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An Urban Stormwater Success Story in the Making

An Urban Stormwater Success Story in the Making It’s been said that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but sometimes that grease can also get the wheel turning faster, as was the case in Omaha, Nebraska. Like many urban areas, the city had experienced adverse impacts from stormwater runoff, including one event when stormwater caused […]

Do Your Workers Walk Safely Around Forklifts?

In July 2014, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) leveled $308,435 in proposed fines against NFI, a warehouse operator in Mira Loma, California. What had NFI done to merit such a stiff penalty? The company had failed to correct conditions at its workplace that put pedestrians and forklifts together in dangerous ways.

EPA’s Strategy for Saving Our Urban Waters

EPA’s Strategy for Saving Our Urban Waters EPA’s Urban Waters program was created in alignment with the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative launched by President Obama to reconnect people with conservation and outdoor recreation. While the Urban Waters program is not a regulatory program per se, it embraces a range of activities that may include […]

Safe Work Practices for Pedestrians Around Forklifts

Yesterday, we discussed some of the hazards that are created when pedestrians work in close proximity to forklifts. Today, we’ll look at some work practices that pedestrians can use to stay safe when they’re crossing paths with powered industrial trucks.

UST Enforcement Finds Leak Detection Lacking

UST Enforcement Finds Leak Detection Lacking In June and July 2014, the EPA announced enforcement settlements that illustrate the need for all UST owners and operators, from the largest to the smallest, to comply with regulatory requirements. In early June, for example, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in Virginia certified it was in compliance with […]

Fire Drills Aren’t Just for Fun

October 5 to 11 is National Fire Prevention Week (www.nfpa.org/safety-information/fire-prevention-week). Inspire your employees to participate in fire drill training by sharing the news about how a failure to train and drill on evacuation routes earned Hawaii companies large fines.

Hydraulic Fracturing—5 Reasons to Consider Wastewater Recycling

Hydraulic Fracturing—5 Reasons to Consider Wastewater Recycling 1) Hydraulic fracturing requires the use of millions of gallons of freshwater per well. Although hydraulic fracturing water volumes vary across the United States, a single well generally requires the use of one million to five million gallons of water, and the U.S. Department of Energy notes that […]

Cite Me Twice, Shame on Me

Sometimes it’s difficult to get a problem cleared up around your workplace. Even when OSHA cites a condition, you may have difficulty tracking it down at all of your facilities or bringing all of your equipment up to standard. It’s important to try, though—if you don’t, you could be cited for either a “repeat” violation […]

Hydraulic Fracturing—5 Things to Know About Risk in Wastewater Recycling

Hydraulic Fracturing—5 Things to Know About Risk in Wastewater Recycling 1) Operators need to establish treatment targets. To minimize the risk of choosing the wrong equipment for the job, and gain a performance guarantee, well operators should provide equipment suppliers with both the influent water chemistry and the specific output treatment objectives (as determined in […]

Don’t Get the Same Citation Twice

Despite your best efforts, there’s probably something in your workplace right now that an OSHA inspector could cite. Maybe it was lower on your list of priorities, or maybe it was just something that you had missed—but the important thing, once it’s cited, is to get it taken care of quickly. Always move a cited […]