Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
A Pennsylvania House of Representatives committee in June approved H.B. 652, a bill that would require developers of proposed industrial projects in environmental justice (EJ) areas to develop and submit a cumulative impact statement of the projects. “Environmental racism is a longstanding issue in the commonwealth,” Pennsylvania State Representative Donna Bullock says, according to The […]
In June 2023, the Texas Supreme Court narrowly ruled that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is protected by sovereign immunity laws, which generally protect government entities from civil lawsuits. In a 5 to 4 ruling, the all-Republican Court found that ERCOT, which manages most of Texas’s power grid, qualifies for sovereign immunity because […]
It’s July and things are getting hotter, especially for workers. Which makes it especially fitting for the EHSDA Song of the Week to be Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer.” Coincidentally, the song just celebrated its 40th anniversary, as the U.K. pop trio released it as a single in the summer of 1983 and then on their 1984 […]
On June 6, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)—proposed requirements for automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems on heavy motor vehicles (88 Fed. Reg. 43174). The proposal would require AEB systems on vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms). The […]
On June 9, 2023, the EPA reported on its analysis of operations at Suncor petroleum refinery in Commerce City, Colorado. The analysis was undertaken because Suncor reported more air pollution incidents compared with other refineries. The Suncor analysis serves as a case study for industry to use to prevent similar compliance issues. The Agency reported […]
On June 8, 2023, the EPA proposed a rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to ban most uses of perchloroethylene (PCE), a chemical known to cause serious health risks such as neurotoxicity and cancer. The proposed rule bans all consumer uses of the chemical while allowing for many industrial/commercial uses to continue only […]
The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) predicts “significant” patient care “disruptions” will result from the EPA’s proposed regulations to slash ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions by 80%, according to Radiology Business. “SIR, the American College of Cardiology and several other medical societies note that [EtO] is vital for the proper disinfection of catheters, stents, guiding sheaths […]
In a June 16 viewpoint article in JAMA, David Michaels, former assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, wrote the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) should take steps to better protect workers in future pandemics, including issuing a federal pandemic preparedness standard. Michaels, who served under President Barack Obama, was OSHA’s longest-serving […]
An active shooter can show up at any workplace, but some industries and workplaces like healt care and social assistance have higher risks for violence. A former employee shows up at the workplace and shoots five workers, killing four, before driving to another former employer’s place of business to kill three others. A patient in […]
An arc flash occurs when there is a sudden release of electrical energy between two conductors, causing an explosion. It is a serious hazard in industries such as electrical utilities, construction, oil & gas, and manufacturing, where workers are working around high voltage switches and grounding gear, panel boards, switchboards, and transformers. Arc flash related […]