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On March 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of an over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray for the treatment of opioid overdoses. Narcan, a 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, is the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription. The National Safety Council (NSC) said it “is thrilled workplaces […]
A Tampa, Florida, framing contractor with a history of safety violations faces $464,079 in new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for 3 willful violations and 1 repeat violation, the agency announced March 28. On September 24, 2022, OSHA inspectors observed employees of Domingos 54 Construction Inc. without fall safety gear while working atop […]
Four petitions for review were filed in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the EPA’s reinstatement of the waiver that allows the State of California to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from motor vehicles. The case presents significant questions regarding state and federal sovereignty, and any decisions reached in the matter have the potential […]
ClientEarth filed suit in February 2023 in the Court of England and Wales against the board members of Shell PLC for failing to manage the material and foreseeable risks posed to the company by climate change. The lawsuit, the first known attempt to hold board members personally liable, “alleges Shell’s 11 directors have breached their […]
A decision reached in a federal court in Air Products v. Livingston Parish is predicted to set precedence across the United States for carbon sequestration projects. In this matter, in 2021, Air Products Blue Energy LLC announced it was building a $4.5 billion clean energy complex that would span several parishes near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. […]
On March 22, the National Safety Council (NSC) announced it is awarding $285,000 in grants to research promising safety solutions to reduce the instances of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) through two newly launched grant programs: the Research to Solutions (R2S) grant and MSD Solutions Pilot Grant 1.0. The grant programs are part of the NSC’s […]
Parter Medical Products, Inc., of Carson, California, failed to protect its employees from overexposure to ethylene oxide (EtO), a toxic chemical, according to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), prompting the agency to issue 18 citations, including 6 citations for willful, serious violations. Penalties total $838,800, the state agency announced March 21. […]
The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States (WOTUS) and regulating quality standards for surface waters. Under the CWA, the EPA has implemented pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry. The EPA has also developed national water quality criteria […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine oil spills and OSHA’s recommendations for preparedness. Oil spill emergencies pose great threats to both the safety of workers and the environment. According to OSHA, employers are responsible for protecting workers […]
On February 21, 2023, the EPA and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) reached an agreement for the Agency to meet deadlines for reducing smog in parts of California and Texas that have some of the nation’s worst air pollution, according to the CBD. The agreement was the result of a lawsuit filed by the […]