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.
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A federal appeals court lifted a judicial stay on the emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring employee COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing, and the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments January 7, 2022, about staying or striking down the rule. Will you be ready if the Supreme Court leaves the rule in place? The Occupational Safety […]
In our latest installment of Ask the Expert, brought to you by the team of industry experts at EHS Hero®, we look at a recent question from a subscriber asking who is responsible for a contractor’s OSHA violations and fines. See what the experts had to say. Q: Who is responsible for a contractor’s OSHA […]
Risk managers take note: Environmental enforcement, particularly criminal enforcement, is expected to rise in the coming months. In their remarks at the American Bar Association’s annual National Environmental Enforcement Conference, Chief of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Environmental Crimes Section Deborah Harris and Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim, head of the DOJ Environment and Natural […]
Employee fatalities in the workplace are one of the worst situations employers can encounter while running a business. In just Fiscal Year 2019 alone, over 5,000 workers died on the job, averaging out to more than 100 fatalities per week, or fifteen cases per day. To combat these stark numbers and better protect employees on […]
It looks to be a bumpy road ahead for any industry, primarily the synthetic chemical manufacturing industry (SOCMI), including petrochemical plants, dealing with ethylene oxide (EO). At the heart of the controversy is the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) value for EO emissions. The controversial IRIS “IRIS is a research program that assesses chemical toxicity […]
A Jacksonville, Florida, roofing contractor faces incarceration for his failure to comply with court orders related to a series of safety violations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced. Travis Slaughter, the owner of Great White Construction Inc. and Florida Roofing Experts, has failed to pay $2,202,049 in penalties assessed by OSHA for […]
The EPA filed a proposed consent decree agreeing to review and potentially revise regulations governing emissions standards for the synthetic chemical manufacturing industry (SOCMI), which includes petrochemical plants. The consent decree was published in response to a lawsuit (Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS), et al. v. Regan, No. 1:20-cv-03733-RJL) filed by environmental groups in […]
The EPA and the Department of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) posted proposed updates to the definition of waters of the United States (WOTUS) in the Federal Register on December 7, 2021. The proposed rule would define WOTUS as: Traditional navigable waters, interstate waters, and the territorial seas and their adjacent wetlands; Most impoundments […]
Two employers in Alabama and Arkansas are facing six-figure Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties following workers’ amputation injuries. OSHA cited iSpice LLC of Jackson, Alabama, with two repeat, serious and six serious safety and health violations and proposed penalties totaling $146,751. The agency cited Maxwell Hardwood Flooring Inc. of Monticello, Arkansas, with one […]
As the year winds down, we’re taking a look this week at some highlights from 2021. Today, we’re highlighting excerpts from some of our favorites from our Back to Basics feature, which made its debut in late July. August 9: Common Hazards, Frequent Citations Don’t let all the new, exotic workplace hazards distract you from […]