11/4/2019 I remember the very first time I saw someone talking on a mobile phone while driving. It was back in the 1980’s when these devices were the size of a shoe box. The woman talking and driving seemed to be a successful business person, driving her Mercedes while appearing to have a wonderful time chatting away while moving along a busy street in Southern California. I couldn’t help but be impressed. Maybe one day Read more…
10/21/2019 I think it is safe to say that trying to understand why people do things has been a curiosity as old as time. In the field of S&H, rules and regulations have been written to help provide workers in the US and throughout the world with processes to help ensure, that when these rules and regulations are applied, workplace tasks can be performed so that the safety and health of those performing their work Read more…
9/30/2019 Carbon dioxide is classified as a simple asphyxiant. That is, it is non-toxic and unlike other materials such as hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide and its closely molecularly-related substance, carbon monoxide – all classified as chemical asphyxiants – it will not chemically interact with our respiratory system, causing our body’s inability to absorb oxygen into our blood stream or prohibit its use on a cellular level: all resulting in an almost instantaneous death by suffocation. Read more…
2/8/2021 During a casual conversation with a coworker about vineyards in New Mexico and how they compare to wineries and vineyards in other parts of the country (of course Napa and Sonoma Counties headed the list), the topic switched gears to the health effects of wine and whether red wine offers a significant advantage over its white wine counterpart. A typical glass of wine includes water (obviously), anthocyanin (an antioxidant), and polyphenols; a category of Read more…
2/15/2021 Sleep tight…and don’t let the bed bugs bite! A common saying that many of us have heard or even said or been told by a loved one right before retiring from our day and getting ready to lie our head on down on a soft pillow. Unfortunately, not having the bed bugs bite is more than a sweet metaphor for the more abridged version of “good night.” Bed bugs are insects from the genus Read more…
2/22/2021 It is truly amazing how fast time flies. I was thinking of an event that seemed like it happened a few years ago, but it was closer to 25 years. But the incident remains fresh in my mind. I was working at a naval facility in Southern California. It was lunch time so a bunch of us went to pick up a quick bite to eat and when we got back to the base, Read more…
10/13/2014 Nationally, crashes involving a large truck or bus killed 4,281 people in 2013. Unfortunately, this number has not changed in the past four years. A few weeks ago, on Friday September 26, a tracker-trailer crossed a southern Oklahoma highway median and plowed into the side of a Texas college softball team’s bus, killing four team members and injuring more than a dozen others. Investigators said that the truck showed no signs of braking or maneuvering Read more…
9/16/2019 I remember a story about a government employee that was assigned to wiretap the phone of several mob bosses in New York. He was left in solitude with a bed, bathroom, small kitchen and a desk, where his surveillance equipment was operating 24 hours every day. He was required to report back to his field office once a week. After many months of working in his confined work quarters, his field office lost communications. Read more…
9/9/2019 S&H professionals always emphasize the importance of hazard recognition. That’s because, once a hazard is identified, the possibility of an incident occurring from that hazard is significantly reduced. The fact is, some of the greatest disasters of the world were the result of not seeing when danger was present. Or maybe the hazards were identified and instead, were ignored. Of course, the most famous example is the Titanic. Taking a course through the north Read more…
8/5/2019 Drill rigs are an integral part for performing work in the Environmental Industry. They are used in many applications and investigations necessary for soil and ground water contamination determination. Those in the industry are familiar with the various types of drill rigs, ranging from hollow stem, percussion rotary air blast, cable tool drill rigs and direct push: each has its specific purpose and is designed for definite project objectives. One of the most popular Read more…