitigation and prediction

The week is organised by colleagues in the Leeds' CPD Unit - if you interested in attending or need further details please contact:

Contact: Sophie Chopping (Miss) | Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Unit | University of Leeds, UK | Tel: +44 (0)113 343 2494 | Email: cpd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk | www.engineering.leeds.ac.uk/short-courses/fire-engineering/gas-vapour-dust-explosion-hazards

The Fire & Explosion Engineering MSc programme at Leeds

Running since 1998, this successful programme offers advanced training in the field of Fire and Explosion Engineering for candidates wishing to either embark on a new and exciting career, or to formalise/upgrade their professional qualifications and experience with recognisable and transferable academic qualifications.

The programme can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis - Applications now welcome for a September 2011 start.

For further details and to see comments from course graduates please visit Part Time Masters in Fire & Explosion Engineering: www.engineering.leeds.ac.uk/speme/postgraduate/masters-fire-explosion-engineering

Contact: Peter Riley, Course tutor - Fire & Explosion Engineering MSc, Faculty of Engineering, University of Leeds | Tel: +44 (0)113 343 2793 | Email: p.r.riley@leeds.ac.uk

American Petroleum Institute makes safety standards available to Public Online

American Petroleum Institute Makes Safety Standards Available to Public Online. The American Petroleum Institute is putting 160 industry standards online for the first time, part of an effort to be more transparent about the standards under which many oil and gas companies operate. API, the country's oil and gas industry trade group, first announced back in August that it would put the standards online. Now, you can read them here. http://publications.api.org/ (You have to register).

The move comes as regulators have been criticized for adopting many standards written by the industry as federal regulations, both for offshore drilling and onshore pipelines. As part of my series on pipeline safety, I reported that API authored all or part of 27 standards on pipeline safety that were then adopted by a key agency that oversees pipelines, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Many of the standards were not easily accessible to the public, as copies were kept at the PHMSA and API offices but were not released online.

Now, the public can see a read-only version of the standard. Hard copies will still have to be purchased. The 160 standards that have been put online are just one-third of the standards authored by API, but the group says all of the safety-related standards have been put online.

http://publications.api.org

Second Announcement: Fourth International Conference on Unemployment, Job Insecurity and Health: From unemployment to sustainable participation in Work - Research, Interventions and Policies, 21-23 September 2011. Hanasaari Cultural Center, Espoo, Finland

Call for abstracts now open. Proposals for poster or paper presentations and symposia are considered. Deadline for proposals is 15.4.2011. More information at www.ttl.fi/ujih2011

Main themes

• Health situation of the unemployed
• Restructuring
• Job insecurity
• Transitions to work
• The role of HR and OHS during restructuring and downsizing
• Interventions for promoting re-employment and health

Keynotes

• Designing, Implementing and Disseminating Effective Interventions for Unemployed Job Seekers: Prof. Richard H. Price
• Poor health as cause and consequence of unemployment: mechanisms and interventions: Prof. Alex Burdorf
• Enterprise restructuring, health effects and health promotion: Prof. Thomas Kieselbach
• Job insecurity, employee health and well-being - directions for interventions: Prof. Hans De Witte
• Organisational downsizing and employee health - results and directions for interventions: Prof. Jussi Vahtera

Detailed Information on congress topics, keynote speakers, delegate fees, accommodation possibilities and online registration can be found on conference website pages www.ttl.fi/ujih2011

Pre-Conference Workshop Well-being and flexicurity
20-21 September 2011. Hanasaari, Espoo, Finland

In connection with the conference, the Nordic Institute for Advanced Training in Occupational Health (NIVA) organises a workshop titled "Well-being and flexicurity". The workshop takes place from Tuesday morning to Wednesday lunch time (20-21 September), and the venue is the same as for the conference. The course leader is Professor Antti Saloniemi from the University of Tampere. Please refer to www.niva.org/courses for more information.

Is volunteering for everyone? Eurofound launches a resource pack on 'Volunteering - a force for change'

More than one in five are involved in volunteering, according to new analysis from Eurofound, the Dublin-based EU Agency. The findings show that a person involved in volunteering is most likely a middle-aged, well-educated male with a higher income - and is most likely to volunteer in sport activities. The resource pack entitled 'Volunteering - a force for change', out today, looks at the phenomenon of volunteering across the European Union, and provides insights into differences between countries, how companies encourage volunteering, and makes a case for using volunteering as a measure to include elderly people in society.

The European Year of Volunteering emphasises the relevance of volunteering for all nationalities and social groups. But the popular conception of volunteering is of a primarily middle-class activity, which doesn't engage older people. In addition, in some Member States there has traditionally been little involvement in volunteering, reflecting a lack of trust in civil society organisations. Data from both Eurostat's Standard Eurobarometer 2010 and Eurofound's European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) cast more light on the phenomenon of volunteering.

The EQLS data indicate that, in general, people with higher incomes are more likely to volunteer, as are those with higher levels of education and better health. There is no strong association with gender overall, but men in the EU15 tend to participate more than women. While age is not a major factor, it does appear that people aged between 35 and 64 are more likely to volunteer than those who are younger or older. The Eurobarometer study looks at the areas in which people volunteer. Its data underline the importance of volunteers in supporting sports activities: some 80% or more of those who provide services in the field of sports are volunteers. The other major areas in which volunteers are active are education and culture, social welfare and religious or church organisations.

The formerly communist countries of central and eastern Europe provide a good example of how strongly volunteering is influenced by political and social traditions. These countries' communist legacy did not favour a culture of volunteering. However, nowadays, participation in voluntary and charitable activities in some of the new Member States (NMS) is above the EU average, as indicated by data from the EQLS - albeit with large cross-country variations. For instance, in Estonia more than 30% of citizens participate, as against slightly fewer than 10% in Poland.

Eurofound's new resource pack on volunteering in the EU: www.eurofound.europa.eu/resourcepacks/volunteering.htm

US NIOSH Updates Online Resources Available for the Construction Industry

Construction workers and employers build our roads, houses, and workplaces and repair and maintain our nation's physical infrastructure. Construction includes building new structures, renovations involving additions, alterations, or maintenance, and repair of buildings or engineering projects such as highways or utility systems.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Construction Program provides national and world leadership to prevent work-related illness, injury, disability, and death by systematically gathering information, conducting targeted scientific research, and translating the knowledge gained into products, solutions and services tailored to meet construction needs. In collaboration with industry and labor partners and stakeholders, including OSHA, we are dedicated to improving safety and health conditions for all construction workers.

In 2008, there were 969 fatal on-the-job injuries to construction workers - more than in any other single industry sector and nearly one out of every five work-related deaths in the U.S. that year (19%).

Construction is a large, dynamic, and complex industry sector valued at around $1 trillion.

Construction worksites are organizationally complex multi-employer sites and present numerous health and safety challenges.

www.cdc.gov/niosh/construction

Risk Conference 5-6 May 2011, Glasgow, Scotland

The University of Glasgow, Loughborough University and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is staging the 2nd Conference on Integrated Risk Management Planning on 5-6 May 2011.

Being held at the University of Glasgow, the event aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum for researchers and practitioners in academia, industry and government to present and discuss their latest findings in the area of risk management planning, emergency planning and fire safety management - see www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/irmp

Deadly Practices - Hazards of Gas Releases: Video

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released the video Deadly Practices on the One Year Anniversary of the ConAgra and Kleen Energy Explosions to show Hazards of Gas Releases. The safety video depicts two major accidents caused by the intentional release of flammable fuel gas near work areas, one year after the Kleen Energy explosion. The fifteen-minute long video focuses on two accidents investigated by the CSB. The 9 June 2009 Natural Gas Explosion and Ammonia Release at the ConAgra Slim Jim plant near Garner, North Carolina, USA that fatally injured four workers and injured 67 others; and the 7 February 2010 explosion at the Kleen Energy natural gas powered electric generating plant under construction in Middletown, Connecticut, USA that killed six workers and injured at least 50 others.

The two incidents involved the intentional release of flammable natural gas into work areas, putting workers and nearby communities at risk of fires and explosions. At the Kleen Energy facility workers were conducting a "gas blow," a procedure that forced natural gas explosion at high volume and pressure through newly-installed piping to remove debris. The gas was vented to the atmosphere, where it accumulated, came in contact with an ignition source and exploded. At the ConAgra facility workers were purging a pipe feeding gas to an industrial heater. During the purging operation, gas was allowed to flow through the pipe and exit through an open valve inside the utility room where the water heater was located. Flammable gas accumulated inside the building and eventually found an ignition source.

Entitled "Deadly Practices", the video includes animations that show the hazards of releasing gas into areas where it can accumulate, ignite, and kill or injure workers or members of the public. As a result of the CSB's investigation the board released urgent recommendations aimed at preventing future tragedies. The CSB recommended that OSHA promulgate regulations that address fuel gas safety for both construction and general industry.

In September 2010 the Governor of Connecticut, USA issued an executive order banning the use of natural gas blows during power plant construction in the state. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Code Council are taking action to ban the use of natural gas for cleaning and purging pipes.

The CSB's safety videos are provided free of charge and can be requested at www.csb.gov and on the CSB's YouTube channel.

www.csb.gov/videoroom/detail.aspx?vid=49

Events not to be missed in April

5-7 April 2011 - INRS Occupational Health Research Conference 2011: Risks associated to nanoparticles and nanomaterials
Nancy, France
Contact: Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (INRS) in partnership with the Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health (PEROSH) | Email: nano2011@inrs.fr

5-7 April 2011 - Occupational Hygiene 2011
The Holiday Inn, Stratford upon Avon
Contact: Louise Hall | Email: louise.hall@bohs.org | www.bohs.org/conferences-events

7-8 April 2011 - International Congress on Tracing New Occupational Diseases: Methodology, recent findings and implications for OHS-policy
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Contact: Congress Secretariat ICOHSCOM 2011, C/o AMC Congress Organisation, PO Box 23213,1100 DS Amsterdam, The Netherlands | Tel: +31 20 566 8585 | Fax: +31 20 696 3228 | Email: icohscom2011@amc.nl

11-14 April 2011 - Hazards XXII - Process Safety and Environmental Protection
Liverpool, UK
Contact: Institution of Chemical Engineers, UK | www.icheme.org

12-15 April 2011 - International Symposium on Musculoskeletal disorders - risk factors and solutions at work (6103)
Hotel Pohjanhovi, Rovaniemi, Finland
Contact: Annika Bärlund, NIVA, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, 00250 Helsinki, Finland | Tel: +358 30 474 2333 | E-mail: annika.barlund@ttl.fi | www.niva.org/courses

13 April 2011 - Health and Safety Reform 2011: A Common Sense Approach
The Barbican, London, UK
Contact: Public Service Events

25-29 April 2011 - Principles and Practice of Radiation Safety: Occupational and Environment Radiation Protection
Harvard, USA
Contact: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ecpe