Laura Walter

The process of extracting gas through hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” has raised questions of potential health and safety implications, including the possibility of groundwater contamination. At the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo (AIHce) in Montreal, Heather Avens, Ph.D., a health scientist with ChemRisk LLC, shared what she and her colleagues uncovered about surface spills in hydraulic fracturing.

John Leyland, president of Safety Performance Services, opened his session at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo (AIHce) in Montreal with a true story of a workplace tragedy that took place decades ago: On a morning like any other, a husband and father went to his job at an electrical utility. But on this day, he made contact with a high-voltage line and landed in the hospital. Two days later, he died, leaving his wife a widow and his 5-year-old son fatherless.

Bonjour! EHS Today is in Montreal for the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo (AIHce), where thousands of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals have convened to discuss the latest trends in industrial hygiene innovation.

It was just a typical day at work. Gary Norland and his coworkers were discussing weekend plans as they worked near overhead power lines. But when Norland leaned back and came into contact with 12,500 volts of electricity, he suffered life-changing burns the required a 4-month hospital stay and more than 50 surgeries.

Now, 20 years after the accident, Norland has a message: “Everything you are going to do is going to affect others for the rest of your life. So if you get injured, it's an impact that's going to affect everybody.”

With a theme of “Worker Safety Works for Everyone,” the 2013 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week strives to raise awareness about occupational safety and health and encourages EHS professionals to share their safety stories.

A review of fatal car crashes that involved driver cell phone use suggests that cell phone use may be underreported or inconsistently reported, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). NSC President and CEO Janet Froetscher said the number of crashes involving cell phone use and distraction likely is “much greater” than current reporting indicates due to a variety of complicating factors.

In 2007, I lived just down the street from a McDonald's in Lakewood, Ohio. On July 7 that year, I heard sirens in the neighborhood but didn't think much of it.