A couple of news items to catch up on following the holidays that may be of interest to people.
First, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), has launched a dedicated website containing information such as: OSHA’s definition of nanotechnology, the applicable OSHA standards, and workplace health effects related to nanotechnology. Worth adding to your "bookmarks."
Second, the International Standards Organization (ISO) released ISO/TR 12885:2008, "Health and safety practices in occupational settings relevant to nanotechnologies." The report addresses, "health and safety practices in occupational settings relevant to nanotechnologies." The abstract further describes the report as follows: "ISO/TR 12885:2008 focuses on the occupational manufacture and use of engineered nanomaterials. It does not address health and safety issues or practices associated with nanomaterials generated by natural processes, hot processes and other standard operations which unintentionally generate nanomaterials, or potential consumer exposures or uses, though some of the information in ISO/TR 12885:2008 might be relevant to those areas.
Use of the information in ISO/TR 12885:2008 could help companies, researchers, workers and other people to prevent adverse health and safety consequences during the production, handling, use and disposal of manufactured nanomaterials. This advice is broadly applicable across a range of nanomaterials and applications."
Now that we are through the winter holidays and New Year (and a happy new year to you!), we expect the nano-related news and events to begin picking up soon. Here’s to whatever 2009 may hold!
