American National Standards Institute

Even as President Bush officially revoked federal workplace safety rules last week, a nonprofit organization was moving ahead on a voluntary standard for ergonomics that could be used nationally. Coordinated by the National Safety Council under the auspices of the American National Standards Institute, the recommendations have been 11 years in the making. But the question of whether any one-size-fits-all set of rules can be effective--let alone voluntary ones--is still open to debate.

"How Safe Are Mobile Homes?"(Aug. 20) leaves the impression that manufactured homes are inherently unsafe as a result of industry resistance to enhanced safety proposals and other consumer-related measures. While we appreciate your positive comments "that the average mobile home being built today is a good product," we feel that the article contains several inaccurate and misleading statements. On the overall issue of federal installation standards as an answer to the "shoddy" installation of manufactured homes, the article misses a key point--that federal installation standards are not the most effective and cost-efficient way to address this issue.

"How Safe Are Mobile Homes?"(Aug. 20) leaves the impression that manufactured homes are inherently unsafe as a result of industry resistance to enhanced safety proposals and other consumer-related measures. While we appreciate your positive comments "that the average mobile home being built today is a good product," we feel that the article contains several inaccurate and misleading statements. On the overall issue of federal installation standards as an answer to the "shoddy" installation of manufactured homes, the article misses a key point--that federal installation standards are not the most effective and cost-efficient way to address this issue.

Even as President Bush officially revoked federal workplace safety rules last week, a nonprofit organization was moving ahead on a voluntary standard for ergonomics that could be used nationally. Coordinated by the National Safety Council under the auspices of the American National Standards Institute, the recommendations have been 11 years in the making. But the question of whether any one-size-fits-all set of rules can be effective--let alone voluntary ones--is still open to debate.

One of the first things you learn upon acquiring a personal computer is how difficult it is to fit on a desk. There are all those parts--the main computer box, a monitor, a keyboard, probably a printer and maybe an external disk drive or an external modem or even a CD-ROM drive. But there is a lot more to setting up a computer properly than just finding a place to put everything and enough electrical outlets to plug the equipment in. Your health and well-being may even be at stake.

Traffic radar guns, which save lives by catching speeders, have come under suspicion as a possible cause of cancer in traffic officers exposed to their microwave beams, triggering a series of lawsuits by an Agoura Hills lawyer. Attorney John E. Sweeney has filed suits on behalf of five former traffic officers who contracted cancer and are seeking millions of dollars in damages from radar equipment manufacturers, whom they accuse of failing to warn of health risks.

Full-body scanners used for security screening at the nation's airports do not expose passengers to dangerous levels of radiation, according to a new independent analysis of the security devices. The study by the Marquette University College of Engineering concluded that radiation from so-called backscatter scanners passes beyond a passenger's skin to reach 29 different organs - including the heart and brain. But the radiation levels are considerably lower than those of otherX-ray procedures such as mammograms, the study said.

I read with interest the Oct. 5 Travel section article "Tour de Sand," as this is a bicycle path my husband and I have ridden many times and always enjoyed. Under "Tips for the Road: Ride Smart," I would like to add what is the most important word of advice to any cyclist any place and any age: Always wear an American National Standards Institute-approved bicycle helmet. Marilyn Vassos Irvine

Study Finds Cellular Phones Within Safety Standards: Levels of radio waves emitted by hand-held cellular telephones fall well within safety standards, according to a study for the National Institutes of Health. The study, to be released today, was conducted by Om Gandhi, an expert on radio frequencies at the University of Utah, It was funded in part by McCaw Cellular Communications Inc.

One of the first things you learn upon acquiring a personal computer is how difficult it is to fit on a desk. There are all those parts--the main computer box, a monitor, a keyboard, probably a printer and maybe an external disk drive or an external modem or even a CD-ROM drive. But there is a lot more to setting up a computer properly than just finding a place to put everything and enough electrical outlets to plug the equipment in. Your health and well-being may even be at stake.

The government today announced a voluntary labeling system to rate non-prescription sunglasses for protection against harmful ultraviolet light from the sun. The labeling program was developed by the Sunglass Assn. of America with the Food and Drug Administration and is based on a recent report by the American National Standards Institute. The FDA said it already has begun to be phased in, placing non-prescription sunglasses in one of three categories: --Cosmetic sunglasses, recommended for use in shopping and other activities around town in "non-harsh" sunlight; --General purpose sunglasses, recommended for outdoor activities such as boating, driving, flying or hiking; --Special purpose sunglasses, recommended for activities in especially bright sunlight, such as skiing.

Overzealous bicyclists can strain their muscles or grow saddle sore, but the injuries that most need to be prevented are head injuries, those "that doctors can't fix," says a local pediatrician. "The serious injuries and the ones from which children do not recover are the head injuries," says Dr. Modena Wilson, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Hospital.