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In a letter dated April 16, 2024, the attorneys general (AGs) of 23 states, led by the state of Florida, demand that the EPA “amend its regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to bring them in line with the text of that statute and with the Equal Protection Clause of […]
The EPA recently released its annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual GHG emissions from 1990 to 2022 and includes a preliminary outlook on anticipated 2023 emissions. The inventory covers seven GHGs: “Net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 5,489 million metric tons of carbon […]
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board meets May 16 to consider readopting the state’s emergency temporary standard (ETS) for occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica. The board adopted an ETS on December 14, 2023, which became effective December 29, to protect workers in the stone fabrication industry from silicosis. California’s permanent silica standard […]
The Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health unanimously recommended that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) move forward with a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for a federal heat exposure standard, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced May 8. In 2021, the agency issued an advance notice of proposal rulemaking (ANPRM) on heat […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to prepare your workers for a radiation emergency. A radiation emergency is a non-routine situation in which radiation is released or there is other risk of exposure to radiation, according to […]
Missouri roofing contractor 13 Construction & Pro Services LLC faces $258,063 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for illegally exposing roofing workers to the dangers of fall hazards—five times in seven weeks at six Wentzville, Missouri, residential building sites, the agency announced May 7. OSHA inspectors opened investigations after observing 13 Construction & […]
Lockout/tagout issues are a big concern for employers. Proper lockout/tagout practices and procedures must be implemented to protect employees from the release of hazardous energy. The EHSDA Song of the Week reflects that challenge with a little-known alt-rock gem from 1994, Big Chief’s “Locked Out.” Big Chief was formed in 1989 by several veterans of […]
Pan-O-Gold Baking Company, a Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, commercial baking facility, faces $262,953 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for two repeat, six serious, and two other-than-serious violations, the agency announced May 6. OSHA investigators cited Pan-O-Gold’s failures to train employees in lockout/tagout energy control procedures, provide adequate machine guarding, require the use of […]
On April 9, 2024, the EPA announced it issued a final rule titled “New Source Performance Standards for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and Group I & II Polymers and Resins Industry.” This marks the first rule issued by […]
In the realm of environment, health, and safety (EHS), workplace incidents serve as invaluable learning opportunities. Every incident, whether minor or major, provides EHS professionals with insights into potential hazards, organizational weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. By analyzing and understanding the root causes of incidents, EHS professionals can implement proactive measures to prevent future occurrences, […]