Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Ana Ellington, Legal Editor A number of OSHA standards are cited in relation to arc flash hazards. The NFPA 70E national consensus standard is a comprehensive standard that contains detailed information on how to protect workers from arc flashes. Employers must consider and adopt NFPA 70E when employees work on an electrical system. NFPA […]
It’s very likely that you use aerosol cans at your facility. They are pervasive in workplaces and in society as a whole. However, aerosol cans present significant environmental and safety hazards. We’ll take a look at some of these concerns and also offer some tips to reduce the use of aerosols.
To protect workers from harmful exposures to air contaminants, you have to be able to calculate exposure limits accurately. Here is a review of the formulas used to calculate PELs. OSHA has developed 470 PELs (permissible exposure limits) for various forms of approximately 300 chemical substances. The PELs provide numeric standards that determine how long […]
A chemical that meets the definition of “flammable” requires special precautions in handling, use, transfer, and storage. But the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has changed the definition of “flammable” throughout its general industry and construction standards to align them with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Most employers […]
OSHA issues different types of citations, depending on the nature and severity of the violation. Penalties are proposed based on the type of violation. If you receive OSHA citations following an inspection, penalties may vary depending on the type of violations. Note, however, that in settling a penalty, OSHA says it has a policy of […]
A safety culture is an essential element of an safe and productive workplace. A successful safety culture is based on 8 core elements. The term “safety culture” reflects the commitment of personnel to safety at all levels of the organization. Safety culture has been defined in a variety of ways, such as: “The way we […]
Two recent fatalities highlight the risk of entanglements involving hazardous equipment. No one knows for certain why Michael Smith was trying to go up the down escalator at the Powell Street BART station in San Francisco on April 19, just as no one knows what caused him to fall. But once his hair and clothing […]
Improving safety performance and preventing workplace accidents is a challenge, but it’s one that’s made much easier when employees lend a hand. If you can get your employees to take these five simple steps every day, you’re well on the way to improved safety performance and zero accidents. 1. Identify hazards: If employees don’t know […]
On July 17, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an update on its investigation into a January 2023 explosion and toxic chemical release at the Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies facility in Geismar, Louisiana. A reboiler at the facility exploded, leading to the release of over 870 pounds (lb) of hydrogen […]
It is often helpful to see an example of an accident investigation in order to better understand how the process works. Here is a simple accident investigation case study.