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QuantumSphere Completes Baseline Facility Review and Nanomaterial Workplace Testing with NIOSH
Santa Ana, CA – March 7, 2007 – QuantumSphere,
Inc., a leading manufacturer of nano metals and alloys for applications in
portable power, renewable energy, electronics and other markets demanding
advanced materials, today announced that it has completed a baseline assessment
and facility review on potential nanomaterial exposure in the workplace as
part of a voluntary collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH), the federal agency responsible for conducting
research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury
and illness.
As a manufacturer of nanoscale materials with particle sizes well below 100
nm, QuantumSphere is a leader in developing and implementing the environmental,
health and safety (EH&S) standards, methods and practices required to
work with such materials and ensure the absolute safety and health of our
employees, the public, and the environment. “We sum up our commitment
to environmental, health and safety excellence with one phrase: The Goal
is Zero,” said Ryan Armasu, Vice President of Operations at QuantumSphere, “this
means zero accidents, zero injuries and illnesses, and zero environmental
incidents.” To reach its goal of “zero” QuantumSphere initiated
an EH&S strategic plan in 2006 to develop the comprehensive body of data
needed to characterize its products and establish best practices for their
manufacturing, handling, and use.
As part of this project, earlier this month the NIOSH Nanotechnology Field
Team was invited to visit QuantumSphere’s manufacturing facility in Santa
Ana, California to perform a baseline assessment of potential workplace emissions
and materials/chemical handling techniques. This visit was requested by QuantumSphere
under the ongoing NIOSH research program to visit multiple nanomaterial-handling
facilities in an effort to better understand and learn of the possible occupational
safety and health implications, as well as general applications of nanotechnology.
NIOSH recommended only one minor engineering control improvement consisting
of the addition of a portable exhaust system to augment the efficiency of clean-in-place
processes.
By developing partnerships and working with recognized industry experts, academia
and public research institutions, such as NIOSH; University of California,
Santa Barbara; and the University of Florida, QuantumSphere is striving to
set a high standard for the environmental, health, and safety practices. “A
partnership with an industry manufacturer and supplier such as QuantumSphere
represents a significant step towards generating the data required for a better
understanding of the nature of nanomaterials and developing best practices
for their safe use and effective handling,” said Mark Methner, Ph.D.,
CIH, Leader of the NIOSH Nanotechnology Field Team.
This data will be utilized as the basis for a two pronged approach to EH&S
excellence: (1) eliminate the risk of material loss from operational processes
through the voluntary use of OSHA’s Process Safety Methodology (PSM),
and (2) continuously identify and eliminate potential worker exposure opportunities
by the application of appropriate engineering controls, administrative controls,
and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment for process operations.
“We are absolutely dedicated to the safety and health of our employees,
the public, and the environment,” QuantumSphere’s President and CEO,
Kevin Maloney said, “and in that regard, we strongly believe that early,
proactive, and transparent relationships between industry and government are
extremely important for the formulation of environmental, health and safety
standards for a new and rapidly developing industry.”
For more information, visit www.qsinano.com or
contact Dave Holscher, Vice President, KCOMM, at 949-295-5515 or [email protected].
About QuantumSphere, Inc
QuantumSphere is a manufacturer of nanoscale catalyst materials for applications
in portable power, renewable energy, electronics, aerospace, defense and other
markets demanding advanced materials. QuantumSphere’s proprietary technology
enables the production of ultra-pure, highly uniform nanometals and alloys
under 100 nanometers in high volume at commercial prices with the potential
to be utilized in a large number of new applications. QuantumSphere has also
created an extensive intellectual property portfolio around its process capabilities
and end-use commercial applications. QuantumSphere seeks to leverage its market
position to manufacture and ship QSI-Nano® catalyst materials and electrode
devices for clean-energy applications such as high-performance batteries and
micro fuel cells for portable power, and hydrogen generation through electrolysis,
among others. The current global catalyst market is in excess of $10 billion,
annually.
QuantumSphere also works closely with industry experts, national labs, and
leading universities to validate QSI-Nano® catalyst materials and generate
licensing rights to intellectual property for high-value commercial applications.
For more information, visit www.qsinano.com or phone 714-545-6266.
Note: The mention of NIOSH does not constitute a NIOSH commercial endorsement
of QuantumSphere or its products.