Category: Emergency Preparedness and Response

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.

Free Special Report: 50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training

Cleaning Chemicals Sicken 20 Workers; How to Avoid Deadly Mixtures

When Taylor Farms workers in Tracy arrived for the morning shift on October 15, 2015, they immediately noticed a strong chlorine smell. Twenty workers, including two pregnant women, became sick enough that they evacuated the building and called 911. According to the Tracy Fire Department, the plant’s sanitation crew had accidentally mixed two cleaning chemicals, […]

Workplace Violence: NIOSH Says Stores Neglect Simplest Safety Measures to Their Detriment

Employers sometimes fret over the cost of preventive safety measures: Was it worth hiring extra personnel to prevent an injury that might not have happened anyway? Was it worth installing extra equipment to control a hazard that workers encounter only once or twice a year? But sometimes employers don’t implement simple, inexpensive measures that could […]

Frozen Pipes and Other Sprinkler System Headaches

When the temperature drops below freezing, your pipes are at risk. Most people, including most business owners, are aware of this risk with respect to ordinary plumbing found in bathrooms and kitchens. But, have you considered whether your workplace sprinkler system is at risk? Frozen sprinkler system piping that bursts can cause serious water damage […]

Can Employers Use NESC to Select FR Clothing? OSHA Weighs in

In April 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution rule (29 CFR 1910.269). The revised rule includes new requirements for estimating the heat energy that workers might be exposed to in the event of an electric arc, and how to select appropriate personal protective equipment based on […]

USTs: Building a Risk Management Plan

Did you know that the EPA estimates the average cost to clean up a spill or release from an underground storage tank (UST) system is $125,000? These high costs to clean up a spill or a release can cause significant anxiety and stress on any UST owner or operator.

Keys to a Successful Active Threat Plan

Violence in the workplace isn’t pleasant to think about, but recent events highlight how important it is for employers to plan for it. We have advice for building an effective “active threat” plan from security expert Jay Hart. Hart, director of Force Training Institute, leads a team of first responders, antiterrorism, cybersecurity, defensive tactics, and […]

EPCRA Facility Reporting Flowchart

The federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was designed to enhance and, in many cases, build state and local governments’ emergency response and preparedness capabilities. EPCRA requires industry to provide information about certain chemicals and the quantities present at their facilities, so that state and local officials can plan for and respond to […]

SPCC Infographic: Does your SPCC Plan Need an Oil Spill Contingency Plan?

Some SPCC-regulated facilities require an additional contingency plan. Federal guidelines have been established for minimum criteria for the development and implementation of state, local, and regional contingency plans. The plans are developed by state and local governments in consultation with private interests in order to ensure timely, efficient, coordinated, and effective action to minimize damage […]