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Welding is a hazardous activity that poses a unique combination of both safety and health risks to more than 500,000 workers in a wide variety of industries. Because it is a common operation in many workplaces, its hazards are often underappreciated. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that more than four deaths […]
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ordered the EPA to fulfill its obligations under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to initiate financial assurance rulemaking for the hard rock mining industry. The court order responds to a joint motion filed by six environmental groups and the […]
In a proposal, the EPA has described how it intends to align its National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (more commonly called the National Contingency Plan or NCP) with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Response Framework (NRF) and National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House to block the EPA from requiring compliance with its National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the brick and structural clay products manufacturing and clay ceramics manufacture maximum achievable control technology (collectively, Brick MACT) until any judicial proceedings, including appeals, addressing the rule are final.
The EPA published its proposed Hazardous Waste Generator Improvement rule on September 25, 2015, that it says addresses problems the Agency identified with the current generator regulations:
Improperly opening a storage tank hatch can be deadly for oil and gas workers. In a new report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight nine sudden deaths caused by inhalation of hydrocarbon gases and vapors and oxygen deficiency among oil and gas extraction workers from January 2010 to March 2015. Four of […]
Yesterday we talked about some hefty fines that OSHA recently imposed on companies for exposing their workers to asbestos during a building renovation project. Today we will review required training for employees who must work with asbestos-containing material (ACM) in construction activities. In addition to the basic asbestos training requirements for general industry, OSHA has […]
Late last year, three Austin, Texas-based employers were fined a total of $112,000 for exposing their workers to asbestos. Let’s see what happened in the Lone Star State and consider how you can avoid asbestos-related citations and fines. All three employers were involved in a commercial real estate renovation project at a residential apartment construction worksite […]
OSHA recently certified New Jersey’s state plan for protecting the safety and health of state and local government workers. The New Jersey Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health State Plan covers more than 530,000 state and local government workers. The New Jersey state plan was initially approved in January of 2001, and certification became effective […]
More Americans than ever—some 50 million—report suffering from chronic pain and may be taking prescription pain medications. Some of these meds have potentially dangerous side effects. Moreover, more people are becoming addicted and may continue using the drugs even after they’re no longer medically necessary. These realities can have a profound effect on safety in […]