Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In Q3, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized 158 settlement agreements with companies small and large across the United States. There was a definitive increase in enforcement actions, with only 106 penalties issued in the previous quarter. Here we highlight some of the biggest fines.
OSHA proposed to amend the construction and shipyard standards for beryllium exposures. The proposal leaves the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) and short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 2.0 µg/m3 in place but would revise several portions of the standards’ ancillary provisions.
Appeals from the petroleum industry notwithstanding, the EPA recently announced that it will continue to take action to “significantly increase the 2020 U.S. biofuel mandate.” One promised action is rulemaking to streamline labeling and “remove other barriers” to the sale of E15, a fuel comprising 85 percent (%) conventional gasoline and 15% ethanol.
Congressional authorization and funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program is once again nearing expiration. That means there will almost certainly be a new authorizing law carrying a fresh set of program amendments. While there is no meaningful opposition to the CFATS as a whole, there is also […]
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a new virtual toolkit to help first responders reduce their exposure to fentanyl and other illicit drugs. The toolkit provides resources to help keep first responders safe when arriving on a scene where illicit drugs, including fentanyl, are present or suspected to be present.
OSHA has replaced its Enforcement Weighting System (EWS) with a new OSHA Weighting System (OWS) to encourage its field staff to conduct compliance assistance activities, in addition to performing enforcement inspections to reduce the deadliest workplace hazards.
In a ruling that helps downwind states with areas in nonattainment with the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declined to vacate the EPA’s 2016 rule to update its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). However, the court did remand one […]
October is National Protect Your Hearing Month! In workplaces where noise levels exceed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) action level of 85 A-weighted decibels (dBA) as a time-weighted average, employers must put a hearing conservation program in place. In addition to reducing noise levels and noise exposures, selecting appropriate hearing protection, audiometric testing, […]
What did you see when you walked into your facility this morning? Were there cords snaking across the floor, remnants of a spill from a couple of days ago, or overflowing trash cans? Or did you observe a strong sense of order, with clear walkways, properly stored tools, well-lit and clearly marked stairways, and hazardous […]
A safety professional recently wrote to the experts at Safety.BLR.com® looking for guidance on how many fire wardens (or marshals) are necessary based on building occupancy or size. A warden must make note of whether people in their part of a building evacuate—read on to see what the experts had to say.