The CDC has issued good information on the swine flu outbreak, but the media is unaware that pictures of people wearing masks have the wrong mask and the fit is also poor. Little protection is given to the wearer. Few healthcare people would be aware of this shortcoming.

Swine Flu Respiratory Protection

The Health Canada report on crysotile asbestos was recently released after a very long delay. One of the problems with asbestos is that it is two mineral groups, with crysolite being less toxic than the other forms of asbestos.This editorial in The Ottawa Citizen editorial “Immoral exports” on April 21, […]

Canada’s crysotile

Its interesting to see early definitions of industrial hygiene: Margaret A. Schaffner The American Political Science Review, Vol. 3, No. 2 (May, 1909), p. 218

Industrial Hygiene in 1909

I couldn’t resist this one. The super hero Asbestos Lady had the special power of having a fire proof costume. Its from The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson.

Asbestos Lady

What you see is not what you get. The paper: Stayner, L., E. Kuempel, et al. (2008). “An epidemiological study of the role of chrysotile asbestos fibre dimensions in determining respiratory disease risk in exposed workers.” Occup Environ Med 65(9): 613-619.

Asbestos fibre size

A case-control study (622 cases, 1420 controls) by Professor Julian Peto and others and funded by the UK HSE “A Occupational, domestic and environmental mesothelioma risks in Britain” has just been released.

2009 UK Mesothelioma Study

Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) used to be bought at a chemist’s shop as purple crystals. Way back, when Adam was a boy, it was included in snake bite kits

Potassium Permanganate

Whole House fans have been around for over 40 years and offer a way to make a dramatic

Whole House Fans

It appears that the Australian Government is about to offer free ceiling insulation to thousands of homes. That fine when you want to keep the cool in with air conditioning or the warmth in with heating. However,

Another insulation myth