Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
OSHA will hold a public meeting July 17 in Washington, D.C., to solicit ideas for strengthening its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). The agency is “seeking to reshape VPP so that it continues to represent safety and health excellence, leverages partner resources, further recognizes the successes of long-term participants, and supports smart program growth.”
In a ruling that may significantly change the way hazardous waste and hazardous materials are recycled and who recycles them under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld in part and vacated in part EPA’s Definition of Solid Waste final rule (January […]
Skin cancer is extremely common—and some types can be deadly. Occupational exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun is a significant skin cancer risk factor for outdoor workers, but employers seldom provide sunscreen or encourage workers to wear it.
Federal OSHA has repeatedly delayed, and most recently reopened the rulemaking for its beryllium standard, creating considerable confusion. Despite that, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) is moving ahead with adopting the federal beryllium standard. The agency is accepting comments on the proposal, and will also hold a public hearing on July […]
If you have outdoor workers, you’re probably aware of the need to protect them against heat illness during the summer months. After all, more than 30 American workers die each year of heat-related illnesses. But heat-related illness is not the only deadly condition that can result from working outdoors. Skin cancer is far more common, […]
Two revised Cal/OSHA rules took effect in California at the beginning of July. Although the rulemaking processes for the two rules were separate, they may hit the same group of employers, since one rule expands guarding requirements for underhung saws, and the other reduces the permissible exposure limit for wood dusts.
What makes workers sick? Or, more important, what makes workers feel like they are sick? A recent study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) points to certain psychological factors when employees rated their own health.
Class 9 hazardous materials (hazmats) is the catch-all class for hazmats that don’t fit neatly into any of the Class 1–8 descriptions. Instead of a definitive moniker such as “corrosives” or “explosives,” Class 9 hazmats are saddled with “miscellaneous” to describe their attributes. This is due to Class 9 covering a wide range of materials, […]
Q. What are the requirements for PCBs handling and disposal? What are the appropriate EPA and state agency notification requirements when the PCBs at greater than 50 parts-per-million (ppm) are discovered in an aboveground storage tank (AST) storing Fuel #2 and located at the Petroleum Bulk Storage Facility? A. An aboveground storage tank (AST) storing […]
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new beryllium standard, employers have until March 10, 2020, to implement engineering controls if they are needed to control beryllium exposure. OSHA has recommended some minimum exposure control strategies for specific operations that involve beryllium. Let’s take a look.