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.

The CDR Rule and Your Obligation to Report

Written under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA’s governing regulation was issued in 1986 and was initially called the Inventory Update Rule (IUR). In a 2011 action, the Agency changed the name to the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule. Under the CDR rule, between June 1, 2016, and September 30, 2016, […]

Strategies for Obliterating Bronchiolitis obliterans

The hazards of diacetyl and related flavorings are increasingly of concern to employers across the food-processing industry. Although there is no federal standard or permissible exposure limit for diacetyl yet, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has weighed in with recommended strategies for controlling worker exposures. If your workers are exposed to […]

OSHA Narrows Application of PSM Retail Exemption

OSHA has clarified its interpretation regarding the exemption of retail facilities from compliance with its standard on Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (PSM). Keep reading to find out what’s involved and if your business might be affected.

Popcorn Lung: It’s Not Just a Butter-Flavored Problem Anymore

It has been 13 years since the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published the first reports of a potentially deadly lung disease in workers at a microwave-popcorn factory. The newly identified lung disease, sometimes called “popcorn lung,” was officially dubbed bronchiolitis obliterans for its devastating effect on the lungs. It was eventually […]

Q&A: SDSs for Power Tool Supplies

Recently, we received a question regarding whether safety data sheets (SDSs) are required under OSHA’s hazard communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) for items such as drill bits. See what we had to say.

Dissipating the Hazards of Heavier-than-Air Vapors

On June 30, 2007, workers at a Little General gas station and convenience store in Ghent, West Virginia, were transferring propane from an existing propane tank (that did not meet safety codes) to a new propane tank (that did meet safety codes). During the transfer, the old tank began to leak flammable propane vapor. The […]

The Creeping Hazards of Heavier-than-Air Vapors

Terry Reynolds, a 55-year-old Kansas homeowner, just wanted to relight the pilot light of his propane water heater on August 6, 2009. Unfortunately, the propane tank was leaking heavier-than-air propane gas into the water heater’s enclosure, and instead of lighting the pilot, Reynolds blew his house off its foundation and suffered burns over more than […]

News: Can You Get a Refill?

EPA’s standards for pesticide containers and filling and refilling those containers are among the most unwieldy set of federal regulations under any statute. These regulations can be complex and lengthy. In this article, we’ve outlined some important points to help you better understand the regulations surrounding repackaging requirements.

Process Safety Management: Is Your Retail Exemption Going Away?

For employers that handle small quantities of highly hazardous chemicals or large quantities of flammable liquids or gases, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) process safety management (PSM) standard (29 CFR 1910.119) imposes extensive requirements on the handling of those substances. Until July 2015, many employers were avoiding the need to comply with those […]