Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
When it comes to worker safety, fall prevention remains a high priority. Despite our best efforts, slips, trips, and falls continue to be one of the leading causes of occupational injuries and deaths. The Song of the Week keeps that in mind with a new wave gem from the early ’80s, “Stand or Fall” by […]
On March 21, 2024, the EPA announced the release of its 2022 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis showing that environmental releases of TRI chemicals from facilities covered by the program were 21% lower in 2022 compared with 2013, which included a 26% decrease in air releases. The data shows releases from manufacturing facilities decreased […]
Grocery store Trader Joe’s is facing a $216,902 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine for safety violations at its Greenwood Village, Colorado, location, the agency announced April 10. OSHA cited Trader Joe’s for a lack of adequate safety training for forklift operators and failing to inspect forklifts at the Greenwood Village facility. The chain […]
On March 14, 2024, EPA Administrator Michael Regan signed a final rule requiring certain facilities to develop facility response plans (FRP) for a worst-case discharge of Clean Water Act (CWA) hazardous substances or the threat of such a discharge. Worst-case discharges are defined as the largest foreseeable discharge in adverse weather conditions, including extreme weather […]
Join us April 15-19 for a full week of online events and digital resources around EHS technology. Register for events today. Learn how to incorporate technological tools and systems to keep your organization safe and up-to-date on all technological trends. Monday, April 15 Educational Session | Panel Discussion: Using Technology to Prevent and Address Musculoskeletal Disorders Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 […]
In the first quarter (Q1), the EPA finalized 235 settlement agreements with companies small and large across the United States. This represents a slight increase in enforcement actions—up from 206 penalties—issued in Q4 for 2023. The actions taken resulted in $8,002,246 in fines. Here are some of the highlights. RCRA violations yield biggest fine from […]
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals recently vacated the EPA’s rule that required 32 states to revise their state implementation plans (SIP) due to exemptions that allowed for excess emissions from facilities resulting from startups, shutdowns, or malfunctions (SSM). “The agency exceeded its statutory authority in calling for a blanket removal of these ‘SSM’ exemptions […]
After workers at a Commerce, Georgia, electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility suffered potentially permanent respiratory damage in a lithium battery fire, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited SK Battery America Inc. a second time in less than a year and seeks $77,200 in new penalties, the agency announced April 8. Following the fire, […]
Slips, trips, and falls continue to be one of the leading causes of occupational injuries and deaths. In a 2022 report published by the National Safety Council (NSC), approximately 20% of the 4,530,000 occupational injuries that required medical attention were falls. Since 2009, the number of fatal falls has only increased each year, with an […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to carry out inspections and issue citations to employers that expose workers to hazardous conditions. We’ve summarized some of the key enforcement cases from the past few months for a look at where OSHA is focusing its efforts. ‘Severe violator’ cited again for machine hazards An Alabama […]