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A new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule issued October 13 limits exemptions from safety regulations during emergency declarations (88 Fed. Reg. 70897). Under the revised regulations, a presidential emergency declaration will continue to trigger a 30-day exemption from FMCSA safety regulations (49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 390 through 399), including hours-of-service […]
Worker mental health is often overlooked, but businesses are paying more attention to it these days. OSHA in August focused its Safe + Sound Week program on mental health and well-being and resources to help alleviate workplace stress and support mental health. This week, the EHSDA Song of the Week is Soundgarden’s “Fell On Black […]
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 […]
According to research findings from the National Safety Council (NSC), investments in technology to reduce workplace musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can improve both worker well-being and an organization’s bottom line, the NSC announced October 4. However, employers may not have the access and knowledge they need to effectively assess and implement risk-reducing technologies, according to the […]
Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, an upcoming case that will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) this fall, is being closely watched because its decision is expected to determine whether the Chevron defense will reach its 40th birthday in 2024 or whether the precedent will fade away. The Chevron defense sets a legal […]
On September 22, 2023, the EPA proposed to strengthen a 2020 Clean Air Act (CAA) rule by ensuring industrial facilities that emit large amounts of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) can’t increase emissions when reclassifying from a “major source” of emissions to an “area source.” The proposed amendments to the “Reclassification of Major Sources as Area […]
Several environmental and citizen watch groups have filed suit against the EPA in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to force the Agency to strengthen regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to provide better water quality protection. The lawsuit was filed after the EPA denied a 2017 petition that requested a […]
Join us next week (Oct. 16-20) for a full week of free online events and digital resources around safety culture that you can use to plot your safety leadership strategy. Register for event sessions today. Monday, Oct. 16 Educational Session | Permission to Thrive: Empowering Leadership for Psychological Safety Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT Sponsored by: Cority, Intelex, Orasure, Origami Risk […]
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 […]
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. National discount retailer fined $1.35 million OSHA entered a […]