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I’ll Have a Shot of SPCC in My Latte

There is much confusion surrounding the applicability of SPCC requirements. A question that recently came across the desk of one environmental expert involved oil in flavorings. The person asked if flavorings that contain small amounts of oil (for example, almond and hazelnut oil) count towards an inventory to determine SPCC applicability if they are stored […]

Don’t Let Arc Flash Cost You

A maintenance supervisor at a Wisconsin iron foundry was severely burned by an electrical arc flash in June 2013. The supervisor was injured while servicing a 480-volt circuit breaker without proper electrical protective equipment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited the employer for a willful violation of electrical standards, alleging that the employer […]

How to Avoid RMP

Are you close? You must have more than a threshold amount of a listed substance in process at your facility for the Risk Management Program requirements of the Clean Air Act Section 112(r) to apply. If your facility’s source is close to the threshold for a particular substance, you may be able to limit the […]

Hand Protection: When are Work Gloves a Bad Idea?

Carpenter Severiano Barajas was pushing wood through a jointer on May 7, 2012, when the piece he was cutting became stuck. Barajas wiggled the piece back and forth, trying to work it free. While he was doing so, the glove he was wearing on his left hand caught on the jointer’s blade, became entangled, and […]

RMP under Scrutiny

The EPA recently issued an updated request for information (RFI) seeking public comment on updating its Risk Management Program regulations, and a notice of proposed rulemaking is being prepared.  In the original RFI, the Agency noted that it is looking for specific feedback on whether the list of Risk Management Program (RMP)-regulated substances should be […]

Hand Protection: Can Gloves Prevent Vibration Injury?

Have you ever used a string trimmer to trim the edges of your yard? How about using a chainsaw to clean up dead tree limbs after a storm? Maybe you’ve used a power sander to refinish the floors in your home. After each of these activities, you might have experienced tingling and numbness in your […]

The Inside Scoop on Vapor Intrusion

The EPA suggests that the guides be used to help identify and consider key factors related to VI assessments, risk management decisions, and mitigation. Vapor intrusion is also of particular concern to property owners, municipalities, and real estate developers, especially those involved in revitalization of a perceived brownfield. Note. While the recommendations in these guides […]

8 BMPs for Hazardous Waste Containers, cont.

Note. These BMPs reflect certain federal standards for hazardous waste container management. They do not address all the requirements for containers. Also, your state may have stricter hazardous waste container management requirements that are not reflected in theses BMPs. Forget expensive calls to lawyers and consultants. With Enviro.BLR.com, you get instant access, 24/7. Try it […]

8 BMPs for Hazardous Waste Containers

Violations of container management standards are very common and cited often by agency inspectors as the most common of regulatory violations, particularly by hazardous waste generators. Anyone who handles hazardous waste should be aware that many inspectors go to hazardous waste accumulation or storage areas first when conducting an inspection. A recent example of an […]