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A federal panel affirmed that Walmart Inc. violated federal workplace safety standards at its warehouse in Johnstown, New York, when it failed to prevent stored merchandise from falling onto, and seriously injuring, an employee, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced February 24. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission concluded that OSHA correctly […]
Systematic evaluation of your company’s workplace and safety practices is integral to your safety plan. A voluntary safety self-audit is critical in achieving environment, health, and safety (EHS) compliance. It can make a substantial difference in accident prevention and help you be prepared for unannounced Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections. A safety self-audit evaluates […]
The EPA has proposed a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) that would prevent companies from starting or resuming the manufacturing, processing, or use of an estimated 300 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have not been made or used for many years without a complete EPA review and risk determination. In the past, these chemicals, […]
On February 17, 2023, the EPA reaffirmed the scientific, economic, and legal underpinnings of the 2012 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for power plants, which required significant reductions of mercury, acid gases, and other harmful pollutants. This reinstates an Obama-era legal finding that affirmed the science behind clean air standards, and it reverses a […]
Dollar Tree Inc. faces $254,478 in new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for three repeat violations at its Mount Pleasant, Texas, store, the agency announced February 23. OSHA inspectors reported finding that the employer allowed storeroom merchandise to block exits and walkways and had stacked boxes high enough to fall on workers. Inspectors […]
A dental hygienist and dental assistant have won $15,706 in back wages to be paid by the North Texas dentists who fired them for raising concerns about COVID-19 safety measures in spring 2020 following a federal whistleblower investigation conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and litigation filed by the Department of Labor […]
On February 22, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a list of the department’s economically significant rulemakings, including six at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (88 Fed. Reg. 11252). The six OSHA rulemakings include two in the prerule stage—process safety management (PSM) and prevention of major chemical accidents and prevention of workplace violence […]
The U.S. transportation sector is responsible for one-third of all domestic carbon emissions. In response, the Biden administration released the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization: A Joint Strategy to Transform Transportation early this year. Developed by the Departments of Energy (DOE), Transportation (DOT), and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the EPA, it is […]
President Joseph Biden Jr.’s first term in office is a little more than half over since his inauguration on January 20, 2021. His election platform was characterized as the most ambitious climate action platform of any U.S. president to date. Environmental advocates have expressed concern that he is running out of time to strengthen environmental […]
On December 31, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a cumulative impacts bill (S.8830/A.2103D) into law for the state, which amends the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to require the consideration of both long- and short-term effects of any proposed action “on disadvantaged communities, including whether the action may cause or increase a […]