Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Property management companies (PMC) performing or offering to perform regulated renovations without EPA certification in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities will be subject to stronger enforcement and compliance regulations of the lead-based paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule in the future, according to a November 4, 2021, EPA news release. “Health impacts from exposure […]
In response to the U.S. and E.U. pledge to slash methane emissions worldwide 30% by 2030 at COP26 in Glasgow, on November 2, 2021, the EPA announced a proposed rule to cut methane emissions, including reductions from existing sources nationwide. “As global leaders convene at this pivotal moment in Glasgow for COP26, it is now […]
Just as Present Joseph Biden Jr. was preparing for the global climate summit (COP26), the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) announced it will hear four cases, likely to be consolidated, to determine the EPA’s authority to regulate emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The October 29, 2021, announcement was the equivalent of […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine OSHA’s emphasis programs. How likely are you to see a compliance safety and health officer (CSHO) show up at your workplace for an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection? The […]
After the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines on November 4, 2021, a number of lawsuits were filed challenging the agency’s ability to enforce the rule. After the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the cases (or put them on hold), the 6th Circuit […]
In response to lawsuits brought by states and environmental groups, on October 29, 2021, the EPA filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit indicating it “will be reconsidering the 2020 Ozone NAAQS Decision, with the intention of completing the reconsideration by the end of 2023.” Under the Trump […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) November 2 cited a northern Wisconsin foundry with one willful, seven serious, and five other-than-serious violations in a 51-page citing document. Waupaca Foundry of Marinette, Wisconsin, faces $200,895 in proposed penalties. Two workers suffered severe injuries this summer, and OSHA initiated three separate safety and health inspections. In […]
While attending Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Camille Oakes had her mind set on becoming a pilot. Her heart, however, had other plans. After taking an introduction to occupational safety class, she loved it, and changed her major. Oakes joined the university’s ASSP student chapter and began connecting with other safety professionals in Central Florida. Suffice […]
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) will meet November 19 to consider readoption of a revised COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS). The board approved an initial ETS in November 2020. Under California administrative law, emergency standards remain in effect for 180 days. The board may twice readopt temporary standards for an additional […]
Nearly half of workers exposed to hazardous occupational noise do not use hearing protection, according to a recent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study. The study appeared in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Researchers found that some of the industries in which noise is a well-recognized hazard had high prevalences of hearing […]