Have you ever wondered about what’s inside that box you watch all the time?  Over 40 millions people have at least 1 TV which contain some or all of the hazardous materials listed below.  Many poeple are buying the new LCD or Plasma screen TVs. Hence, the old TV sets are being dicarded into landfills.  The Balitmore Sun recently reported how this could lead to seroius environmental problems. Environmental groups are very concerned about these hazardous materials going into the landfills and our soils.

TV sets and computer monitors are safe when they’re viewed under normal conditions in homes and offices. But when owners discard them, toxic materials inside can leak into the environment if the sets are not properly recycled. Here’s what’s inside:

Lead: Sets with cathode ray tubes (CRTs) contain 4 to 8 pounds. Used in screens and soldered circuit boards. Can cause brain damage, blood disorders, kidney damage and birth defects. Children are particularly vulnerable.

Mercury: Used in lamps of flat-screen liquid crystal displays (LCDs). High levels can contribute to brain and kidney damage, birth defects.

Cadmium: Used in phosphor coating of CRT screens. A carcinogen that accumulates in the body and can cause kidney damage.

Barium: Used inside CRTs. Short-term exposure can cause neurological problems and damage to heart, liver and spleen.

BFRs: Brominated flame retardants are used in wiring. Can disrupt hormones and immune system, especially in children.

PVC: Polyvinyl chloride insulates wires. Can emit toxic fumes when burned in incinerators and can leach out in landfills.

Electronics TakeBack Coalition, Consumer Electronics Association and the EPA are concerned about how this new waste stream will affect the amount of waste and the landfills in the upcoming years. 

What can we do?  Recycle your TV and/or computers properly.  Check with your recycling centers or the EPA to find the best way to keep these hazardous materials out of the landfills.  Be RESPONSIBLE!

The BIG show is almost here.   The National Safety Council’s Congress & Expo is scheduled for October 15, 16, & 17 in Chicago.  This is the largest Safety & Health expo in the world.  There will be about 140 educational sessions, 32 professional development seminars, and over 800 exhibitors.  Many companies send their safety teams to attend the educational seminars and then have their annual safety meeting afterwards.  It is also a great place to network and look for jobs.  My favorite part has always been the people I have met.  Safety and Health professionals from all over the world.  Click here for a link to the keynote speakers. 

If you have the opportunity, come and check it out, you won’t be sorry.

July 31, 2007 - Battery-powered, hand-held Primetest 100 combines functionality of tool and appliance tester with extension cord tester and power receptacle checker in single instrument. By verifying electrical safety of electrical products, equipment, and appliances, unit helps employers meet OSHA obligations. OSHA 1910.334(a) indicates any damaged portable cord or plug connected equipment may not be used by employee until repairs and tests necessary to render equipment safe have been made.

This is a nice tool to have at home too.  How many of us have old tools and extension cords we don’t want to throw out?  But at about $600 it might be a little expensive for home use.

First Responders to Get WISER, Thanks to DOT, HHS
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook is the go-to reference for first responders to help them quickly identify hazardous material classifications, determine the best response, and protect themselves and the public immediately after an incident. Now, because of a joint effort between DOT and the Department of Health and Human Services, responders will for the first time have electronic access to the guidebook’s info through laptops and PDAs for potentially even faster fact finding.

Signed in late June, an agreement between the DOT Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the HHS National Library of Medicine led to the development of a special software application called the Wireless Information System for Emergency Responsers, or WISER, which makes the electronic guidebook accessible through palm devices like the Blackberry and other PDAs, some phones, and Windows-based laptops and desktops.

“This new digital tool will give our police, firefighters, and other emergency responders first on the scene the information they need to make the rapid-fire decisions necessary to protect the public and themselves,” said Ted Willke, PHMSA associate administrator for hazardous materials safety.

For more information, visit http://hazmat.dot.gov/pubs/erg/gydebook.htm/ . For information on WISER visit http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/.

By Josh Cable, Occupational Hazards Magazine

If yours is the type of office where computers, printers, monitors, scanners, lamps, CD players, cell phones and iPod chargers typically are plugged into one inexpensive, overloaded power strip, the nonprofit Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) cautions that such a practice not only is unsightly but also dangerous.
According ESFI, overloaded electrical circuits pose both an electrocution and fire hazard. While the number of outlets in offices often is a factor that is out of employers’ – and employees’ – control, ESFI recommends these steps to stay safe from electrical hazards:
 
If you must use a power strip, use a name-brand product from a reputable retailer. Low-quality or counterfeit power strips may contain wiring that isn’t adequate to carry the load.

• Place power strips where there is plenty of air circulation to disperse heat.
• Do not attempt to plug grounded (three-prong) cords into ungrounded (two-slot) outlets.
• Do not bind, kink or knot electrical cords.
• Never run power cords under rugs or where chairs can roll over them.
• Keep cords close to a wall to avoid trip hazards.
• Keep all non-critical electrical items unplugged until you need to use them.
• Consider charging battery-operated devices in another area.

If your computer screen flickers or fades, or you detect a burning smell, power down and immediately contact the building engineer.

If you work from home, have a licensed electrician conduct an electrical inspection.

For additional electrical safety information, visit the foundation’s Web site or call (703) 841-3229.

If you get into an accident or have an emergency situation, who do you contact?  What if someone else had to find that contact?  Today many people are programming the word ICE into their cell phones. ICE stands for “In Case of Emergency call….”

This is the new acronym (ICE) paramedics and emergency personnel are checking on your cell phone if they are treating you, and you are unresponsive. A British paramedic develop this concept in 2005. 

So how does it work?  Simply program a contact into your cell phone with the term ICE (I use ICE-Wife and ICE-Son) and add their phone numbers.  I have both work and cell phone numbers included.  That’s all you have to do. So don’t worry about the cold.  Get some ICE and be safe out there.