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Safety professionals

Big Growth—and Change—Expected for the Safety Profession

The opportunities for safety professionals are expected to continue growing over the next several years at a rate higher than most occupations. In fact, jobs for occupational safety and health technicians are expected to grow over 10% through 2026, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Capitol building

ASSP Urges Advancement of Two Safety Bills Before House

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) urged House members to advance two workplace safety bills—one mandating a federal workplace violence prevention standard and another to make several changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).

Wastewater treatment, water infrastructure

SPCC and Oil/Water Separators (OWSs) at Wastewater Treatment Facilities

The EPA’s SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors (Guidance) notes that the applicability of the Agency’s Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations (40 CFR Part 112) to oil/water separators (OWSs) depends on the “intended use of the OWS.” One intended use that exempts an OWS from the SPCC program is wastewater treatment. The exemption means […]

Groundwater, water pump

EPA Tackles PFAS Levels for Groundwater with Guidance Draft

In February 2019, the EPA issued its Action Plan for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Plan listed five priority actions and four short-term actions to address “key PFAS-related challenges.” One of the priority actions is to provide guidance for groundwater cleanup at sites contaminated with the two PFAS that have prompted the most concern—perfluorooctanoic […]

Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction This Week

Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in construction, accounting for one-third of worker deaths in the industry, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH and OSHA, along with The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), are cosponsoring a National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction the week of […]

TSCA Inventory Rule Case Raises Questions about Substantiation, Reverse Engineering

In September 2017, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to find five aspects of the EPA’s final rule, TSCA Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Requirements (Aug. 11, 2017, Federal Register (FR)), unlawful. On April 26, 2019, a three-judge panel responded by denying four of the EDF’s challenges, therefore […]

Oil rig-fracking

EPA Says No Regulatory Revision Needed for O&G Waste

In a document required by a judicial settlement with environmental and community groups, the EPA says it is not necessary at this time to revise federal regulations governing the management of exploration, development, and production (E&P) wastes generated by the oil and gas (O&G) industry.