Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Whistleblower charges alleging workplace safety retaliation have surged dramatically during COVID-19. Approximately 30 percent more charges have been filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) over the same period last year, according to a recent audit from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) announced citations of nine employers for allegedly failing to protect their employees from exposure to COVID-19.
Your safety culture—the attitudes and habits underlying health and safety practices and compliance programs in your workplace—is an essential hazard control. It can be difficult to build but easy to destroy, and one thing that can destroy your carefully constructed safety culture is a permissive attitude toward the safety practices of your contractors and suppliers.
As President-Elect Joe Biden prepares for his presidential term, he is beginning to build out his Cabinet, which includes the vice president and 15 executive department heads: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended and expanded its hours-of-service regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers transporting emergency goods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The EPA continues to make addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment a top priority. In its latest announcement, the Agency revealed two new steps in its aggressive battle to mitigate PFAS in drinking water.
In November, the EPA asked the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Colorado to restore its definition of waters that are protected by the Clean Water Act (CWA) after it was struck down by a federal judge at the request of the state of Colorado.
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries is developing a wildfire smoke standard. The department acknowledged receiving a petition to initiate a rulemaking for wildfire smoke exposures.
On November 25, 2020, the EPA finalized rulemaking that determined that the electric power generation; transmission and distribution; petroleum and coal products manufacturing; and chemical manufacturing industries will not be required to have additional insurance to cover accidents and major spills.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided updated resources on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for employers. These include a fact sheet on case investigation and contact tracing, critical infrastructure sector response planning, and information for school administrators and school nurses.