Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The 2018–2019 flu season is fully upon us and, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), may continue well beyond the beginning of spring 2019. February is typically the peak month (by a large margin) in the flu season. This can be a high-risk period for workers in healthcare facilities where sick people […]
The EPA’s use of its Clean Air Act (CAA) authority to grant waivers from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations to small refineries has for years been a top issue of contention associated with the RFS. The Agency’s use of the waiver has continued to spark negative reactions from renewable fuel advocates following the Agency’s issuance […]
In mid-November 2018, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) introduced legislation that would set a deadline for OSHA to issue the first national standard requiring that healthcare and social service employers develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce; the legislation has 22 […]
In October 2018, researchers associated with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a study showing that between 2007 and 2014, almost 140,000 workers in the state reported carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) workers’ compensation claims. This adds up to 6.3 claims per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers. While that figure by itself may not appear […]
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been making headlines lately, most of them referring to the decrease in life expectancy in the U.S. due to suicide and drug overdose. The National Safety Council (NSC) found in the numbers another disturbing trend that is of concern to EHS professionals—a rise in […]
Responding to concerns expressed by retailers of certain residential woodburning heaters, the EPA is proposing to provide these entities time to sell these devices beyond what was allowed in the Agency’s 2015 amendments to its New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) covering a range of heaters.
Do you deck the halls in your workplace? Whether you do it for business-related purposes—decorating to draw in customers looking for holiday items—or just to bring some seasonal cheer into the workplace, make sure that your holiday decorations don’t invite tragedy.
In August 2018, OSHA issued a “working paper” that comprised the Agency’s first assessment of the “societal benefits” of its On-Site Consultation (OSC) program. The benefits come in multiple forms—workplace hazards identified, injuries avoided, and monetary benefits, including worker income not lost and costs avoided for employers and workers’ compensation.
Two EPA offices have issued memos revising and/or clarifying Agency policies on collecting information from the regulated community.
Let’s face it: your employees are exhausted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of Americans don’t get enough sleep. Fatigue is officially a health problem. Tired employees are more prone to absenteeism and are more likely to be involved in workplace incidents or near misses. In fact, 13% of […]