Occupational Safety

Just how dangerous is dioxin? Is it the world's most toxic chemical, harmful in a few parts per quadrillion (that's 1 with 15 zeros behind it)?Or is it the ubiquitous byproduct of an industrialized society that each year releases enough into the ecosystem to exceed World Health Organization limits for every human being on Earth -- without killing off the planet?The United States spent $33 million a decade ago to buy the town of Times Beach, Mo., and relocate its 2,200 residents because the roads had been sprayed with oil that was laced with dioxin.

A paragraph in an article April 23 on the hazards to workers who make or use flavorings with diacetyl implied that the government relied solely on industry-paid scientists in approving diacetyl as safe for consumption. In fact, in 1980 the Food and Drug Administration contracted with a scientific panel that reviewed existing literature about the chemical and found no reason to suspect risk. Previously, the FDA had based its safety assessment on information furnished by the flavoring industry.

The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health office is investigating an accident in Finksburg Monday in which a man was burned when he touched a high-voltage power line.Michael Gower, 25, an employee of Henkels & McCoy Inc., was in critical condition yesterday at the Francis Scott Key Medical Center burn unit in Baltimore. His condition had worsened from Monday, when he was listed in serious condition.Mr. Gower received third-degree burns over 50 percent to 70 percent of his body.Mr. Gower and other Henkels & McCoy employees were working as subcontractors for Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. and were upgrading a 33,000-volt line to 115,000 volts, a utility spokeswoman said.

There's some new buzz on vibrating exercise platforms. The machines, which are cropping up with increasing frequency in gyms and exercise rooms, are used during workouts. They're based on the theory that vibrating the body like a giant tuning fork will strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and build bone. Some research suggests the machines may provide moderate benefits, but researchers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston have found that the machines also may exceed occupational safety standards for vibrating equipment such as trucks and heavy machinery.

A 45-year-old man doing contract work clearing trees after superstorm Sandy in a residential community in Annapolis was killed by a falling tree on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. The death is the second caused by a falling tree in Anne Arundel since Sandy entered the region. On Monday night, 74-year-old Donald C. Cannata, Sr. was killed in the kitchen of his Pasadena home after a tree smashed through the roof. In Annapolis, emergency crews first responded shortly before 1 p.m. to the 1600 block of Homewood Road for a report of an injured contractor, said Chief Michael Cox, a fire spokesman.

The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Domino Sugar $4,000 for allowing sugar dust to accumulate in its refinery, which is believed to have caused an explosion last year at the Key Highway plant in South Baltimore, according to a state report. The Nov. 2 explosion echoed across the harbor, and authorities said they suspected sugar dust might have ignited. Three employees suffered minor injuries, several pieces of equipment were destroyed and dozens of windows were shattered in the blast.

"How does this happen to an educator on state property?" a Baltimore County legislator was quoted as asking about Hannah Wheeler, Maryland's latest victim of workplace violence ("Cheltenham death inquiry involves teen," Feb. 20). The data on workplace violence, which is defined as being threatened or assaulted while at work, are crystal clear. Compared to those in other occupations, social services workers, including teachers of troubled youth and with those who work in professions such as mental health and health care, are disproportionately hurt by violence and assault from their students or patients.

Shaped like a teardrop and carved out of the eastern bank of the Bush River, the UNDEX Test Facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground has earned the nickname "Super Pond" for its unusual properties. Viewed from above, the man-made pond looks much darker than the nearby waters of the Chesapeake Bay. That's because it drops 150 feet to a flat bottom, where, out of view of the public, the military tests missiles, torpedoes, sonar and the effects of explosions on submarines and boats - all within walls that can withstand the equivalent of 4,100 pounds of TNT. It's also where Navy divers practice salvage missions.

Here are some useful sources of information on cumulative trauma disorders:Maryland Occupational and Safety Administration, Consultation Unit501 St. Paul St., 4th Floor, Baltimore, Md. 21202Ron LeClair, chief, (301) 333-4218National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthRobert A. Taft Laboratories4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226-19981-800-35-NIOSHCenter for Office Technology575 Eighth Ave., 14th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018-3011(212) 560-1298Institute for Office Ergonomics215 W. Haviland Lane, Stamford, Conn.

Two construction workers were severely injured yesterday in a fall at the site of a townhouse project in Ellicott City, authorities said. The victims fell about 20 feet from a lift and were flown by state police medevac helicopter to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Howard County Fire Department spokesman Bill Mould said. The accident occurred about 4 p.m. on Lee Hollow Place. Mould said the accident was being investigated by Maryland Occupational Safety and Health. The victims' names were not released last night.