What's New....
Lead-Based Paint Rule
Despite numerous groups opposing it, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to move forward with a potential rulemaking that would expand the existing Lead Paint Renovation and Repair and Painting rule to include public and commercial buildings.
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Globally Harmonized System
GHS is the acronym for the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. GHS was actually created from an international mandate adopted at the 1992 “Earth Summit,” the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
In short, the GHS is a simplified and universal approach to defining and classifying hazards, and then communicating those hazards on easier to understand labels and safety data sheets.
According to the OSHA Fact Sheet of the Hazard Communication Standard Final Rule which came into effect May 25, 2012: “The Hazard Communication Standard in 1983 gave the workers the ‘right to know,’ but the new Globally Harmonized System gives workers the ‘right to understand.’”
The first phase of GHS requirements goes into effect on December 1, 2013. By that date all employers must have provided training to any employees who handle hazarous chemicals.
The Toxic Mold Myth
Media hype about so-called "toxic mold" has building owners, managers and occupants believing a killer is lurking in their buildings. Most of the hype is based on the alleged effects of "mycotoxins," the by-products generated by so-called "toxic molds" with scary names such as Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus, and Penicillium. But the dose of mycotoxins that would be necessary to cause toxic responses in humans is far higher than those mycotoxins ever occur in a real-world environment.
We have added a page outlining the issue here on our website and we invite you to review. Learn more at the Toxic Mold page.
Toxic Substances
Toxic mold isn't the only potentially harmful substance getting attention lately. For that reason we have also added an additional page to discuss another potentially toxic substance that we thought you should be aware of. Bring your sense of humor.