Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
For those new to the term, SIF stands for Serious Injuries and Fatalities, otherwise defined as ‘life-threatening, life-altering or fatal events’ that can occur during normal work. Beyond the human toll of these events, SIFs can wreak a devastating impact on compliance risk and corporate liability, poison workforce culture, reduce productivity, erode profitability, and even […]
Blue Ash, Ohio-based meat processor Sugar Creek Packing Co. faces $277,904 in proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines after a worker fell into corrosive chemicals and suffered injuries that included severe leg burns and the degloving of their foot (the loss of skin and soft tissue), the agency announced November 29. Agency inspectors […]
Introduction Winter brings to mind a picturesque landscape blanketed in snow, but for workers, it also poses unique challenges to safety. The cold temperatures, icy surfaces, and unpredictable weather conditions demand heightened vigilance to ensure the well-being of both workers and the projects they undertake. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the critical aspects […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) renewed a Regional Emphasis Program (REP) focused on enforcement inspections in three mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia in industries with high levels of workplace noise, which can contribute to worker hearing loss, the agency announced November 28. The Region 3 emphasis program applies to area offices […]
Cassie Ford received her B.S in Speech Language Pathology at Texas Christian University and her M.A. in Audiology at the University of Iowa. She started her career in public health and then spent several years doing clinical audiology and fitting hearing aids. In 2000, she accepted a position with the company that is now known […]
Wisconsin roofing contractor Overhead Solutions LLC faces $180,469 in proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for fall protection violations, the agency announced November 27. Federal workplace safety inspectors observed the company’s employees working about 30 feet above ground on a Menasha apartment complex roof without adequate fall protection. Thirteen days later, an inspector […]
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) recently issued a notice of several proposed amendments to its heavily criticized Proposition 65 (Prop 65) Article 6 “clear and reasonable warnings” regulations. This notice of proposed changes comes after initial modifications were proposed in 2021 followed by two rounds of revisions that were ultimately abandoned […]
The EPA on October 31 hosted a two-hour webinar entitled “EPA Clean Ports Program—First Look!” The Clean Ports Program invests $3 billion in technologies to reduce harmful air and climate pollutants at U.S. ports and to create a zero-emission (ZE) shipping future. “This new funding program will build on EPA’s Ports Initiative that helps our […]
On November 9, 2023, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia against the EPA challenging federal regulations that will make it more difficult for the public to obtain information about chemicals the EPA reviews under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The court […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to handle impaired employees in the workplace. Are your employees showing up for work impaired by drugs and alcohol? Both surveys and drug testing are showing spikes in substance misuse. […]