Author: Lisa Whitley Coleman, EHS Daily Advisor

San Diego Environmental Groups Move to Stop Cross-Border Sewage Pollution

Two public interest groups have filed a notice of intent (NOI) to sue the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) over alleged Clean Water Act (CWA) violations from Tijuana sewage. In the NOI, the two groups, San Diego Coastkeeper and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation (CERF), document “hundreds of violations … that result in the […]

USPS Unveils First Charging Stations and EVs Under Plan for Nation’s Largest Electric Fleet

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), alongside White House officials, unveiled its first set of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at its South Atlanta Sorting and Delivery Center (S&DC). Charging stations like these will be installed at hundreds of new S&DCs across the country throughout the year and will power what will be the nation’s largest […]

Back to Basics: Head Protection

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine guidance on head protection. It’s no revelation that workplace head injuries are a major safety concern. Are you providing the proper head protection for your employees? The hard hat has been […]

EHSDA Song of the Week: Silver Machine

Keeping workers safe when using machinery is an ongoing challenge for businesses. This week, EHS Daily Advisor wrote about citations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to manufacturers in Ohio and Illinois about mechanical hazards. The Song of the Week continues with the machinery theme as we go back to 1972 and Hawkwind’s […]

EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives for 2024-2027

With 2024 underway, it’s a good time for regulated industry to put the EPA’s 2024–2027 National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives (NECI) front of mind. Every four years, across administrations, the EPA selects enforcement and compliance initiatives to allow the Agency and its state partners to prioritize issues and determine the necessary resources to address the […]

Musical Instrument Maker Facing $273K OSHA Fine

Conn-Selmer Inc., an Eastlake, Ohio, musical instrument manufacturer, is facing $273,447 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for three repeat and three serious violations, the agency announced January 24. On July 14, 2023, a worker suffered a fingertip amputation while setting up a machine die inside a press used to manufacture sousaphones. Investigators […]

OSHA Cites Ohio Food Warehouse for Ergonomics Hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Martin-Brower Co. LLC, a Fairfield, Ohio, food services warehouse, for exposing its employees to ergonomic hazards, the agency announced January 19. Although there’s no federal ergonomics standard—a Clinton administration ergonomics rule was rescinded by Congress in 2001—OSHA cites employers for ergonomics hazards using its authority under […]

EPA Petitioned to Halt All Uses of Glyphosate

Last month, a coalition of six organizations petitioned the EPA to immediately suspend and cancel all glyphosate registrations. The petition was filed by the Center for Food Safety (CFF), which was joined by Lideres Campesinas, Beyond Pesticides, the Farmworker Association of Florida, Rural Coalition, and Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Inc. These nonprofits work to protect […]

OSHA Cites Illinois, Ohio Manufacturers for Mechanical Hazards

Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Illinois and Ohio manufacturers with lockout/tagout and machine guarding violations. Both employers are facing six-figure penalties. An Itasca, Illinois, custom manufacturer faces $298,453 in penalties for one willful and 13 serious violations—all involving required machine safety procedures—following the agency’s investigation under its National Emphasis Program […]

Back to Basics: How’s Your Powered Industrial Truck Compliance?

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine compliance with powered industrial truck safety standards. You need to be mindful of the hazards posed by forklifts and other powered industrial trucks and federal enforcement efforts focused on those hazards. […]