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
In response to lawsuits brought by states and environmental groups, on October 29, 2021, the EPA filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit indicating it “will be reconsidering the 2020 Ozone NAAQS Decision, with the intention of completing the reconsideration by the end of 2023.” Under the Trump […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) November 2 cited a northern Wisconsin foundry with one willful, seven serious, and five other-than-serious violations in a 51-page citing document. Waupaca Foundry of Marinette, Wisconsin, faces $200,895 in proposed penalties. Two workers suffered severe injuries this summer, and OSHA initiated three separate safety and health inspections. In […]
Corrective action is an important aspect of EHS management that is used to fix operational issues, keep employees safe, and reduce environmental impacts. Corrective actions can originate from a specific incident that spontaneously occurs, an internal audit that discovers something is amiss within an organization, or a regulatory agency inspection that seeks to determine if […]
The EPA will likely restrict the use of some common hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, including R134a, R410A, and R407C, in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, as well as some foam production operations. The EPA has granted, or partially granted, 11 petitions submitted by industry and environmental groups in response to the recently passed American Innovation and […]
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week was established by Congress in 1999 to occur each year during the last week in October. “Lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including decreasing IQ, focus, and academic achievement in children,” reports the EPA. “While lead is dangerous to all children, not all children are equally exposed to […]
The U.S. Senate October 26 confirmed the appointment of Doug Parker as assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health—a move applauded by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and National Safety Council (NSC). Parker, former head of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), becomes the first permanent head of […]
Dr. Stanley D. Young, a former member of the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Council, filed suit on October 7, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia accusing the EPA of purging its advisory boards of industry members. “The [EPA] has a problem with dissent. In an unprecedented purge, EPA eliminated all industry […]
The EPA announced a new guidance memo on September 30, 2021, withdrawing the previous guidance memo issued on October 9, 2020, that carved out exemptions for excess emissions in startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) events for larger emitters. Industry analysts believe this signifies difficult permitting approvals ahead, as well as new State Implementation Plan (SIP) […]
The EPA has issued a draft policy assessment, “Policy Assessment for the Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter, External Review Draft,” dated October 2021, which concludes “scientific evidence, air quality analyses and the risk assessment for a type of pollution called fine particulate matter can ‘reasonably be viewed as calling […]
When looking at your commitment to safety culture and your workers’ perceptions of safety in the workplace, it is best to examine your leadership style and safety management system. Get into the habit of thinking about the process of recognizing hazards and finding ways to control them. Here are 5 leadership strategies that can help […]