NIOSH Newsletter Bringing Research Closer to Practice

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Building an effective, ongoing bridge between the wealth of OSH research conducted by NIOSH and the practice of ASSE members and the broader OSH community is "a very tough nut to crack," says Dave Heidorn, ASSE's manager of government affairs and policy. To add some strength to that building effort, NIOSH has launched a new newsletter, NIOSH Research Rounds.

In announcing the initiative, NIOSH Director John Howard says the publication will highlight the wealth of research that NIOSH advances every day, from "the beginnings of studies, benchmarks achieved in studies-in-progress, advancements in methods for the 21st century and new findings reported in the peer-reviewed literature." It will also include summaries of select scientific articles.

The inaugural issue highlights several projects including a study of truck-driver measurements geared toward improving truck-driver safety through better cab design; a new study analyzing the relationship between cleaning products and asthma among hospital workers; and efforts to expand the NIOSH Ladder Safety app.

Howard also urges readers to share comments and suggestions by sending an e-mail to NIOSH Research Rounds. ASSE also encourages all members to sign up for this resource and help spread the news about the work NIOSH is doing to help OSH professionals succeed.

Using Minecraft for Sustainability in Urban Environments

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UN-Habitat has been using the game Minecraft as a way to involve young people in an effort to improve public space in developing world cities.

The UN's agency for sustainable urban development currently has a program to improve public space in developing world cities by building new parks, squares, sports fields and sidewalks. Minecraft, a building blocks game, is increasingly popular as an education tool, and schools are using it to teach a variety of subjects including history, geography and art. UN-Habitat has organized workshops in about 15 countries where kids redesign spaces on Minecraft, then present their ideas to local architects, politicians and businesspeople.

"It's really important to involve the local community as much as possible," says Pontus Westerberg, who leads the project from Nairobi, Kenya. "When you have public meetings, what tends to happen is that you get older people. They have the time, the interest and experience. It's very difficult to get young people to come to meetings and speak up."

Read more about the initiative here.

Listen to Safety Lately 8/7/15

Safety Lately is a look at the past week in the world of OSH. This week’s show covers using Minecraft to improve developing cities, an OSHA proposal on beryllium exposure, and the Obama administration’s new climate change rules.

You can download the podcast here.

Like what you heard? Look for more podcasts at our multimedia page. You can also connect with ASSE on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Obama Administration Issues Climate Change Rules

The Obama administration recently announced a tougher climate change rule for power plants 

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under which generators need to cut their carbon dioxide output by 32% in what are the first-ever limits on the emission. The regulations from EPA are a major part of President Obama’s climate agenda. Compared with the carbon limits EPA proposed last year, the final rule is 9% more stringent than the 30% cut originally envisioned.

EPA is asking states to formulate plans to reach carbon reduction goals assigned to between the years 2005 and 2030, adding up to a 32% reduction nationwide. If the states do not submit plans, EPA will write and impose its own strategies upon them.

The administration estimates that the climate benefits would result in a net $46 billion benefit to the nation by 2030, along with thousands of avoided premature deaths and asthma attacks. The rule is predicted to avoid about 0.01 °C in global warming, as the country's emissions are only a small part of the global contribution.

The announcement included two other related regulations: one with hard limits on the carbon emissions of newly built power plants and a proposed framework for how EPA will write implementation plans for states that do not comply.

The announcement included two other related regulations: one with hard limits on the carbon emissions of newly-built power plants and a proposed framework for how EPA will write implementation plans for states that do not comply. 

ISO Revising Risk Management Standards, Developing Supply Chain Guidance

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As administrator of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for ANSI to ISO, ASSE receives many inquiries about the ANSI/ASSE/ISO Risk Assessment and Risk Management Standards (ANSI/ASSE Z690/ISO 31000 series). The standards are developed under the ISO TC262 Committee.

Thousands of these standards have been sold globally--in fact, the 31000 document is a top-5 best seller for ISO. The series consists of:

• Vocabulary for Risk Management (ANSI/ASSE/ISO Guide 73)
• Risk Management Principles and Guidelines (ANSI/ASSE/ISO 31000)
• Guidance for the Implementation of ISO 31000 (ANSI/ASSE/ISO 31004)
• Risk Assessment Techniques (ANSI/ASSE/IEC/ISO 31010)

ISO 31000 Revision Update

A ballot on the revision of ISO 31000 has been released, and all comments are due during October 2015. It's expected that the overall revision process will be moderate, but some significant updates and changes in specific sections are anticipated. Read more about the revision process here. You can also learn more about the standards, the TAG and the ISO TC262 Committee in ASSE's tech brief.

New Project: Supply Chain Risk ManagementISO TC262 recently launched a project to develop a new standard, "Managing Supply Chain Risk: A Compilation of Best Practices." The standard will provide guidance for developing and embedding a risk management framework and process in supply chain management.

ISO 31000 Links, Resources & Examples of Recognition

• Canada Adopts ISO 31000 Risk Management Standard
• Dr. Marc Siegel Discussion International Security Standards & ISO 31000
• ISO 31000:2009—Setting a New Standard for Risk Management
• ISO Management Systems Special Report
• Use of ISO 31000 Risk Management Standards in Russia

For more information about the TAG and to consider joining, contact ASSE's Tim Fisher.