Mobile Navigation

Environment, Health, Safety & Security

This handheld chemical analyzer connects to smartphones

A new smartphone-operated portable chemical analyzer provides a platform for chemical leak detection and other industrial applications, according to developer MyDx Inc. (San Diego, Calif.; www.cdxlife.com). The company designed the handheld analyzer for consumers, but the technology platform has origins…

NFPA 652: Standardizing Combustible Dust Standards

The latest NFPA standard applies to many industry sectors, and aims to address the fragmented nature of the industry-specific standards currently in place On September 7, 2015, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA; Quincy, Mass.; www.nfpa.org) issued NFPA 652 (Standard…

Monitoring Flame Hazards In Chemical Plants

The numerous flame sources in CPI facilities necessitate the installation of advanced flame-detection technologies Fire is a primary and very real threat to people, equipment and facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI), especially in the refining and storage of…

Microbes make a meal of PET

Research groups at Keio University (Hiyoshi; www.bio.keio.ac.jp/labs/kmiyamoto) and Kyoto Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Teijin Ltd. and Adeka Corp., have discovered a bacterium that can degrade and assimilate poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and have clarified the decomposition mechanism. This is…

EPA launches voluntary methane challenge program

On March 30, EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Washington, D.C.; www.epa.gov) launched a new voluntary partnership program — with 41 founding partner companies in the oil and gas sector. The Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program builds upon the Natural…

Eye and face protection standards updated in OSHA final rule

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a final rule that updates personal-protective-equipment requirements for general industry and others. The rule updates references in OSHA’s Eye and Face Protection Standards to recognize the ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010, Occupational and…

OSHA issues final rule on ‘respirable’ silica dust

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor has issued a final rule to better protect workers who are exposed to respirable silica dust. The rule is aimed to curb lung cancer and other diseases…

Federal grant funding for pollution prevention is announced by EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencu (EPA) announced that $8 million in Federal grant funding will be available during 2016 and 2017 to support pollution prevention (P2) projects that aim to significantly reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials, water…

Cutting-edge Composites: Materials for a New Era

The combination of advanced materials and processing techniques results in new composites that can aid industries in achieving increased levels of efficiency By their nature, composite materials lend themselves to a vast array of applications. A composite’s constituent materials and…

Focus on Fire Prevention

Create your own user feedback survey