Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Some Cal/OSHA standards are “performance standards”—that is, the standard specifies an end to be achieved, but the exact methods for achieving that end are left to the employer. In such cases, Cal/OSHA may offer further guidance in complying with the standard. Unfortunately, even employers that receive additional guidance can run into trouble, as a recent […]
When it comes to heat stress, you know what you need to do to protect workers, right? Eight ounces of cool water an hour, frequent breaks in the shade, planning heavy work for cooler times of day … You’ve got this.
An Ohio ethanol production facility faces $149,800 in penalties after Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors found multiple violations, including numerous violations of process safety management (PSM) standards. A chemical manufacturer and distributor in Kansas City was fined $80,000 for PSM violations. These are just two recent cases of large OSHA fines for missteps related to […]
Hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) are required to not only obtain but also maintain their operating permits. Generators of hazardous waste are required to ensure that their hazardous waste is sent to a reputable TSDF. So, it is critical that generators know whether the permit at the TSDF they use is up […]
In a final interpretative rule, the EPA has streamlined the process whereby federally recognized tribes with reservations apply to the Agency to be treated in a manner similar to states (TAS) for the purposes of administering Clean Water Act (CWA) regulatory programs. The primary change under the interpretative rule is that tribes will no longer […]
Q. In an automobile dealership service department, can the floor (inside of a building) or oil/water separator drains be counted as secondary containment for containers ranging from 55 gallons (gals) to 500 gals?
On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a brief order rescheduling the originally planned June 2, 2016, oral arguments in EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) litigation (West Virginia v. EPA) to September 27, 2016. The order also noted that arguments would be heard by the en banc (full) court of […]
Stuff happens. One day you’re a conditionally exempt small quantity generator (CESQG) of hazardous waste, and then the next day you realize you’re a small quantity generator (SQG) of hazardous waste. Only it’s not one day that’s the issue; it’s one month, as hazardous waste generator status is determined by the volumes of hazardous waste […]
Hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) are required to not only obtain but also maintain their operating permits. Generators of hazardous waste are required to ensure that their hazardous waste is sent to a reputable TSDF. So, it is critical that generators know whether the permit at the TSDF they use is up […]
When you’re dealing with one type of waste, the allowable disposal options tend to be cut-and-dried. But when you’re dealing with mixtures of radioactive and hazardous waste, those options can be conflicting.