Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Even if you have insurance to cover repairs, bringing a damaged UST back up to code can be a lengthy process, particularly if the flooding is widespread and qualified UST contractors are in high demand. Damages could include piping connections broken by movement, compromised electrical and leak prevention/detection systems, infiltration by water, and loss of […]
Sometimes, you need an electrical cord that bends a little. Maybe it’s because you have to use your power drill or saw in many different locations during the workday. Maybe it’s because a piece of machinery vibrates when it’s operating and you don’t want to transfer that vibration throughout your electrical system. Or, maybe it’s […]
Facilities that are required to develop a Facility Response Plan (FRP) must include a facility response training program with drills and a testing program, and document the program in the FRP. Draft PREP Changes The requirement to develop and implement a program of response drills and exercises, including evaluation procedures, can be met by implementing […]
In October 2009, the General Accounting Office issued a scathing report criticizing OSHA for undercounting work-related injuries and illnesses. As a result of that report and other factors, OSHA has stepped up enforcement of its injury and illness recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Because of this increased emphasis, employers need to take extra care in determining […]
Penalty—$3,650; Cost to Come into Compliance—$30,000 An onshore oil production company in Illinois racked up a rather small penalty of $3,650 for SPCC violations. However, its cost to come into compliance was a substantial $30,000. Their violations can be divided into seven main categories: Problems with the Plan itself: The facility diagram was inadequate. The […]
On December 11, 2010, boxmaker Beverly Brown was walking down a vertical staircase at a Wayne Farms chicken processing plant in Decatur, Alabama, when she lost her balance and fell. Her only obvious injury was a cut on her lip, so Brown was taken to the plant’s medical room, where she was given an antibiotic […]
Do You Recognize a Wetland when You See One? This checklist provides some general questions that can help you determine if a wetland is present at the site you want to enhance or develop. For some of the questions (especially 5–7), you may want to refer to the Corps’s Wetlands Delineation Manual. A “Yes” answer […]
Today’s Advisor reports a “good news” story about how effective training saves lives. When three miners became trapped in a lead zinc mine in January 2010 in Bunker, Missouri, rescue teams worked together to save them, applying what they had learned in training to a real-life test of their skills. The U.S. Department of Labor’s […]
Let’s face it. If someone in your community has a complaint about your facility, you would much rather hear from them than having the EPA alerted first. It’s all about communication. We’ve discussed some of these ideas before, but some of them bear repeating. These tips can help you in developing an open relationship with […]
Employers have a great deal of flexibility in designing wellness programs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—but there are also some pitfalls to avoid, and most of them involve laws that predate the ACA. Some employees who are subject to more stringent wellness program requirements designed by their employers under the ACA are suing—successfully—for discrimination […]