Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
As today’s workplace becomes more complex, regulation of that workplace increases. In this section, you’ll find the practical advice you need to understand exactly what OSHA, other federal agencies, and their state counterparts, require of you, and to comply in the ways that best satisfy both your and their needs. Look also for important court decisions, advice on how to handle enforcement actions, and news of upcoming changes in workplace health and safety law.
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On January 17, 2024, the EPA issued guidance that recommends lowering the screening levels used to investigate and clean up lead-contaminated soil in residential areas where children live and play. The guidance, issued by the EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM), marks the first time in 30 years the Agency has recommended lowering […]
A Framingham, Massachusetts, roofing contractor with a history of fall-related safety violations is facing $306,229 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for again exposing employees to potentially fatal falls, OSHA announced February 21. The agency cited Brothers Construction Services Inc., which also operates as Brothers Construction and Roofing and Brothers Roofing, with eight […]
Kenric Steel LLC, a Millville, New Jersey, steel fabrication company, faces $348,683 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for four willful and seven serious safety and health violations, the agency announced February 20. OSHA began an investigation on July 26, 2023, in response to a complaint and cited Kenric Steel for violations involving […]
Confined spaces can pose hazards to workers including asphyxiation, electrical and struck-by hazards, engulfment, explosions, and fires. Here’s what you need to know about compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) permit-required confined space standard (CPL 2-00-100). Check out our Back to Basics: Check Up on Your Confined Space article for more information.
A Wisconsin federal judge has sentenced six Didion Milling Inc. officials for their role in a fatal explosion at a facility operated by the corn milling company in 2017. “These defendants put Didion workers in grave danger, and five people tragically lost their lives, devastating their families and their community,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to comply with OSHA’s confined space standard. Confined spaces are ones that workers may have to enter but that often pose atmospheric or physical hazards. Hazards of confined spaces can […]
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 […]
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 […]
A group of more than 4,700 auto dealerships, calling themselves the “EV Voice of the Customer,” sent a second letter to President Joseph Biden, Jr., urging him to “hit the brakes” on a proposed EPA electric vehicle (EV) mandate. This letter, dated January 25, 2024, reminded the president that the industry group had sent a […]
Green Bay, Wisconsin, household cleaning products manufacturer Tufco LP faces $194,518 in proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties after an employee’s fingertip was amputated in an August 2023 accident, the agency announced February 9. OSHA cited the employer with one repeat, four serious, and two other-than-serious violations. Investigators found that an employee’s fingertip […]