Archives

When Efficiency Meets Safety: Unleashing the Potential of Technology

Pressure to meet deadlines and staff shortages are among the few things causing frontline workers to cut corners on the job. Although getting the job done efficiently is front of mind, compromising the safety of workers leads to increasing the risk of injury, a dissatisfied workforce, and ironically, it can also harm productivity. Skilled frontline […]

ASSP Signs Agreement with Army Corps of Engineers to Advance Worker Safety

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) signed a memorandum of understanding this week to improve workplace safety efforts. Announced on Day 1 of the ASSP’s Safety 2024 conference in Denver, the 10-year agreement defines shared principles and aims to improve employee safety training, advance occupational health […]

5 Key Questions to Define Your Workplace Safety Strategy

When was the last time you thought about your workplace safety strategy? I don’t mean the last time you checked in on key performance indicators (KPI) or addressed a one-off issue. I mean the last time you set aside time to think about whether the workplace safety strategy you have in place today is serving […]

SCOTUS Places EPA ‘Good Neighbor’ Rule on Hold

In a 5-to-4 ruling delivered June 27, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) delivered yet another blow to EPA authority when it placed the Agency’s “Good Neighbor” rule on hold. The “Good Neighbor” rule, also known as the “Cross State Air Pollution Rule” (CSAPR), was designed to cut pollution from power plants and other industrial […]

El Paso Contractor Facing $261K OSHA Fine After Trench Fatality

El Paso, Texas, contractor CMD Endeavors Inc. faces $260,848 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines following the agency’s investigation of a fatal trench collapse, OSHA announced August 1. The agency has cited the employer six times since 2015 for the same violation. It says the contractor could have prevented a 37-year-old employee’s fatal […]

Faces of EHS: Katie Segura on the Importance of Listening

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound? If a worker suggests safety measures and an EHS professional doesn’t bother listening, does the organization still have an effective workplace safety program? Katie Segura might not be able to answer the classic tree […]

Contractor Facing $199K OSHA Fine After Fatal Hangar Collapse

Meridian, Idaho, building contractor Big D Builders Inc. faces $198,586 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines after an airport hangar collapsed near the Boise Airport, killing three workers and injuring at least eight others, the agency announced July 29. OSHA investigators responded to the scene and discovered that Big D Builders had begun […]

EPA Proposed Changes to Preconstruction Permitting Regulations Under NSR Program

The EPA is reviewing comments on proposed revisions to the preconstruction permitting regulations that apply to modifications at existing major stationary sources in the New Source Review (NSR) program under the Clean Air Act (CAA).  The proposed revisions include: The NSR program requires certain stationary sources of air pollution to obtain permits before construction. The […]

Back to Basics: Chemical Hazard ‘Worker Right-to-Know’ Compliance

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine chemical hazard “worker right-to-know” compliance. Both communities and workers need to understand the chemical hazards they might encounter. Hazard communication, or “worker right-to-know,” is the workplace counterpart to community right-to-know. While […]

Plan, Do, Review: Enhancing Safety by Implementing Best Processes

The “Plan, Do, Review” cycle is critical for safety professionals looking to avoid wasted energy, boost productivity, and safeguard workers from harm. It helps companies identify and control their health and safety risks, reduce incidents, and consistently improve performance. This article discusses the Plan, Do, Review (PDR) concept to help those companies get started, lays […]