Archives

Cleaning equipment with cart on the floor in office building

Norovirus Protection Starts with Proper Cleanup

When temperatures drop, people start to head indoors to keep warm. But with close quarters comes a dramatic uptick in communicable disease, including norovirus. While often mistakenly referred to as the “stomach flu,” it is a completely different virus. It is the leading cause of gastroenteritis, and with its rapid onset, norovirus can quickly overwhelm […]

Air pollution

EPA Releases a Fact Check on Ozone Transport Story

Last week, the EPA issued a news release that purported to fact-check a CNN article regarding an August 31, 2018, EPA memo regarding cross-state air pollution. The memo indicated that a state’s 1-part-per-billion (ppb) contribution threshold to ozone pollution in downwind states may be appropriate in state implementation plan (SIP) that states must develop to […]

Farm animal emissions reporting

EPA Proposes EPCRA Reporting Exemption for Farms

The EPA is proposing to extend an existing reporting exemption under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to release notification rules under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The CERCLA extension applies to air emissions from animal waste at farms.

Vaping, e-cigarettes

Vape Shop Investigation Reports Employee Chemical Exposures

The use of e-cigarettes, commonly called vaping, has been promoted by manufacturers and retailers as a safe alternative to smoking tobacco smoke. The chemical evidence backs up this claim, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but there’s more to the picture.

Toilet flush

Hazard/Recall Alert: Beware Exploding Toilets!

The headline may make you laugh, but it’s no joke. Flushmate, a developer and manufacturer of “Pressure-Assisted” flushing devices for toilets has issued a massive, voluntary recall for approximately 1.4 million of its Flushmate II 501-B systems. Read on for the risks and recall details, then head to the restroom to ensure your employees aren’t […]

exhaust coming out of car tailpipe

Rollback in Vehicle Standards Opposed by Industry Leaders

The 60-day public comment period for the federal government’s proposal to amend vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) tailpipe standards concluded with opposing views submitted by several members of industry. The proposed amendments were jointly issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (Corporate Average Fuel Economy [CAFE] standards) and the EPA (GHG […]

Lab safety

OSHA Wants Comments on the Laboratory Standard

OSHA recently requested public comment on its proposal to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which would extend the OMB’s approval of an OSHA Information Collection Request (ICR) regarding the agency’s Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard (Laboratory Standard) (29 CFR 1910.1450).

2018 DuPont™ Kevlar® Innovation Awards

Recognizing the latest advancements in protective gloves and sleeves. For over 50 years, Kevlar® has collaborated with manufacturers to continuously improve the protection, durability, and comfort of protective gloves and sleeves. The DuPont™ Kevlar® Innovation Awards provides official licensees of the Kevlar® brand an opportunity to incorporate Kevlar® into their designs of protective gloves and […]

All the Pieces of the Elephant: The Importance of Speaking Up to Prevent Mass Shooters

Remember the parable of the blind men and the elephant? Each man forms an incorrect conclusion about what the elephant is like, based on limited information. The man touching the elephant’s tail concludes that an elephant is like a rope. The man touching its tusk believed that the elephant was more like a spear. The […]

Fixed ladder

Fixed Ladders: Standards Change This November

November 19, 2018, is a key date for employers with existing outdoor fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet (ft) above a lower level. Ladders that were erected before that date must be equipped with at least one type of device that protects workers from falling. Ladders erected after November 19, 2018, must meet […]