Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The weather around the U.S. has been heating up in recent weeks, which means hotter working conditions. On June 20, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved an indoor heat standard to protect indoor workers from heat illness. Appropriately, the Song of the Week is Kool & the Gang’s smooth 1979 R&B hit “Too Hot.” […]
Johns Creek, Georgia, contractor NOR-D LLC faces a $61,065 OSHA fine after a 54-year-old laborer on a five-man crew removing tar and stone from metal roof panels of a Macon warehouse stepped on a skylight and fell about 19 ft, the agency announced June 25. Investigators determined that an employee stepped on the skylight after […]
A.W. Stiles Contractors Inc., a McMinnville, Tennessee, contractor, faces $83,885 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines following a fatal fall at a Smyrna, New York, jobsite, the agency announced June 25. OSHA inspectors found that A.W. Stiles failed to provide the worker who was fatally injured and three others with effective fall protection, exposing […]
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a final report on a fatal 2022 naphtha release and fire at the BP-Husky Toledo Refinery in Oregon, Ohio, the board announced June 24. The chemical release and fire led to the deaths of two BP employees, who were brothers. During an emergency at the […]
The National Safety Council (NSC) on June 10 announced the release of a report examining data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau showing that workers of color face more work-related injuries and illnesses, as well as contributing factors. The NSC report, The Intersection of DEI and MSDs: Ensuring Equitable […]
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) on June 4 announced it deployed a team to investigate a fatal fire at a liquid nitriding facility in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. One person died after suffering severe burns during the incident at the TS USA facility, which uses a nitriding process to harden the outer […]
Working alone on a construction site poses significant dangers, primarily due to the lack of immediate assistance in emergencies. Without nearby coworkers to provide aid or raise an alarm, injured workers face perilous situations with limited help options. Additionally, the absence of colleagues decreases the likelihood of timely intervention for incidents like slips and falls, […]
On June 11, 2024, the EPA announced a settlement with Andersen’s Sales and Salvage Inc., based in Greeley, Colorado, resolving alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) associated with releases of refrigerants. The consent agreement and final order require the company to pay a $195,000 penalty for these violations. “Andersen’s Sales and Salvage failed […]
EPA Clean Water Act (CWA) wastewater regulations are set to face U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) scrutiny. In the case City and County of San Francisco v. EPA, San Francisco is suing the EPA over generic water quality prohibitions in permitting decisions. “The EPA had urged the Supreme Court to decline the petition, insisting narrative limitations […]
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved an indoor heat standard on June 20 to protect indoor workers from heat illness, the state Department of Industrial Relations announced June 21. The state already has an outdoor heat illness prevention standard. The new regulation requires that indoor workplaces be cooled to below 87 degrees Fahrenheit, […]