Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
It is a common (and somewhat unfounded) stereotype that industry abhors regulation, and words like “burdensome” and “unreasonable” frequently come into play in discussions of labor and environmental law. In the last several months, however, this impression has been challenged by big industry players that have come out in support of various environmental regulations—and, in […]
Employers could do more with existing technologies to reduce worker fatalities, according to a report released by the National Safety Council (NSC). “Safety Technology 2020: Mapping Technology Solutions for Reducing Serious Injuries and Fatalities in the Workplace,” the first report in NSC’s “Work to Zero” initiative, looks at the hazardous workplace situations that most often […]
Concerns about instructions in a draft memorandum from EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler about which proposed documents the Agency’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) reviews were raised in a letter Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-D) sent to Wheeler. According to Johnson, the draft memo directed that the chair of the SAB, “in consultation with EPA,” would determine […]
As a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is deeply invested in researching trends surrounding the well-being of workers nationwide. One of its most comprehensive efforts is the Total Worker Health® (TWH) Program, which is defined as “policies, programs, and practices that […]
The Department of Transportation (DOT) does not require employers to test employees in safety-sensitive positions for cannabidiol (CBD) use, the DOT’s Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC) announced February 18. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and other DOT agencies still require employers to test employees for marijuana use.
In May 2018, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a memorandum permitting the use of drones to inspect workplaces under certain circumstances. Since that time, OSHA has used unmanned aircraft systems (UASs or drones ) in a number of investigations, and their use is expected to become more common in the future.
Too often, the day-to-day demands that environment, health, and safety (EHS) professionals contend with can impact their ability to be most effective. In this installment of Faces of EHS, safety consultant Patrick Karol discusses how, after getting thrust into a safety role at an early job, being an effective safety professional required more than just […]
The EPA is moving steadily along its apparent path of concluding that it is not necessary to require that facilities in certain industrial sectors comply with the financial responsibility requirements of Section 108(b) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund). In its latest action, the Agency is proposing not to […]
Older workers were more likely to be fatally injured on the job when compared with workers overall, the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found in a recent analysis.
Employers in the trucking industry are facing heightened requirements for ensuring their drivers’ drug and alcohol compliance: Employers must perform twice as many random drug and alcohol tests of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and must query the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse to check the records of current and […]