Category: Chemicals

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.

Ohio Meat Processor Facing $278K in OSHA Fines

Blue Ash, Ohio-based meat processor Sugar Creek Packing Co. faces $277,904 in proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines after a worker fell into corrosive chemicals and suffered injuries that included severe leg burns and the degloving of their foot (the loss of skin and soft tissue), the agency announced November 29. Agency inspectors […]

California OEHHA Proposes Changes to Controversial Prop 65 Warnings

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) recently issued a notice of several proposed amendments to its heavily criticized Proposition 65 (Prop 65) Article 6 “clear and reasonable warnings” regulations. This notice of proposed changes comes after initial modifications were proposed in 2021 followed by two rounds of revisions that were ultimately abandoned […]

Petition Asks D.C. Circuit Court to Review CBI Under TSCA Reporting

On November 9, 2023, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia against the EPA challenging federal regulations that will make it more difficult for the public to obtain information about chemicals the EPA reviews under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The court […]

EPA Proposes TCE Ban

On October 23, 2023, the EPA announced a proposed rule to ban all uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), an extremely toxic chemical known to cause serious health risks, including cancer, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. TCE is used in cleaning and furniture care products, degreasers, brake cleaners, and tire repair sealants. According to the EPA, a variety […]

PFAS Final Data Reporting Regulations

After several deadline extensions, the EPA released its final per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) data reporting rule in late September 2023. The rule is expected to provide the “EPA, its partners, and the public with the largest-ever dataset of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) manufactured and used in the United States,” according to an Agency […]

Top Three Chemicals Involved in Accidents

An Axios analysis of records obtained by the Data Liberation Project reveals the top three chemicals involved in most chemical accidents reported to the EPA over the past 20 years. Those chemicals are: Industry sources that regularly use these chemicals are advised to take note and ensure all precautions are in place to safely deal […]

Infographic: Ethylene Oxide

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is one of the many industrial chemicals that workers may come into contact with, depending on the jobsite. In addition to the standards, OSHA provides information on EtO exposure and what employers need to know about protecting their workers from the chemical. Here’s what you need to know about ethylene oxide. Check out […]

Massachusetts Manufacturer Cited for Beryllium Exposures

IBC Engineered Materials Inc., a Wilmington, Massachusetts, manufacturer, overexposed employees to airborne concentrations of beryllium, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced October 11. IBC, which does business as IBC Advanced Alloys Inc., was cited for 11 serious violations and 1 other-than-serious violation for the hazardous conditions and faces proposed penalties totaling $69,251. Employees […]

Back to Basics: Ethylene Oxide

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine ethylene oxide exposure and OSHA’s prevention recommendations. Ethylene oxide (EtO) is one of the many industrial chemicals that workers may come into contact with, depending on the jobsite. In addition to the […]