Environment, Health, Safety & Security
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…
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Tackling environmental challenges
Last month marked the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21). World leaders gathered in Paris, France with the goal of working out an international agreement aimed at minimizing global warming and…
Facts at your Fingertips: Process Hazards Analysis Methods
Different methodologies are available for conducting the structured reviews known as process hazards analyses (PHAs) for new processes. PHAs are often conducted or moderated by specialists, with participation by the design team, representatives of the facility owner, and experienced process…
Progress to Limit Climate Change
As world leaders agree on the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, major milestones and new technologies point toward potential solutions Last month, delegates from 195 countries converged on Paris, France for the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21;…