Archives

Ask the Expert: Employee Access to Medical Records After Injury

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 whether OSHA standard 1910.1020 allows employee access to medical records from all work-related injuries or just exposures resulting in illnesses from chemical or biological hazards. […]

Building Managers on the Hook for Lead Paint Safety Requirements

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 […]

EPA Proposes Methane Emissions Reduction Rule

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 […]

U.S. Supreme Court’s Surprising Decision to Weigh in on EPA’s CAA Authority

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: Understanding OSHA’s Emphasis Programs

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 […]

OSHA Won’t Enforce Vaccine Rule While 6th Circuit Weighs Consolidated Challenges

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 […]

EPA to Reconsider Ozone Air Quality Standards

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 […]

OSHA Fines Wisconsin Foundry More Than $200,000

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 […]

Faces of EHS: Camille Oakes on the Importance of Building Trust and Having a Growth Mindset

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 […]

California Standards Board Weighing COVID-19 ETS Readoption

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 […]