Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The Senate voted to pass a bill to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Bill. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature in order to become law. It’s the first time the Act has been amended in 40 years.
Ah, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)! For many facilities, the deadline to submit the annual report for 2015 is just a couple of weeks away—July 1. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sits on this enormous pile of data and is finding new and inventive ways of using the information. Will the Agency’s most recent […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently updated its guidance concerning the process safety management (PSM) recommended and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEP) letter of interpretation. Yesterday we reviewed the general provisions of the guidance. Today we will take a look at what OSHA has to say about using internal standards as RAGAGEP.
Do your workers know what to do if an “active shooter” situation goes down in the workplace? The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines these unpredictable, terrifying situations as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” They can devastate your workplace—but you can help […]
A national home decor retail chain is facing fines of $101,420 after OSHA inspectors found blocked exits and unsafe storage practices at a Wisconsin location. The location was inspected in November 2015 in response to an employee complaint. OSHA investigators cited the company for five repeat violations, two serious violations, and one other-than-serious violation.
A rotating airlock blade severed a 30-year-old worker’s three fingertips as he cleaned the machine at a Wisconsin organic food manufacturing facility, an incident federal safety investigators found could have been prevented if the machine had been powered down fully. OSHA cited the company for the same violation in 2012.
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 […]