Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Today’s workplace uses thousands of chemicals, many of which are hazardous. The resources in this section will help guide you in the safe and legal identification, storage, transport, and use of these chemicals, and in making sure that your employees right to know how to be safe around such substances is provided, as required by law.
On June 26, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the renewal of a national emphasis program (NEP) of outreach, inspection, and enforcement to address amputations in manufacturing. The new NEP replaces one set to expire June 27. The updated program will remain in effect for five years, according to the agency. Changes to […]
On June 18, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a second update regarding its continuing investigation into the November 12, 2024, explosion at the Givaudan Sense Colour facility in Louisville, Kentucky. Two employees were fatally injured in the explosion, and three others were seriously injured. Large metal fragments of equipment were […]
The North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) announced an increase in starting salaries for workplace safety inspectors on June 2. The new starting salary for fully qualified compliance safety officers was raised to $61,000 annually, an increase of more than 5% for the state’s frontline safety professionals. Compliance safety officers in the NCDOL’s Occupational Safety […]
For years, industry groups have complained about the EPA’s failure to meet its deadlines for the reviews of new chemicals as required by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Earlier this month, the Agency announced “it would disperse scientists from its independent research office to other divisions where they … will be tasked with approving […]
On June 4, 2025, the EPA announced a penalty settlement in the amount of $270,437 with Ultramar Inc., doing business as Valero Wilmington Refinery, over chemical safety violations under both the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The facility uses hydrofluoric acid, a dangerous chemical that can cause […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced June 4 that it has reached a settlement with Adidas America Inc., requiring the company to pay $235,000 in fines and implement enhanced safety measures at multiple facilities. OSHA conducted a 2024 follow-up inspection at an Adidas warehouse in upstate New York. The agency initially cited the […]
A federal jury cleared GATX Corp. from any financial responsibility in the $600 million class action settlement award for damages caused by the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio. GATX owned the railcar with a faulty bearing that was determined to be the cause of the train derailment, which resulted in chemical spills and […]
On May 28, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) celebrated the 50th anniversary of its nonenforcement program On-Site Consultation. Launched in 1975, the program has expanded to serve all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories. According to OSHA, the program helps employers identify workplace hazards, improve safety practices, and build […]
On May 27, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a final report on three chemical incidents involving hydrogen fluoride (HF) at the Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies facility in Geismar, Louisiana. The incidents occurred over a period of less than three years—from October 2021 to June 2024—and revealed systemic safety failures […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine workplace chemical hazards. Every day, on-the-job exposures to chemicals can pose health and safety hazards to your employees. Those can be addressed by exposure control methods like engineering or administrative controls, personal […]