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Biden Launches Clean Manufacturing Initiative

On February 15, 2022, the Biden administration announced plans to support clean manufacturing initiatives, including the creation of a Clean Task Force, to source low-carbon materials in federal purchasing and new trade policies to incentivize manufacturers of low-carbon aluminum and steel. The industrial sector currently produces almost one-third of domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according […]

EPA 2021 Power Plant Emissions Data

The EPA’s annual report on power plant emissions—released on February 18, 2022—reveals a 20% increase in sulfur dioxide (SO2), a 13% rise in mercury, and a 7% increase in carbon dioxide (CO2). The data also showed a 5% increase in nitrogen oxides (NOx) during ozone season (May 1 to September 30) and a 3% increase […]

Ask the Expert: OSHA Regulations for Exit Routes

In our latest installment of Ask the Expert, brought to you by the team of industry experts at EHS Hero®, we look at a recent question from a subscriber asking about OSHA regulations for exit routes in an upstairs office. See what the experts had to say. Q: We have an office that is primarily an […]

The Ongoing Saga of Redefining WOTUS

The old adage that you can’t please everyone definitely applies to the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). According to the fall Unified Agenda, a new WOTUS definition was proposed to be released by the Biden administration in February 2022. However, there is a mountain of comments to sort through, as the EPA […]

Guns at Work: Keeping Employees Safe in Troubling Times

Every year, nearly two million American workers report being workplace violence victims, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact, homicide is the fifth-leading cause of workplace fatalities in the United States, accounting for eight percent of all fatal on-the-job injuries. Nearly half of all states, however, now have laws in some […]

Oregon OSHA Proposes Heat, Wildfire Smoke Rules

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA) is proposing state safety rules for worker exposures to extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The rules “would provide the strongest such protections in the nation,“ according to the agency. Federal OSHA has no standard for wildfire smoke exposures but issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking […]

Back to Basics: Tips for Toolbox Talks

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine toolbox talks and tips for making them more effective in the workplace. All environmental, health, and safety (EHS) leaders should be familiar with the term “toolbox talks,” which can also be […]

Environmental Groups Demand Regional Haze SIPs

Thirty-nine U.S. states have failed to provide their revised regional haze state implementation plans (SIPs) as required by Section 304(b)(2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), according to a Notice of Intent (NOI) to file suit dated February 7, 2022, sent to the EPA by a coalition of environmental organizations, reports a Sierra Club press […]

Get Ready for EHS Leadership Week

Join us next week (Feb. 21-25) for a full week of free online events and digital resources around EHS leadership that you can use to plot your safety leadership strategy for 2022. Register for event sessions today. EHS Leadership Week is sponsored by Avetta, Evotix, SafetyCulture, and SafeStart. Monday, Feb. 21 Panel Discussion | EHS Hot Topics for […]

OSHA Proposes Powered Industrial Truck Rule Updates

On February 15, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to update the agency’s powered industrial trucks regulations to reflect current industry practice and state-of-the-art technology (87 Federal Register (FR) 8755). The proposal would update design and manufacturing requirements for powered industrial trucks, including fork trucks, tractors, platform lift […]