Whether you’re aware of it or not, the way we categorize and label our chemicals is changing. By June 1, 2015 all labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS) will have been updated to reflect this change. This change is known as the GHS and we are going to spend the next few days breaking it down for you and hopefully making it simple enough to understand and comply with.

What is the GHS?
GHS stands for Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and it seeks to classify and label of chemical. As its name implies, it is first of all an international effort. It is intended to standardize the labelling and data sheets according to health, physical and environmental hazards. After all, the physical properties of chemicals and how they interact with the body, how they effect our health and how they effect the environment doesn’t change just because that particular chemical crosses a border. If it’s dangerous in France, it’s dangerous in Norway too. Because chemicals are being shipped all over the world a standardized system is going to greatly reduce the amount of work involved in the present system which requires relabelling each and every chemical the comes in the country so that it matches the American standard which isn’t necessarily the same as the country from which it is imported.
The GHS is a combination of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, the chemical labeling and classification systems of other US agencies as well as the systems utilized in many countries and international organizations around the world. Much like the European road signs, it is going to use symbols and pictograms as much as possible to bridge the language barrier. We will look at these shortly.

Why did OSHA adopt the GHS?
While the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) was put into effect in 1983, it has never required chemical manufacturers to communicate the information about the hazards in any specific format. Every manufacturer was free to design the label with the information in whatever format they decide upon. The result has been a complex variety that often makes locating the specific information difficult and time consuming. Additionally, because standards, ways of measuring, units of measure, etc… vary from country to country, there is often a considerable amount of work involved in trying to “translate” and convert the information into something that makes sense according to the HCS. Symbols and hazard statements from one country may be totally unfamiliar in another, causing confusion and potentially increasing the danger when that chemical is used.
Although initially, the GHS is going to require a considerable amount of work seing as essentially every label and every MSDS sheet is going to have to be rewritten for each and every chemical in use any where in the world, it will ultimately save hundreds of thousands of man hours each year because of the number of new chemicals being manufactured and exported each year.

GHS (Part 2)  4-13-12 by Safetyguy08

Yesterday we defined the GHS and explained why OSHA decided to adopt it in Understanding GHS (Part 1). Today we are going to look at the timeline for phasing in GHS as well as understanding what the major changes are going to be.

GHS phase-in timeline
December 1, 2013 – employees need to have completed the training on the new labels and MSDS.
June 1, 2015 – Compliance with all modified provisions for anything being produced by manufacturers, importers and distributors of chemicals.
December 1, 2015 – Nothing is shipped without the new GHS labels and MSDS (the period between June 1 and December 1 is intended to allow for the clearing out of old stock that might not yet have the new GHS data).
June 1, 2016 – Every place of business that uses chemicals should be compliant with GHS.

Major Changes
Hazard Classification – This is perhaps the big change. The GHS establishes specific criteria for the classification of health hazards. It gives clear hazard classes and categories that clearly outline the severity of the effect.
Labels – The labels will have signal words, pictograms and hazard statements for each hazard class and category. There are nine pictograms and hazards. The following table from the OSHA website that outlines the new GHS breaks it down best:

HCS Pictograms and Hazards

Health Hazard	Flame	Exclamation Mark
Carcinogen Mutagenicity Reproductive Toxicity Respiratory Sensitizer Target Organ Toxicity Aspiration Toxicity	Flammables Pyrophorics Self-Heating Emits Flammable Gas Self-Reactives Organic Peroxides	Irritant (skin and eye) Skin Sensitizer Acute Toxicity (harmful) Narcotic Effects Respiratory Tract Irritant Hazardous to Ozone Layer (Non Mandatory)
Gas Cylinder	Corrosion	Exploding Bomb
Gases under Pressure	Skin Corrosion/ burns Eye Damage Corrosive to Metals	Explosives Self-Reactives Organic Peroxides
Flame over Circle	Environment (Non Mandatory)	Skull and Crossbones
Oxidizers	Aquatic Toxicity	Acute Toxicity (fatal or toxic)

Safety Data Sheets- Finally, the safety data sheet will have 16 specific sections to it. These are:

Section 1. Identification
Section 2. Hazard(s) identification
Section 3. Composition/information on ingredients
Section 4. First-Aid measures
Section 5. Fire-fighting measures
Section 6. Accidental release measures
Section 7. Handling and storage
Section 8. Exposure controls/personal protection
Section 9. Physical and chemical properties
Section 10. Stability and reactivity
Section 11. Toxicological information
Section 12. Ecological information
Section 13. Disposal considerations
Section 14. Transport information
Section 15. Regulatory information
Section 16. Other information, including date of preparation or last revision

Part 3:

So far, in part 1 we looked at what the GHS was and why OSHA adopted it. Then, in part 2 we looked at the timeline for implementation as well as what the major changes involved are. Today, in our final post on the GHS we are going to look at a few miscellaneous issues involved with the GHS as well as talk about one or two major ommissions.

What the GHS IS NOT changing
A couple of things that are not changing (This is a good thing), is the fact that TLVs (Threshold Limit Values) and PELs (Permissible Exposure Levels) will remain on all documentation. The reason I believe this to be a good thing is because these are numbers that we’ve grown very used to in the safety industry and users and manufacturers alike look for them to decide how safe they are based on exposure to the said chemical.

In addition to the TLV and PEL, OSHA is keeping the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) as well as the NTP (National Toxicology Program) classifications. This should make it clear whether or not the chemical is a known carcinogent and allow users to make educated choices about the level of exposure to chemicals that are known or suspected of causing cancer.

What GHS does not cover
Unfortunately, OSHA still hasn’t dealt with issue of combustible dust. We’ve talked before about this inexplicable inactivity on the part of OSHA and apparently it continues with GHS. This from the OSHA website on this matter:

OSHA has not provided a definition for combustible dust to the final HCS given ongoing activities in the specific rulemaking, as well as in the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the GHS (UN/SCEGHS). However, guidance is being provided through existing documents, including the Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program Directive CPL 03-00-008, which includes an operative definition, as well as provides information about current responsibilities in this area. In addition, there are a number of voluntary industry consensus standards (particularly those of the NFPA) that address combustible dust.In the final HCS, combustible dust hazards must be addressed on labels and SDSs. Label elements are provided for combustible dust in the final HCS and include the signal word “warning” and the hazard statement “May form combustible dust concentrations in the air”.

For chemicals in a solid form that do not present a combustible dust hazard, but may form combustible dusts while being processed in normal downstream uses, paragraph (f)(4) of the HCS allows the chemical manufacturer some flexibility in labeling requirements. The manufacturer or importer to may transmit the label to the customer at the time of the initial shipment, but the label does not need to be included with subsequent shipments unless it changes. This provides the needed information to the downstream users on the potential hazards in the workplace, while acknowledging that the solid metal or other materials do not present the same hazards that are produced when these materials are processed under normal conditions of use.

While any effort is welcome, this does not seem to go far enough and until it is properly addressed, further deaths and injuries will be inevitable.

Bottom Line
The bottom line on the GHS is that an estimated 5 million places of business and some 46 million workers in the US will have a clear, more manageable way to track, catalog and understand the health and environmental hazards associated with the chemicals that they are using. While the initial cost of implementing GHS runs into the hundreds of millions, ultimately the saving of lives, health care expenses, trying to “interpret” and “translate” the different standards from different countries will make the cost worth it. It is an issue that has needed to be addressed for too long. OSHA estimates that this change will prevent 43 and almost 600 injuries each year. That’s substantial. While the issue of combustible dust remains a disappointment, the implementation of the GHS is monumental in helping promote better safety regarding the use of various chemicals in the workplace.

ICE4SAFETY’s trademarked emergency icon was created in 2005 by safety professionals wanting a “Best Practice” highly recognizable and memorable symbol to represent emergency preparedness.
This is especially important for our highly diverse as well as our aging members of society who may find some of the new safety symbology confusing.

We believe we created a very useful and easy to understand representative safety icon and here is the short form reasons why:

1. Symbols should be visually simple & representational. Simple and direct is best.
ICE symbol is comprised of bonified safety colors (Orange, Blue with White lettering) found on OSHA/ANSI signage. ICE represents medical emergency preparedness and reflects the extensively used NHTSA “Star of Life”.  ICE = In Case of Emergency.

Independent study has shown that the term “ICE” is widely recognized by the majority of American citizenry. The concept continues to get coverage in the national media. For those who may not be immediately cognizant of the symbol’s meaning it is a simple and easy task to understand and recall in an emergency situation.

2. Increased Complexity should be relevant and necessary in communicating the symbol’s meaning.
We kept the symbol simple. One need only recall that ICE and Emergency are synonymous.

Text denoting ICE is in plain sight – not obscured by any other symbology, notices, graphics or distracting irrelevant terms such as advertising.
In fact any such sponsorship of the printing of ICE images is relegated to one line (only) of non-distracting text on the bottommost edge of the symbol. Creations of promotional materials for community groups or EMS/Fire is strictly that – promotional. Actual use materials are strictly function oriented. Once again KISS.

3. Symbols should not be arbitrary if they are abstract.
The six bars of the NHTSA Star of Life and safety color scheme are representative of safety in all sectors of our society and have been for decades.

4. Using abstract or arbitrary symbols – using contextual or verbal cues in design may facilitate initial symbol comprehension and increase training effectiveness.
Training and awareness “uptake” for the ICE symbol representing emergency preparedness, workplace safety, emergency medical-contact and related safety/preparedness uses rapid and long term. We advocate KISS and REDUNDANCY as prime concepts of preparedness. The use of “ICE” is promoted for cell phone use and is incorporated in phone design and as an ITU international communication standard E.123 that electronic devices are programmed to recognize by design. 

5. “Learnability” can aid in selection of the best symbol from a set of symbols of similar comprehensibility.
One need only review a list of the various symbols used on job sites and workplaces to see there are conflicting and confusing symbols that can be misunderstood. Not with ICE.  Learnability is high and recognition fast.  In an emergency – when confusion, panic and altered states are commonplace – arbitrary symbols that require extensive cognitive ability are ineffective and likely dangerous.

Learning what ICE represents can be as easy as one 5 second training at a visitor station at any hospital, workplace, business, school, vehicle safety, government facility or home. It IS that simple. A doctoral study in hospitals in Amsterdam has shown that even an uninformed medical professional easily comprehends ICE and immediately agrees to the use of this term and the concept of preparedness that is represented. 

ICE4SAFETY appreciates the support ICE has received and for the continued interest and use in community safety programs.

Recommendations for symbol design were adapted from an article by fellow ASSE members in the March 2012 Professional Safety Magazine – “The Aging Workforce” by Mary F. Lesch, William J. Horrey, W. Ryn Powell and Michael Wogalter. Page 45-49  www.asse.org

Tech Savvy Parents – Smart-ICE4family Ranks in Top 5!

Check it out at iTunes or at www.ems-options.com

By Nancy B. Finn,

More than any other single device or tool, the your wireless mobile phone  with its audio, video, built in cameras and access to the Internet right at your fingertips, has the capability to help patients take charge of health issues, engage more effectively with providers, and become educated, empowered, and interactive in healthcare.

“One third of American adults (35%) own a smartphone (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Palm). 83% of American adults own some kind of cell phone. These mobile phone users incorporate their mobile devices into their lives, accessing the Internet, sending photos and videos to others, going to twitter and engaging in video calls and chats and seeking and using health information.

www.pewinternet.org/report/2011/cellphones/section-1/how-americans-use-their-cellphones.aspx

A study released at the end of 2011 from Manhattan Research, “ Cybercitizen Health® U.S., 2011”, which explores digital health trends among U.S. consumers reaffirms that more American consumers than ever are managing  their personal health  with a  wireless device. This study is based on a randomized poll, conducted on the telephone and online, of 8,745 US adults age 18 and over and revealed that 26 percent of US adults used their mobile phones for health information and tools. This compares with 12% in 2010 and 9% in 2009 and For example, the study revealed that 8% of consumers used prescription drug refill or reminder services on their mobile phones in 2011, up from 3% in 2010. Additionally, increasing numbers of caregivers are using online health information and tools.

Many smartphone owners have also downloaded one or more of the 17,000 health care apps currently available. Twenty-five percent of these apps are free. Research2Guidance, a consulting firm predicts that as many as 500 million people will be using healthcare mobile apps by 2015. Assuming that this prediction is correct, it means that people resonate to owning smartphones and empowering themselves as healthcare consumers with these interactive apps. Among the individuals polled for this research, 33% indicated that they want to manage their health records online and 32 percent said they want to have telehealth visits with their doctors.

www.research2guidance.com/500m-people-will-be-using-healthcare-mobile-applications-in-2015

Consumers indicate that their favorite smartphone applications include:  body weight scales, vital sign meters and gauges, devices that record and track fitness programs and nutrition. Two of the most popular apps to help individual in an emergency are pocket first aid which provides education and instructions on CPR, chocking, burns, diabetic emergencies, and ICE. (In Case of Emergency). When it comes to emergency aid there is nothing as powerful as a cell phone to provide instant access to a provider through the 911 emergency systems and nothing as powerful as the ICE (In Case of Emergency) to provide emergency medical personnel with information about you that could save your life. The newest version of ICE for the smartphone   includes: medical data & contacts for first responders including a list of people to call – (they can be called directly from the app); insurance information; doctor names and numbers; allergies; medical conditions; medication you are on, and any special instructions or other information you wish to provide This app even functions when the PHONE IS PATTERN/PIN/PASSWORD LOCKED. The ICE lock screen also includes an optional “if found” message in case you lose your phone. With this application you can optionally choose to email selected information to your doctor. The app will automatically switch between Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Spanish or Swedish when you are travelling. ICE is free, a gift to mobile phone users and one that every single user should have on their phone. Ideally every phone should come with the ICE app loaded into the phone automatically, leaving it up to the user to fill in the personal details. The mobile phone revolution is upon us and the availability of ICE makes it all worthwhile. 

Nancy B. Finn is the author of e-Patients Live Longer, the Complete Guide to Managing Health Care Using Technology. This book is a guidebook for millions of baby boomers, senior citizens and individual who suffer from chronic conditions and who are trying to address short and longer term health issues by using e-tools to facilitate the best possible medical care for themselves. The book is available as an e-book, software cover and hard cover on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, most online book sites, or from iUniverse, the Publisher.

 Nancy Finn is a  health care  technology expert and writer of the blog Health Care Basics http://www.healthcarebasics.blogspot.com

Organizing and constructing all manner of emergency preparations working off the floor or on wobbly benches or cluttered kitchen tables can be inefficient and frustrating.  Having a solid utilitarian workbench you can custom build yourself (DIY) using common 2×4 lumber will simplify your life considerably.

We built 2 of these simultaneously following instructions with only one modification that allows them to be butted up together back to back to create a larger workspace in an emergency. Normal use would have them against a wall or freestanding.   If you are not overly confident cutting wood yourself – you can have the planning worksheet ready when you visit your local big box or lumber merchant.  you’ll be done in minutes with minimal waste. (One note Home Depot won’t cut wood under 1 foot in length)

Highest quality wood is not essential as run of the mill (no pun) lumber will suffice if straight – but we’d recommend better than stud quality 2×4′s.   We had the local Home Depot cut the wood despite plenty of tools on hand to see if we would save some time – it did. Assembly tools required would be a drill or impact driver (careful not to split wood by drilling and countersinking certain holes), a square, countersink drill bit and screws. 

There are 3 versions of the basic bench using progressively more 2×4′s to reinforce the design and add weight.  We used the 2nd design as it was reinforced in critical parts and we found adding more reinforcement over time if you wanted was a cinch.  The strength of the design allows this to be considered emergency cover in a windstorm or earthquake. 

Choice of worktop, size, work height and materials used is up to you.  Assembly/repair oriented work is better served with a bench above wrist height but we stuck with wrist height as a useful compromise. Even easier is the ability to use 2×4′s as the worktop over the rough surface lower quality plywood found in many stores.  A good sheet of one side sanded plywood can run $30 where you can get enough 2×4′s for a fraction of that.  If you want a smooth surface you can also use a 1/8″ sheet of Masonite board on top and glue or fasten it down.  If you have a lumber merchant nearby – stop by they usually have long term experienced help on hand.

Adding a shelf below and the height of that shelf are up to you as well.  If on a budget-use what you can and attach with exterior grade treated 2 1/2″ decking screws. We suggest you get a battery powered impact drill/driver anyways as they are simply one of the more useful inventions for the home handy person and DIY’er.  Using an impact driver makes all kinds of common sense – they are powerful and small.  If you use plywood on top you might want to countersink the tops of the screws so you will need a countersink drilbit…unless you are not fussy.  The plans call for glueing – your option.

At $4.95 these plans are worth it to organize your workflow, make it easy to understand and visualize the joints and assembly process – even for a novice.  Once you have one of these benches and begin using them to complete your preps or repairs you will wonder why you waited so long.   Visit Andy’s EzWoodshop.com

Here is a list of American Made Clothing Products with associated hyperlinks as well from The American List

ABC News has assembled a fledgling State by State List of Companies Producing goods in the USA that you can view online here:  http://abcnews.go.com/WN/page/map-find-made-america-goods-13917383

This list was provided by a commenter on GBTV   There has been considerably accurate information on the course of events over the past few years submitted by Beck.

Most everyone of these items can be used as barter when the dollar eventually collapses and is worthless.  There are some pretty powerful people and organizations working quite diligently to make sure that the devaluation happens while they appear at the same time to be propping the currency (and the country) up.   Anyways, be sure to have appropriate numbers of containers that can hold smaller quantities of some of these items – for instance – coffee or liquor.  Suggest you make that instant coffee – easier to prepare without electricity. 

Store these items in plastic sealed containers if you got enough room or increase the amounts on hand for yourself and mark up the items with your own code to determine which items are for barter…..this could be too simple, but how about “B”.   KISS.

We will add more as we see fit……

You can include the hyperlink to the site where your dogs picture is located…..no more having to put your phone number on the bottom of the poster in little strips……yikes!

Here is a sample Lost Pet ICE-QR Code 

You can make them sized from very small to very large here at ICE4SAFETY…..and in color and with Descriptive Text, Links, Reward Info or SMS & Hyperlinks….

Nothing saying you can’t use ICE Cards for your Pet…

FREE.

If so, there are some physical properties about Propane that are important to know and that you would not want to learn about when the temperature plummets leaving you powerless just when you would need the services of your generator.   We discussed converting your generators to multi-fuel use in previous blog articles.

Cylinder Capacities in Gallons and BTU’s 

Conversion Example:

 Using these factors we can arrive at run times based on average load for any generator.  

For instance:

How long would a 5000 Watt Generator with a 10 HP engine at 50% load run on a 20# propane cylinder?  (Point to Consider: Some older gensets will run at full (100%) when it senses any load - newer units can power up the engine to meet the load demanded)

10hp at 50% load would be using 5 horse power to generate 2500 watts of energy.

5hp x 10,000 btu would consume 50,000 btu per hour.  

Using a 20# cylinder that produces 441,600 total btu, the engine consuming 50,000 btu per hour would run for about 8.8 hours.

BTU Consumption Chart based on Generator/engine size and load

Many people would want to know what size cylinders they need based on their engine size.  Below are some real conservative estimates of the vaporization rate of various size cylinders based on the ambient outside temperature.  

Output in BTU’s per/hr – Vertical Cylinder 25% full – Minimum Cylinder Pressure 10 PSI

                                                    Cylinder Size

Temp            20             30               40              100             200              420

+60F         24,000       32,000       40,100       79,700       125,900       185,500

+50F         21,200       28,300       35,500       70,600       111,500       164,300

+40F         18,450       24,700       31,000       61,500        97,200        143,100

+30F         15,700       21,000       26,400       52,400        82,800       122,000

+20F        13,000       17,300        21,800       43,300        68,400        100,700

+10F        10,250       13,700        17,200        34,200        54,000          79,500

0                 7,500       10,000        12,600        25,000        39,500          58,300

-10F          4,780         6,400          8,000        16,000         25,300          37,100

-20F         2,050         2,700          3,400          6,800          10,700          15,900

 Click on this link for the physical properties of each cylinder.

 In Laymans Terms – What Does This All Mean?

 Well, if you went exactly by the chart, you would need a 420# cylinder to run a 14hp engine if it was 25% full and 40 degrees outside and keep a minimum of 10 psi in the cylinder.  This is a worse case scenario.  For instance, when a 20# cylinder is full it can run a 16hp engine for quite some time in 40 degree weather before there will be any freezing problem. But if you wanted to use up all the gas in a cylinder, it would have to be sized according to the chart.

Here is why.   Propane is stored as a liquid under pressure and boils to produce a vapor that is drawn off at the top for the engine to use as the fuel.  Because propane boils at -44° (below zero), the gas will freeze if it can not absorb enough ambient heat to compensate for the boiling process.  The bigger the cylinder is compared to the amount of load, the warmer it is outside, the warmer the cylinder is kept, all are a determining factors as to the likelihood of a propane cylinder freezing up. 

 If a sweat or frost line forms around the cylinder at the level of the fuel, this is a telltale sign that the cylinder over worked and is in the process of freeze up.  If the gas does freeze, it will stop producing vapor and the pressure inside the cylinder will drop to as low as zero psi which will cause the engine to stop running. 

  To compensate for an under size cylinder, two cylinders can be tied together using a tee check and pigtails.  Some people place the propane cylinder near the exhaust of the engine to help keep the cylinder warm and have no problem using smaller tanks on bigger engines. This practice needs to be carefully monitored (be prepared to do that!) so that the cylinder does not overheat and cause the relief valve to check off. 

Source: Info adapted from US Carburetion website.  They convert generators to tri-fuel capability as well as offer converted units for sale.

 Then my sister, a capable Maine cook with years of camping experience, said “Let’s do cooler corn!” Before I could ask “What the hell is cooler corn?” a Coleman cooler appeared from the garage, was wiped clean, then filled with the shucked ears. Next, two kettles-full of boiling water were poured over the corn and the top closed.  Then, nothing.

When we sat down to dinner 30 minutes later and opened it, the corn was perfectly cooked. I’m told that the corn will remain at the perfect level of doneness for a couple of hours.
My mind was blown.

Turns out, Cooler Corn is pretty well known among the outdoorsy set, but for those of us who avoid tents as  much as possible, it’s perfect for large barbecues and way less of a mess than grilling. In fact, I may even buy another cooler just so I’m ready for next summer, now that I’m in the know..

Update:  We failed to mention this should be used in an emergency situation – we were reminded recently that unless a plastic container is labeled as being approved for handling food/cooking it should not be used on a regular basis due to the leaching of chemicals that may be hazardous to your health.  You may oddly enough be faced with cooking the only food you have – in this case corn – for a group of people. You could also cook other types of food in this manner as well. Corn is a highly popular treat of course.

Bottom Line – Yes- it works, but keep it in mind for an emergency – An alternative method if you have a large enough cooler would be to place food safe metal/glass containers (like aluminum party dish, pyrex ware etc) inside the cooler and pour in the water to accomplish the same result  – now you would have a super insulated steamer – without the worry.  When you are evacuating or surviving in unfamiliar territory you might have to rely on a variety of methods to stay alive – likely NOT worrying about whether you will get cancer in 20-30 years.   

Some coolers, like the very expensive Yeti Coolers are made of food grade plastic.