Category: HazMat

OSHA vs. Dust: 3 Tips for Controlling Combustible Dust Hazards

Until recently, most environment, health, and safety (EHS) professionals thought of dust primarily as a housekeeping or nuisance issue—with the exception of health hazards, like coal dust and asbestos, that can cause chronic lung disease or cancer. But in 2008, when a sugar dust explosion killed 14 people and injured 36 others at the Imperial […]

Every Little Bit Counts—Seven Tips for Disposing of Nanomaterial Wastes

Nanoscale applications are rapidly moving from the research lab to industrial and commercial settings. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), examples of workplaces that may use nanomaterials include chemical or pharmaceutical laboratories or plants, manufacturing facilities, medical offices or hospitals, and construction sites. In past Advisors, we explored nanomaterials hazards and ways […]

Preparedness is Prevention: Six More Ways Process Safety Management Could Have Prevented This Fire

At the Arboris® plant in Newark, Ohio, workers were adding hexane to a process that produced sterols—a natural compound produced by pine trees—for use in foods such as spreads, bread, milk, and yogurt. Unfortunately, the employer’s process safety management (PSM) program failed at many points to identify and correct potentially disastrous issues with the process. […]

Dirty Rags: How to Get Rid of Them

Over 2.2 billion solvent-contaminated rags are used in workplaces in the United States on an annual basis. It is no surprise then that environment, health, and safety (EHS) managers must contend with requirements from both the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for managing these rags. Yesterday […]

Dirty Rags: Don’t Leave Them Lying Around

Over 2.2 billion solvent-contaminated rags are used in workplaces in the United States on an annual basis. It is no surprise then that environment, health, and safety (EHS) managers must contend with requirements from both the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for managing these rags. Today […]