How Can EHS Professionals Raise Awareness on World Ozone Day?

Dear All, Tomorrow is World Ozone Day. All EHS professionals should make the employees aware of the effects of ozone and alternatives.

Thanks & Regards,
Sudhir

Can you explain more about World Ozone (O3) Day? I'm interested in learning about the benefits of ozone, the effects of ozone deficiency, and the history of Ozone Day.

Thank you.

Thank you for your timely update. Due to this, I was able to send communications to all on Engineers Day and Ozone Day messages. Thanks and keep on sharing.

Thanks for reminding me about Ozone Day. I will try to discuss it with our leaders in the weekly meeting. Due to last-minute issues, I couldn't complete everything on time. Keep on sharing.

Regards,

Dear Bhaskar,

Understanding Ozone and Its Importance

Ozone (O3) is a gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. Its portion in the atmospheric gaseous composition is quite small, but it plays a vital role in protecting living organisms from the sun. The concentrated ozone forms a layer in the stratosphere many miles away from the Earth's surface, acting as a protective shield.

Effects of UV Radiation

There are many ionizing and non-ionizing radiations emitted by the sun and other planets, with UV rays being of particular concern. When living organisms, including plants and aquatic organisms, are exposed to these UV rays, they are affected. In humans, it can cause skin cancer and cataracts in the eyes.

The ozone layer filters out the harmful UV rays from entering the Earth's atmosphere, thus protecting living organisms.

Causes of Ozone Depletion

The major culprit in causing ozone depletion is CFC (chlorofluorocarbon), a highly stable gaseous chemical known as "Freon," used in refrigerators and other purposes. It remains in the atmosphere for a long time and reaches high altitudes when released. The CFCs that reach the stratosphere engage in a violent chain reaction with ozone, depleting it. This depletion leads to the formation of the "ozone hole," allowing UV rays to penetrate the atmosphere and cause detrimental effects on living organisms, as explained above.

I hope you now have a better understanding of the importance of ozone.

Regards,
SSM

Thank you, Mr. SSM, for sharing some basic ideas about Ozone (O3) with our members. Two decades ago, there was news stating that the Ozone Layer was damaged due to the overuse of refrigerators and ACs. However, as a result of that news, we now have CFC-free refrigerators and ACs in the market.

Learning About Ozone Day

Shall we expect to learn about the history and origin of Ozone Day celebrations and the procedures for celebrating Ozone Day from our members?

Please find attached the PowerPoint presentation on "World Ozone Day" prepared by my colleague, Ms. Nidhi Srivastava. We have circulated this presentation to create awareness among our employees.

Regards,
Hansa

It is great to see the history of Ozone Day. This is what I expect from this thread, which will help our members to follow and take the lead in celebrating World Ozone Day. Due to this, our members who are not aware of this (including me) can learn about Ozone Day.

Thank you, Hansa, for sharing a nice, simple yet informative presentation.

Regards

Thanks for your email. Please find the video attached regarding Ozone Day. I will also share this video on the video thread.

Regards,
Hansa

It is really worth sharing with our members. By watching the video, even a layman can easily understand the uses of the Ozone Layer. Thanks for sharing, Hansa.

Regards,

Great learning. Though there was always a yearning to know about this topic, it came in handy when I was collecting information on environmental issues. It is a known fact that most of the upcoming offices nowadays have centralized AC and even huge refrigerators to cater to a lot of demands of employees. The use of such appliances in our regular life has become so significant that we fail to recognize the ill effects of the same appliances when they start depleting in their efficiency. The resultant release of obnoxious gases, though not immediately noticeable, is always making a freeway for ascent to heaven in a different way. We, as safety professionals, have a lot of teaching to do. Let us start from our home, colonies, and localities. If we can convince even 10 people in a year, we may be satisfied to the extent of saving a few years of life for our lovely Earth.

I thank everyone who has contributed to this noble cause.

International Pledge on the International Ozone Day

Here is the enclosed International Pledge on the International Ozone Day.

Regards,

International Ozone Day - 16th September

This year, 16.09.2013, marks the 19th International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer with the theme "A healthy atmosphere, the future we want."

Regards,
Ravichandran.D