Spending Bill Gives EPA a 5-Month Reprieve
EPA’s existing budget survived almost intact in an omnibus spending bill which passed Congress before existing funding expired on May 5.
Archives
Yield to these Pedestrian/Forklift Safety Solutions
In April, a 54-year-old worker at the Winnebago plant in Middlebury, Indiana, was struck and killed by a forklift. The worker, Ricky Schlabach, was 1 of about 70 workers who are likely to die in forklift accidents this year (71 workers were fatally injured by forklifts in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics). […]
Heat Illness Info for California Employers
California’s hot season is almost here, and Cal/OSHA is reminding employers to protect workers against the state’s searing summer heat. California has had a heat illness prevention rule in place for outdoor workers since 2005; it was most recently revised in 2015.
‘Zero Accident Vision’: Safety Culture Insights from Abroad
Companies that have dedicated themselves to “getting to zero” acknowledge that perhaps not all accidents can be prevented—but committing to the attempt can still reduce accident and illness rates. Yesterday we looked at two essential elements of a company’s commitment to what is called, in Europe, “Zero Accident Vision” (ZAV). The four elements—commitment, communication, safety […]
MATS Arguments Delayed by D.C. Circuit
In a one-page order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted an EPA request to delay oral arguments over the legality of EPA’s Supplemental Finding that It Is Appropriate and Necessary to Regulate Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal—and Oil-fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units (April 25, 2016, Federal Register (FR)). The oral […]
‘Zero Accident Vision’: Implementation Lessons from Abroad
Have you set a zero incident goal for your company? It’s an attractive idea—the notion that all accidents are preventable—and some studies have shown that companies that make such a commitment do reduce their lost-time incidents. A new study of 27 European companies in 7 different countries that have made a commitment to “zero accident […]
It’s Construction Safety Week
From small contractors to global construction companies, members of the building industry are observing Construction Safety Week through May 5. There’s still time to participate.
Case on CPP Rule Now in Abeyance
Environmental groups, states, health institutions, and even some power companies that support the federal Clean Power Plan (CPP) are discovering how difficult it is to keep the rule alive when the very agency that wrote it is committed to wiping it off the books.
Preventing Domestic Violence Workplace Spillover
On April 10, 2017, a 53-year-old man walked into a special needs classroom in San Bernadino, California, pulled out a gun, and shot his estranged wife, 53-year-old Karen Elaine Smith. Two children standing near Smith were also hit by gunfire; 8-year-old Jonathan Martinez died later at the hospital. The gunman then turned his gun on […]
Implementing a Comprehensive EHS Management System on a Laboratory Scale
Laboratories need EHS management systems, just like any business does. To help them create a comprehensive system that works for a lab, the National Research Council (U.S.) Committee on Prudent Practices in the Laboratory publication has provided guidance in its “Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Management of Chemical Hazards.”