Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/862794
help keep workers safe when working outdoors in hot weather. Extreme heat causes more deaths than any other weather-related hazard; each year more than 65,000 people seek medical treat- ment for extreme heat exposure. Employers should encourage workers exposed to hot and humid conditions to use the app to check the heat index and relevant protective measures. The app displays the heat index in the user's loca- tion and shows the current risk level. The app also forecasts the hourly heat index throughout the entire workday, giving employers information they can use to adjust the work environment as needed to protect workers. More than 450,000 users have downloaded the original app since it was launched in 2011. The original OSHA app will no longer function after September 30. To download the updated app and get more information on OSHA's efforts to help protect workers from the heat, visit www.osha.gov/heat/index.html. PPG withdraws AkzoNobel bid PITTSBURGH, Pa.—In June, PPG Industries dropped its months-long bid to merge with Dutch rival AkzoNobel. PPG had been the world's largest coat- ings company prior to The Sherwin- Williams Co.'s acquisition of Valspar. After a final attempt to engage with Ak- zoNobel, PPG decided to give up on the merger bid. The bid lasted for over two months and involved three formal offers. AkzoNobel said in a statement that it will continue to pursue its stated plan to spin off its Specialty Chemicals unit into a separate business from its Paints and Coatings unit, a move that the company says will help it to accelerate growth. Fresh Coat open in Fort Collins FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Scott Row- ley is excited to announce the launch of his new, professional painting business. Fresh Coat of Fort Collins offers residen- tial and commercial painting services, in- cluding interior and exterior painting, wood staining and finishing, and other services for nearly every protective coat- ing application. The company serves Fort Collins, Windsor, Severance, Eaton, Timnath, and surrounding areas. The company uses quality, environ- mentally safe materials and offers a 24/7 customer service center, online schedul- ing, in-home color design consulta- tions, and detailed quotes. As part of their commitment to customer service, Fresh Coat offers a 3-3-3 customer ser- vice pledge, so calls will be answered by a live person within 3 minutes, a quote will be delivered within 3 days (cus- tomer schedule permitting) and the job will be started within 3 weeks. OSHA launches safety campaign WASHINGTON, D.C.—OSHA has launched its "Safe and Sound Cam- paign," which calls on employers to re- view and revamp their safety protocols to better protect workers. OSHA states that each year, more than 4 million workers suffer serious job-related in- juries or illnesses, causing companies to spend about $1 billion per week on workers' compensation. This means that not only do workplace incidents hurt workers and their families, they also cost businesses money. The cam- paign aims to curb both. The program, being promoted in OSHA's Region 7, comes on the heels of 12 fatality inspections in Kansas, Mis- souri, and Nebraska in the period of Oct. 1, 2016, through Feb. 1, 2017. That number is up from seven during the same period last year. OSHA found a sig- nificant increase in fatalities associated with confined space entry, trenching and excavating, and workers being struck by motor vehicles. Region 7 covers Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. OSHA is also reminding companies that the administration offers com- p l i a n c e a s s i s t a n c e t o s m a l l - a n d medium-sized business at no charge. More information is available at www.osha.gov/consultation. NEI receives two new patents for functional protective coatings SOMERSET, N.J.—NEI Corpora- tion recently announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has is- sued a notice of allowance to the com- pany on two patent applications—one for a durable highly hydrophobic coat- ing and the other for an adhesion pro- moting surface treatment. These patents complement NEI's portfolio of patents pertaining to superhydropho- bic, self-healing, and abrasion resistant coatings. The company is an applica- tion driven company that uses nan- otechnology to develop and produce advanced materials. Joint standard addresses corrosion planning PITTSBURGH, Pa.—A new standard addressing the process of corrosion pre- vention and control planning is the re- sult of a collaborative effort between the United States Department of Defense, SSPC: The Society for Protective Coat- ings, and NACE International. T h e n e w s t a n d a r d , S S P C - C P C 1/NACE SP21412-2016 Corrosion Prevention and Control Planning, was developed by a joint task force consist- ing of representatives from all three agencies. It serves as a guide to navigat- ing the elements and requirements of CPC planning. The standard defines the key elements/composition of CPC planning for all public- and private-sec- tor users as well as product suppliers and facility owners and managers. The standard defines the key elements and composition of what corrosion pre- vention and control planning encom- passes for the design, manufacturing, construction, operation, and sustainabil- ity of products and facilities. The stan- dard includes aspects of CPC planning, such as considerations for material selec- tion and design to minimize corrosion, and factors that might come up during CPC planning in relation to fabrication and construction, operation and use, and maintenance and sustainability. The standard contains checklists of items to be considered during CPC planning. EPA releases CDR reporting data WASHINGTON, D.C.—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing initial data collected under its Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule from the 2016 CDR re- porting period. This initial release of the 2016 CDR data includes national production volume, other manufac- turing information, and processing and use information, but does not in- 4 POWDER COATING, August 2017