December 1999

FLUORESCENT RECYCLING, MORE THAN A BRIGHT IDEA!

Preliminary analysis of the NH Mercury Baseline Survey for Hospitals has revealed that nearly 70% of the 22 hospitals responding to the survey recycle their fluorescent bulbs. These hospitals may have chosen to recycle their bulbs because they know that when lamps break or are disposed of in a solid waste landfill or incinerator, even the tiny amounts of mercury they contain (10 to 40 milligrams) can contaminate air, soil, or water.

Recently, lamps advertised as "non-hazardous" have become available on the market. These lamps, while having low enough concentrations of mercury to be considered legally non-hazardous, still contain about 10 milligrams of mercury, and pose a threat to the environment if improperly discarded. Call the NH Department of Environmental Services at 271-2956 for a list of fluorescent lamp recycling facilities and a handy fact sheet called Waste Mercury-Containing Lamps: Management Requirements for Handlers and Transporters.
Did you know that your hospital’s fluorescent lamps can be recycled for just 9 cents a foot through a contract the state of New Hampshire has with Global Recycling Technologies? This competitively priced contract can be accessed by any non-profit agency certified under 501 C tax status. For more specifics call Global at 800-478-6055 and reference contract number 155093.


A PRESCRIPTION FOR REDUCTION?
The recently conducted survey of NHHA’s acute care member hospitals revealed that 13 of the 22 hospitals responding to the NH Mercury Baseline Survey for Hospitals are still using mercury fever thermometers at their facilities. The good news is that eight of the thirteen that are still using them are working to phase them out.

Four of the 13 hospitals are still sending mercury thermometers home with their newborn or other patients. In 1998, these four hospitals sent 2,025 mercury fever thermometers home with patients. That’s over 2,000 accidents waiting to happen, since most homeowners aren’t aware of proper clean up or disposal procedures of mercury spills, or the possible health risks to their families from mercury exposure. Nationwide 18,324 calls were made to poison control centers and emergency rooms in 1998 because of broken mercury fever thermometers, up almost 3,000 calls from 1997.

There is a legislative study committee looking at ways to reduce mercury in New Hampshire. They are currently considering legislation that would create bans or restrictions on certain mercury-added products, including mercury fever thermometers. The legislation as presently crafted would prohibit the sale or supply of mercury fever thermometers to consumers and patients, except by prescription. To see a copy of the entire draft bill, contact Debbie Augustine at 225-0900 or daugustine@nhha.org.


A "WIN-WIN" FOR SPEARE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Congratulations to Speare Memorial Hospital! The U.S. EPA recently selected them as a 1999 ENERGY STAR Small Business Award winner. The award recognizes small businesses that have effectively reduced energy usage while cutting costs. Speare was one of only eighteen recipients selected nationwide for exemplary pollution prevention obtained through energy efficiency. Small businesses were judged on the number of upgrades made, cost savings per square foot, creativity and innovation. The awards program recognizes those who make the initial investment in energy efficiency and reach the goal – cost savings. For more info on the ENERGY STAR Small Business program, a free service of EPA, call 1-888-STAR-YES. To see SMH’s brief case study of cost savings on NHHA’s web site, type www.nhha.org/Library/rerere.htm#energy.


A LIST SERVE FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE HEALTH CARE
Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), the collaborative campaign for environmentally responsible health care, now has an "Environmentally Aware Health Care" list serve. It’s meant for health care professionals charged with purchasing, using or disposing of products or waste from medical care, and are concerned about the health and environmental impacts of those activities. The list serve is a forum for inquiries, discussion and information sharing. For example, if you ‘re looking for an alternative to mercury-containing Miller-Abbot tubes and have questions about the efficacy of the non-mercury options, you can pose that question to the group. It’s a "closed" list serve so your request to subscribe must be approved before you can be added to the list. This is to keep vendors from joining the list. List members will not be made public or exchanged with any other group. To subscribe, send your contact info to HCWH’s Jackie Hunt Christensen at jchristensen@iatp.org.


WHO ME? DO I CONTRIBUTE
MERCURY TO THE ENVIRONMENT?
The Foundation for Healthy Communities has an eye catching educational display board available to loan to NHHA-member hospitals entitled Who Me? Do I contribute Mercury to the Environment? This glossy, colored, foam-core mounted display was professionally produced and provided to us courtesy of Wheelabrator Technologies, a company serious about reducing mercury. This three-panel display is five feet wide and forty inches tall. Panel one identifies mercury-containing products in the health care sector, panel two discusses problems mercury causes when it gets into the environment, and panel three shows mercury-free alternatives and proper disposal options. Tried and tested by hospitals in Massachusetts and Minnesota, this display makes a great addition to high traffic areas such as lobbies or cafeterias. To see a picture of the board, visit the NHHA web site at http://www.nhha.org/Library/rerere.htm.


RITE AID DOES THE RIGHT THING WITH MERCURY
On November 9th, Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) commended the Rite Aid Corporation for its commitment to stop selling mercury fever thermometers at its 3,900 pharmacies around the United States. The award was announced at the 127th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association in Chicago. The Rite Aid Corporation was the first recipient of HCWH’s "Mercury In Flight" award, given to companies that pledge to stop manufacturing or selling mercury-containing products. In place of mercury-containing fever thermometers, Rite Aid will stock mercury-free alternatives that are effective in assessing temperature.


MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Winter 2000: Energy Efficiency Workshops: WasteCap Resource Conservation Network will host four energy efficiency workshops this winter. The workshop series was created for WasteCap by the Demand Management Institute of Newton, MA, a leader in the energy efficiency industry. Workshop topics will include: Variable Speed Drives on Pumps and Fans, Compressed Air, Process Cooling and Refrigeration and Ventilation. For more information or to register, contact WasteCap at (603) 224-1517 or reconinfo@wastecapnh.org.

June 8, 2000: Shaking Down the Mercury! – A Mercury Reduction Workshop for Hospitals The Foundation for Healthy Communities and the NH Department of Environmental Services will present a program at the NHHA conference center in Concord designed to help reduce, eliminate and properly handle the mercury-containing products in your hospital. Stay tuned for more details. Contact Debbie Augustine at 225-0900 or daugustine@nhha.org if there’s a particular topic you would like to see covered.
HOSPITAL TRADING POST

OMINISTAND Mobile LapTop Carts Available (new and used): Each cart is constructed of stainless steel. Tray surface features non-slip padding and has room for additional items to be set on the surface. Besides laptop computers, they can also be used to transport other pieces of hospital equipment. Price new: $125 ea. (reg. $360). Price used: $60 ea. (Shipping not included.) To find out more, contact Richard Dirck at American Adaptive Cable in Dover, NH at 742-4894 or sales@adaptiverecycling.com.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS & BEST WISHES FOR A HEALTHY NEW YEAR!