Category: Chemicals

Today’s workplace uses thousands of chemicals, many of which are hazardous. The resources in this section will help guide you in the safe and legal identification, storage, transport, and use of these chemicals, and in making sure that your employees right to know how to be safe around such substances is provided, as required by law.

Infographic: Process Safety Management

OSHA has updated its enforcement guidance for the Process Safety Management (PSM) standard. The updated enforcement directive became effective January 24. Here’s what you need to know about PSM compliance.

Georgia Chemical Manufacturer Facing $289K OSHA Fine

Atlanta chemical manufacturer Southern Industrial Chemicals Inc. (operating as SIC Technologies) is facing $289,439 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties following agency safety and health inspections, OSHA announced March 8. The agency cited the employer with 67 serious violations, and it reported finding both safety and health hazards, like chemical exposures and struck-by […]

EPA Finalizes TSCA Fees Rule

The EPA recently announced it finalized amendments to the 2018 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Fees Rule that update how the Agency will recover authorized costs of the law’s implementation and ensure collected fees provide the Agency with 25% of authorized costs consistent with direction from Congress. The Agency expects these amendments to strengthen its […]

CSB: Diesel, Hydrogen Released in Marathon Plant Fire

A metal tube ruptured within a reactor charge furnace during a unit start-up, releasing hot renewable diesel and hydrogen and resulting in a fire that seriously injured an employee at the Marathon Martinez Renewables facility in Martinez, California. The employee suffered third-degree burns to most of his face and body, the U.S. Chemical Safety and […]

Chemical Manufacturer Fined for Alleged CAA, EPCRA, and CERCLA Violations

In January 2024, chemical manufacturer Nox-Crete Inc., located in Omaha, Nebraska, agreed to pay a $37,026 EPA civil penalty and install a fire suppression system to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act (CAA); Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA); and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The facility, which […]

Hazardous Waste Reporting Deadlines are Fast Approaching

Reports are due by March 1, 2024, for facilities subject to Biennial Hazardous Waste and Tier II Hazardous Chemical Inventory Reporting regulations. Biennial Hazardous Waste Reporting Biennial hazardous waste reports are used to compile data on the generation, management, and minimization of hazardous waste. Facilities required to report: Large quantity generators (LGQ), or those that […]

EPA Proposes Two New Regulations to Address PFAS Contamination

On February 1, 2024, the EPA announced two new proposed regulations to protect communities and the environment from the health risks posed by certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that are also referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their resistance to breaking down in the environment over […]

NJ Transportation Company Facing $437K OSHA Fine

New Jersey transportation company Dana Container faces $437,860 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for one willful, three repeat, and four serious violations, OSHA announced January 31. The agency cited Dana for one willful violation because it didn’t properly maintain safety data sheets for chemicals, including corrosives. Three repeat violations involved chemical container labels […]

Continued Rise in PFAS Litigation Expected in 2024

Last year, lawsuits against major chemical manufacturers resulted in settlements totaling more than $11 billion. This year, as the EPA brings even more regulations into play and awareness of the extent of the harm from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination continues to grow, analysts predict substantially more lawsuits will be filed, resulting in even […]

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 […]