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Back to Basics is a new weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine common workplace hazards that are among the most frequently cited by OSHA. Don’t let all the new, exotic workplace hazards distract you from the basics. The COVID-19 pandemic, historic wildfires […]
Recent federal inspections looking for COVID-19 hazards in the workplace are on the rise in southern states, but have declined in the Northeast and Midwest, according to a Bloomberg Law review of recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data. OSHA conducted more inspections in most southern states, including Texas and Louisiana, from May 1 […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) teamed up with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to revise a workplace safety handbook for small business employers. The Small Business Safety and Health Handbook details how to implement an effective safety and health program, including self-inspection checklists for employers to identify workplace hazards […]
A California lawmaker joined a group of worker safety advocates at a press conference Wednesday to call for the federal government to issue an emergency temporary heat safety standard. “Our workers need help now,” said U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.). “We call on the Department of Labor to act swiftly to add protections for workers […]
On June 29, 2021, the EPA published a final rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the TSCA Health and Safety Data reporting rule, requiring manufacturers (including importers) of 50 specified chemical substances to report certain lists and copies of unpublished health and safety studies to the EPA. “Section 8(d) of the Toxic […]
Two regional offices of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched regional emphasis programs (REP) to enforce the agency’s permit-required confined spaces standard (29 CFR §1910.146) in the transportation and tank-cleaning industries. OSHA’s Region 5 office (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) initiated an REP effective August 2, and the agency’s Region 6 […]
On Thursday, July 29, 2021, in a split decision, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Marine Corps must pay the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) fine for excess air pollution emissions at its Craven County Air Station Cherry Point facility. The decision reversed a federal district court […]
The list of employers and government agencies requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is growing, and such requirements are generally legal under federal law. But employers need to be clear about when exceptions must be made and how state laws can add a wrinkle to their vaccination policies. Major employers across the country have […]
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 placing a fire wall between a transformer and compressed hydrogen. See what the experts had to say. Q: Are there requirements to place a […]
Once again, wildfires are a huge problem in the U.S. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, seven new large fires were reported on Sunday, which brings the national total to 91 large fires that have burned 1.8 million acres. Businesses shouldn’t wait for a wildfire to occur before putting in place an evacuation plan, […]