Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
No one wants it to happen, but an emergency, natural or manmade, can strike at anytime, 24/7. What’s more, it need not be a major, nationally-televised incident, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or act of political terror. An event as common as a local building fire can present just as large a challenge to you. These resources will help you create a plan for handling such crises, whatever their scope, and to carry it out in a way that best protects your employees and your company.
One of the most important tools for preventing workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities is a hazard assessment. Situations are analyzed to determine the risks they pose, and then employers decide how best to control those risks. Unfortunately, one increasingly common hazard has thus far defied our ability to predict and prevent it—mass shootings.
In a news release last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced actions it is taking to assist Americans in states affected by Hurricane Michael. Here is a roundup of what’s happening in the wake of the disaster.
Michael, the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the Florida panhandle, hit with 145 mph sustained winds, more than enough to cause major wind damage. The central pressure of the storm fell rapidly and was down to 933 millibars, just shy of the most intense hurricanes on record to make landfall in the […]
In a recent press release, OSHA urges emergency crews in the areas affected by Hurricane Florence to be aware of hazards from flooding, power loss, structural damage, fallen trees, and storm debris. The release also provides helpful reminders and resources for affected employers and their workers.
Late last week, a series of explosions across several towns in Massachusetts resulted in one fatality and several injuries. The incident, its aftermath, and the resulting investigations and lawsuits are a reminder of the costliness of failing to conduct proper maintenance and monitoring of equipment to ensure its safe operation and performance.
National Preparedness Month (NPM) is observed annually in September. The National Safety Council (NSC) wants to create awareness to prepare ourselves and families for any disaster that could impact our businesses, homes, and communities. The NPM theme for the month is Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How.
As a result of the devastating wildfires blazing through southern California, Morneau Shepell has opened its 24/7 crisis support hotline to help anyone affected by the natural disaster.
In 2018, it’s becoming imperative that every employer develop a comprehensive and effective workplace violence action plan, especially because the average workplace is now 18 times more likely to experience an incident of workplace violence than a fire, and active shooters are becoming more likely.
California has more than its share of natural disasters: earthquakes, wildfires, and mudslides, to name several. The 2017 California wildfire season had a record 9,133 fires that burned more than 1.3 million acres, and in January 2018, severe mudslides shut down about 30 miles of Highway 101 between Northern and Southern California. Although California workplaces […]
In 2017, California became the first state in the nation to implement a regulation requiring health care employers to take steps to prevent workplace violence. That rule took effect in April 2018. Now, the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA, is developing a similar standard for general industry.