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.
When there’s an emergency in the workplace, workers need to get out quickly. Unfortunately, some types of emergencies may involve power failures and a loss of interior and exterior illumination; or, the building may fill with smoke, obscuring ordinary illumination. In either case, emergency lighting is critical to your workers.
In the wake of severe flooding in West Virginia, OSHA announced that it is providing assistance to the three hardest-hit counties of Kanawha, Greenbriar, and Nicholas, which President Obama declared to be federal disaster areas. The agency will provide compliance assistance in these areas to ensure that workers engaged in flood cleanup efforts are protected […]
Unless they’re working in complete darkness, workers may not pay too much attention to lighting in the workplace. But poor lighting can contribute to accidents whether workers notice it or not. Here’s some advice on lighting the workplace for safety. The good news is that poor lighting is usually an easy fix that enhances safety […]
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), about 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occur each year in the United States. More than 400 people are struck by lightning every year; about 70 die, while others are left with permanent neurological damage.
Back in March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed significant changes to the chemical accident prevention provisions, commonly referred to as the Risk Management Program (RMP). In a recent webinar, Risk Management Plan Updates: A Guide to Regulatory Compliance in Advance of EPA’s Final Rule, speaker Natalie VanLiew, PE, Managing Consultant at Trinity Consultants, […]
Do your workers know what to do if an “active shooter” situation goes down in the workplace? The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines these unpredictable, terrifying situations as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” They can devastate your workplace—but you can help […]
Beginning this summer, it is going to be substantially more expensive to violate the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standards. Penalties for violating U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules will also go up, but not as much as OSHA’s. Here’s why and what to expect for violations of safety standards.
It has been 3 years since the ammonium nitrate explosion in West, Texas, killed 15 people, injured hundreds, and caused widespread damage. Just a few months after that event, President Obama’s Executive Order (EO) 13650 set into motion actions by numerous government agencies designed to enhance the safety and security of chemical facilities and reduce […]
From road rage to mass violence, the headlines are filled with news of terrifying shooting incidents. When is the last time you talked with your employees about what to do if the unthinkable happens?
A spill or release of a chemical just occurred at your facility. What do you do? Does it need to be reported? What information needs to be reported, to whom, and how soon?