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OSHA Narrows Application of PSM Retail Exemption

OSHA has clarified its interpretation regarding the exemption of retail facilities from compliance with its standard on Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (PSM). Keep reading to find out what’s involved and if your business might be affected.

OSHA Increases Use of General Duty Clause: How to Avoid Enforcement and Costly Penalties Amid the Agency’s New Norm

General Duty Clause Citations OSHA’s General Duty Clause is the “gap filler” in enforcement actions that address recognized hazards where no specific OSHA standard exists. In 2014, more than 1,500 GDC violations were cited, with nearly $5 million in penalties. In this webinar, BLR Legal Editor Ana Ellington will discuss the broad application of the […]

New NIOSH Resources Focus on Hispanic Workers

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently released a series of illustrated communication products targeted to Spanish-speaking immigrant workers to help them understand their rights to a safe workplace. The materials, titled Protéjase en el trabajo (Protect yourself at work), include four brochures, five short videos, […]

California Reports Fewer Workplace Fatalities

Workplace fatalities may be up nationwide, but California’s Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) released preliminary statistics for the state that show a 16 percent decline in workplace deaths from 2013 to 2014. While DIR Director Christine Baker called the downward trend encouraging, she emphasized the need for employers to continue their commitment to workplace safety. […]

E-Enterprise: What They’re Saying

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of trying to modernize its approach to environmental compliance and efficiency through a project called “E-Enterprise.” Yesterday we looked at the basic premises of E-Enterprise and how it will affect the regulated community. Today we will review some of the comments the EPA has received […]

Conference Wrap-Up: UST chaos: SPA inconsistences palpable

In mid-September, approximately 800 underground storage tank (UST) professionals gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, for the 25th National Tanks Conference and Expo, which was cosponsored by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC). The event summoned state and federal regulators, tribal representatives, the regulated community, environmental consultants, and tank industry experts under a single […]

News: Volkswagen admits it is guilty of cheating!

Before his resignation, Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn, publically apologized for emission defeat or cheat devices found in Volkswagen diesel passenger cars sold in the U.S. Volkswagen now faces serious and costly violations under the Clean Air Act (CAA).