Last week, the December issue ofHealthy Indoorsmagazine was released. The issue was filled with informative articles geared towards indoor air quality (IAQ) and environmental professionals as well as those in the general people who are concerned about the quality of the indoor environments in their homes, schools and places of business. The digital publication, launched last summer, has ...
In Puerto Rico and throughout the rest of the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports there are many workers exposed to fiberglass and other synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs) in manufacturing and end-use applications. SVFs are man-made fibrous materials used for thermal and sound insulating purposes and to reinforce other materials. It is used in ...
As people across Puerto Rico prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with their family and friends, Zimmetry Environmental would like to thank the community for another successful year of providing indoor consulting and environmental compliance testing services for the island’s residents. Over a decade ago, Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental, started the company after working as a ...
For over a decade, when indoor environmental issues occur, companies and agencies across the Caribbean and Central America have turned to Zimmetry Environmental for solutions. The environmental and indoor air quality (IAQ) experts at Zimmetry provide a wide range of services that can identify issues, determine their cause and provide a course of action to quickly resolve a problem. The ...
Even with the beautiful weather that is so common across Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, most people spend the majority of their time indoors. Whether at home, school or in the office, many people spend up to 90% of their time indoors. Spending so much time indoors means that the air people breathe is a key component of a healthy life. Unfortunately, many buildings have problems with their ...
Waste anesthetic gases (WAGs) are small amounts of volatile anesthetic gases that leak from a patient’s anesthetic breathing circuit into the air of operating rooms during the delivery of anesthesia. These gases may also be exhaled by patients recovering from anesthesia. Waste anesthetic gases include both nitrous oxide and halogenated anesthetics. The Occupational Safety and Health ...
Across Puerto Rico and the rest of the United States, November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer and the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in both genders. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010 there were 201,144 people who were diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States. That same ...
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report about two Afghan children living in the United States that were found to have exceptionally high levels of lead in their blood. The children’s parents had used a traditional black makeup known as kajal that some parents from Pakistan and Afghanistan apply around their children’s eyes. Several months ...
While the thought of polluted air in the work environment may bring to mind faded images of coal miners covered in dust or factory workers surrounded by smoke and fumes from decades ago, the reality is many people who work in modern office environments are also being exposed to air quality pollutants. The quality of the air that employees breathe is a critical component of their health and ...
Technology-based companies in Puerto Rico look to advances in materials science to innovate and create new products to sell worldwide. One of these technologies is the development and advancement of nanotechnologies. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines nanotechnology as the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials ...
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that several Illinois construction companies and a manager now face nearly $2 million in fines for exposing workers to known asbestos hazards. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that the affiliated companies violated numerous health standards related to the ...
Later this week, Puerto Rico and the rest of the United States will observe Workers’ Memorial Day. The annual day of recognition takes place each year on April 28th, the same day the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established 46 years ago. According to OSHA, Workers’ Memorial Day is a time to honor those workers who have died on the job, to acknowledge the ...
In March of this year, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published Preventing Hearing Loss Caused by Chemical (Ototoxicity) and Noise Exposure. The advisory bulletin shared information about protecting workers from exposure to certain chemicals, called ototoxicants, which may cause hearing loss or ...
Up until the late 1970s, many different types of building products and materials commonly used in residential and commercial buildings contained asbestos. Today, many of these properties still contain these materials that could be causing a health threat to any building occupants. As these materials age or become disturbed, asbestos fibers can be released into the air. Exposure to asbestos ...
For many people who suffer from allergies in Puerto Rico, a check of the allergy forecast on television or the internet is a frequent activity. While there are many common allergens that can be found in the natural outdoor environment, there are also many allergens that may be present indoors that can be resolved. It is not uncommon for some people to be allergic to more than one indoor ...
Earlier this month,The Gleanerpublished a story about residents from St. Thomas Parish in Jamaica voicing concerns over old and leaking cement water pipes that contain asbestos and deliver water to their homes. This type of pipe was once common, but its use was largely discontinued in North America in the 1980s. While the presence of these types of pipes carrying water and buried ...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and that more men and women die from lung cancer than from any other type of cancer. Fortunately, lung cancer rates are decreasing nationally, as fewer people smoke cigarettes. While cigarette smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer, there are a number of ...
Asbestos was used for decades in many building products found in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean. It is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that when added to building products, offers desirable attributes such as increased strength, corrosion resistance, acoustical dampening, thermal insulation and fire resistance. It is most likely to be found in homes and buildings constructed between ...
As more companies and research institutions work with engineered nanomaterials for industrial and commercial products, a growing number of occupational, health and safety professionals have begun to raise concerns about worker exposures to these tiny materials. This is due to the fact that so many workers in industries that utilize nanomaterials have the potential to be exposed to these ...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the presence of mold is very common in buildings and homes. The agency goes on to report that mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows or pipes, or where there has been flooding. It is well known that exposure to elevated levels of mold can cause health issues for some people. The ...