New Deli Slicer Standards in Food Safety

All newly manufactured and certified Deli Style Slicers comply with the sanitation requirements of the NSF standard.  However, over time, and with constant use and regular cleaning, seals can deteriorate, creating vulnerable points of bacterial harborage that have been associated with specific food borne illness outbreaks.  Regular inspection and routine maintenance has been shown as the most effective way to minimize this problem, especially for older equipment.

This presentation will focus on the key parts of the Deli Style Slicer that have shown deterioration with use over time.  This presentation will describe what  food safety professionals should monitor closely during routine sanitation inspections. We then will present recommendations on when to service equipment, or when to take  units out of service altogether.  The presentation will focus on the key findings of foodborne illness outbreak investigations specific to the Deli Style Slicers which led to the recommendation to revise  the NSF/ANSI standard pertaining to these products. We will then further look at the research and the science that formed the foundation for the revisions to the American National Standard.

The science behind the recommended changes to the revised NSF/ANSI standard has resulted in a necessary re-engineering of the design and construction of the Deli Style Slicer as we know it today. These changes  should result in the improvement of both the serviceability and food safety associated with this very common piece of food service equipment.  The presentation will focus on and describe several of the specific new requirements found in the revised standard.

Evaluating Laser Pointer Safety [POSTER]

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of laser pointers. Additionally, a variety of consumer level laser devices were evaluated in order to test the validity of any existing manufacturer label classification.  Classification discrepancies are a problem for the environmental health professional due to the fact that the lasers are easily obtained, have widespread use and have the potential to cause permanent ocular and/or skin damage with very little contact time with the beam.  Ocular damage is of particular concern due to the eye’s ability to increase laser light intensity to many thousands of times by its focusing power.  Currently, there are no regulatory standards to keep class III and IV laser sources out of the hands of minors or careless consumers. This study will evaluate the power/energy emitted from a variety of 17 consumer lasers, all of which were unconditionally purchased online.  Data collected from the laser evaluations have been analyzed and tabulated in accordance with ANSI 2007 recommendations.

The Evolving World of Environmental Health: A strategy of how to best adapt and advance the profession from an entry-level professional, a mid-level manager and a senior director

The field of environmental health is constantly evolving, as new hazards threaten our communities. For example, Cryptosporidium is commonly associated with waterborne outbreaks, yet we knew little about this agent just twenty years ago. Less than ten years ago, sprouts were not considered a potentially hazardous food. Environmental health professionals are increasingly involved with disaster sanitation and emergency planning management, but are we prepared? Knowledge and skills must evolve in order to keep pace with current environmental health needs.

This panel presentation will offer a step-by-step strategy on how to adapt to the evolving world of environmental health by sharing perspectives of an entry level professional, a mid-level manager, and a senior director. The panel will assess the current environmental health employment opportunities and barriers for new graduates and experienced professionals.  The panel will identify common skills employers are seeking, how new graduates can best prepare to enter the work force, and discuss adaptation strategies to keep relevant in a changing field. Additionally, we will outline similarities and differences between the new entry level workers and the experienced managers as it relates to the progression of the profession.  The panel will conclude the presentation by providing solutions on how we can all effectively collaborate to advance the profession and meet the needs of the evolving world of environmental health.

California’s Unified Approach to Hazardous Material Programs

The task of regulating the use of hazardous materials in industry can be very complicated, and has become complex due to numerous and convoluted regulations and the multitude of agencies that are charged with the administration of these programs. This presentation will illustrate California’s innovative and unique approach to this issue. In 1993 California Senate Bill 1082 was enacted. SB 1082 consolidated six existing hazardous materials and hazardous waste regulatory programs to improve coordination and consistency. These programs are referred to collectively as the Unified Program.

Prior to the creation of the Unified Program, the six program elements were implemented by over 1,300 separate state and local agencies. Today there are 83 Unified Program Agencies that were certified to meet established standards by the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).  These Certified Unified Program Agencies are known as CUPAs. Cal/EPA certifies and regularly evaluate the CUPAs to ensure compliance with established statutory and regulatory standards. The mission of the Unified Program is to protect public health and safety, and to restore and enhance environmental quality, and sustain economic vitality through effective and efficient implementation of the Unified Program. California is an extraordinarily diverse state.  Alpine County has 1000 residents and Los Angeles County has 10,000,000. Local agencies know how to best adopt, implement and enforce these requirements in their jurisdiction. The CUPA Forum Board works with US EPA and Cal EPA to ensure that their efforts are coordinated and implemented consistently with federal and state standards. At the heart of the implementation of SB 1082 was the requirement for every County in California to apply and become certified as a Unified Program Agency. Due to the type of programs being administered most CUPAs were placed in local Environmental Health Departments. Today 42 of the 83 CUPAs are within Environmental Health Departments. This lecture will address the history and structure of the Unified Program, and describe the innovative and successful approach California chose. Attendees will learn how the use of education and a consolidated inspection and enforcement program can lead to success. 

Air Monitoring for Nanoscale Materials - An Update to the Sampling Protocol [POSTER]

Recent research of carbon nanotubes has found they may act like asbestos in the body, causing inflammation, lesions, and possibly cancer.  Many industries are exploiting the use of nanoscale materials, particularly carbon nanotubes due to their many uses, such as electronics, energy efficient batteries, and as a drug delivery system. A traditional industrial hygiene approach has been used to perform air monitoring to assess possible releases of nanoscale materials.  Since there are no OSHA, NIOSH, ACGIH, or other limits for nanoscale materials forthcoming, a departure from background concentrations was used to identify potential releases. This study describes the most recent industrial hygiene air monitoring protocol used at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to assess research and development use and controls of nanoscale materials, including carbon nanotubes.  This study will define the air sampling protocol, describe advantages and limitations, and provide real life examples. Key data analyzed will include particle count (using TSI condensation particle counters) and morphology (using polycarbonate filters and electron microscopy) that may be linked to toxicological effects with future study.