Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
As today’s workplace becomes more complex, regulation of that workplace increases. In this section, you’ll find the practical advice you need to understand exactly what OSHA, other federal agencies, and their state counterparts, require of you, and to comply in the ways that best satisfy both your and their needs. Look also for important court decisions, advice on how to handle enforcement actions, and news of upcoming changes in workplace health and safety law.
Free Special Report: What to Expect from an OSHA Inspection
On February 21, 2023, the EPA announced it would take charge of the cleanup from a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that released hazardous chemicals into the environment. The Norfolk Southern train derailment occurred on February 3, 2023. The company reported that an unknown number of the 150 train cars had derailed, but 20 […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been inconsistent in addressing safety and health complaints and referrals and did not regularly enforce hazard abatement timelines, according to an audit performed for the Labor Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The Lopez Group, LLP, an independent certified public accounting firm, conducted the audit for […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission recently vacated four Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for letter carriers in Benton, Arkansas; Houston and San Antonio, Texas; and Martinsburg, West Virginia, exposed to excessive heat. The commissioners concluded that OSHA failed to identify economically and technically feasible prevention […]
A LaFayette, Georgia, insulation manufacturer faces Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines totaling $423,432 after a line operator suffered severe head trauma after being caught in a machine’s roller, the agency announced March 6. OSHA cited Bonded Logic Inc. for two willful, two repeat, and 10 serious violations. Agency inspectors found the employer willfully […]
On episode 148 of EHS On Tap, Zach Pucillo, EHS Compliance Manager at KPA, discusses what you need to know about OSHA 300 reporting.
An El Paso, Texas, jewelry metal-plating finisher faces Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines totaling $292,693 for failing to protect employees working with dangerous acids and other chemicals from potentially permanent eye injuries, the agency announced February 28. The agency cited Arizona Traders Co., doing business as Siltec, Inc., with 12 serious workplace safety […]
Improperly handling highly hazardous chemicals can result in chemical accidents, or unexpected releases of explosive, flammable, reactive, or toxic gases and liquids. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) process safety management (PSM) standard sets out industry requirements for preventing or minimizing catastrophic releases of chemicals, and it applies across many industries. Preventing chemical accidents […]
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and Friends of the Earth sued the EPA in the Northern District of California on February 6, 2023, for failing to finalize nationwide standards that would protect U.S. waterways from harmful vessel discharges. The lawsuit states the EPA is more than 2 years behind schedule to establish standards for […]
A federal panel affirmed that Walmart Inc. violated federal workplace safety standards at its warehouse in Johnstown, New York, when it failed to prevent stored merchandise from falling onto, and seriously injuring, an employee, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced February 24. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission concluded that OSHA correctly […]
Dollar Tree Inc. faces $254,478 in new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for three repeat violations at its Mount Pleasant, Texas, store, the agency announced February 23. OSHA inspectors reported finding that the employer allowed storeroom merchandise to block exits and walkways and had stacked boxes high enough to fall on workers. Inspectors […]