Two Weeks Later, New Safety Training for Gulf Workers Has Yet to Begin
On June 18, David Michaels, director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, told us that his agency was working with BP to improve safety training for offshore cleanup workers who may be exposed to crude oil and dispersants. But two weeks after the interview -- in which Michaels said that he expected the new training course to begin within days -- the course has not started and OSHA says it is still reviewing the new curriculum.
Safety trainings for cleanup workers are provided by BP, subject to OSHA's approval. A spokesman for OSHA suggested in a statement that the delay was in part because the agency wasn't satisfied with BP's proposed improvements to the training.
"OSHA will not approve something that is unsatisfactory, and that is why it is currently working with BP on the third draft of the new curriculum," the statement said. "Additionally, implementation of the increased training requirements has taken time as OSHA and NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) have been developing an interim worker health and training guide to assist them with their decision-making and operations in the cleanup. This document has just been finalized."
The training is to increase from four hours to eight hours and will address new subjects including protection from chemical exposure and workers' rights, Michaels told us in our initial interview. The expanded course will be provided to offshore workers in the Vessels of Opportunity program -- which employs local boat operators and crews in cleanup activities -- but not to shoreline responders, who are cleaning the beaches.
Shoreline workers are considered to be at lower risk because by the time oil reaches the beaches it has weathered long enough that it has "lost its most volatile chemicals," Michaels said.
The most recent data from BP and the Louisiana health department show continuing reports of illness by cleanup workers. As we noted last week, BP's statistics showed the number of illnesses among its workers rising from 86 by June 10 to 307 by June 17, a change that the company said came in part from clearing a backlog in its paperwork.
From June 13 to June 26, the Louisiana health department recorded 54 new reports of health problems that those reporting say were related to exposure to pollutants from the oil spill. Unlike those in previous weeks, in which complaints came from both workers and the general population, all of the most recently recorded reports came from cleanup workers.
OSHA says it is working to finalize the new course's contents and start date, and will update us when it has new information. We'll let you know when we hear more.
The BP oil disaster in the Gulf has had untold health, economic and environmental effects.
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2 comments
Margie Kronewitter
July 6, 2010, 9:16 p.m.
ALOHA. Detoxification is the Key. I acquired Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in 1992 after living in a rental with concealed leaking plumbing that resulted in Black Mold. Wearing chemical masks for extended periods result in sinus infections & PAIN.
Keats publishes “Chemical Sensitivity” for $5. It is great intro to living defensively in this chemical world. There are 3 basic detox enzymes. Glutathione (from sulphur foods) Super Oxide Dismutase (from wheat grass) and Catalase. Alpha Lipoic Acid is a dual purpose antioxidant. Folic acid (mandatory for foetal protection and hard to get as a fresh food) is very inexpensive and even works for depression. (A toxic liver results in depression & irritability).
One must feed the biochemical pathway that makes these enzymes. Minerals & vitamins are important as are amino acids such as Taurine & N A C (cysteine: predominantly from sulphur foods) ,
I take glutathione pills sublingually. If you need it, it tastes almost sweet (for a sulphur) and when you are saturated, it tastes bitter. I’ve used it to save dogs that were overdosed on “flea poison” and Roscoe recovered in 5 minutes.
One must take into account “biochemical individuality”, but sulphur is why broccoli, onions, garlic, etc. are “good for you”. Just trying to stir some interest in Functional Medicinal Foods and eating defensively.
Good Fats (including saturated from grass fed animals) are so important thay are called ESSENTIAL Fatty Acids. They make the BRAIN, nerves and every cell menbrane. Unfortunately, these “soft parts” are the most easily damaged. Study up & survive. Aloha
Margie Kronewitter
July 6, 2010, 9:33 p.m.
Aloha again. Had to emphasize Folic Acid. It is 5 cents per pill. Mandatory during pregnancy to protect the nerves. Basically detoxifies ALDEHYDES: formaldehyde in plasticised building materials (and toxic trailers, carpets, perfumes, etc.), and acetaldehyde in alcohol, yeast infections, fungal infections etc.
Acetaldehyde causes hangovers and the craving for more alcohol. The “Hair of the Dog” hangover treatment begins the detoxification process, but results in a viscious circle.
When one takes the Rx Nystatin for fungal infection, it makes you sick, because the cell membrane (skin) of the fungi are made of acetaldehyde and dissolve. It is known as the Herxheimers response.
PubMed.com has many studies where patients were given 15 miligrams daily, but the FDA limits OTC pills to 800 micrograms because it can MASK a B12 deficiency test that is outmoded. In addition to my daily STRESS combo of C & activated B complex, I take an additional 800 mcg. 2x daily and reccomend it to my Guinea Pig patients.
NOTICE: always consult a physician and be aware of Biochemical Individuality, although Folic Acid is given to every pregnant woman…. so appears quite safe.
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