Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Whistleblower violations can be costly, both in dollars and in the kind of publicity no company wants. Here’s a case in point. OSHA has found that Norfolk Southern Railway Co. violated the whistleblower protection provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) and has ordered the company to pay three whistleblowers $802,168.70 in damages, including […]
Attention to ladder safety prevents injuries, some of which can be fatal. Are your workers paying attention? According to OSHA, falls from portable ladders (step, straight, combination, and extension) are one of the leading causes of occupational fatalities and injuries. Accidents occur frequently in both construction and general industry. Accidents can be serious, and frequently […]
Does the confirmation of the new OSHA administrator mean the dawn of a new era of greater regulation and stricter enforcement? It’s too early to say for sure. But here’s a look at what might be headed your way. What can you expect from OSHA under David Michaels? Listen to what Michaels himself says in […]
Reforming the federal environmental review process for infrastructure projects figures prominently in a new report issued by the Problem Solvers Caucus. The Caucus comprises 48 members of the House of Representatives—24 Democrats and 24 Republicans—“committed to forging bipartisan cooperation on key issues.” Called Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure, the report was developed by the Caucus’s Infrastructure Working […]
Eye injuries may not be the most common of workplace injuries, but they can be among the most damaging and disabling. Eye injuries in the workplace are all too common, and all too costly, both in consequences for you and for injured workers. Just cast your eyes over these eye injury statistics from NIOSH: Each […]
More and more often, accident victims are suing the employers of people who cause accidents while talking on cell phones. Today we look at a classic case—and what it means for your organization. (The following information, courtesy of the OSHA Required Training for Supervisors monthly newsletter, is based on a real case.) Valerie Walker used […]
The EPA is proposing to use its authority under Section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit several uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), a volatile organic compound, to eliminate exposures to workers, consumers, and the general population, which, the Agency says, result in significant cancer and noncancer health risks. The proposal would specifically […]
More Americans than ever—some 50 million—report suffering from chronic pain and may be taking pain medications. This reality can have a profound effect on safety in the workplace, not only because some of these meds have potentially dangerous side effects, but also because more people are becoming addicted and may continue using the drugs even […]
In a final interpretative rule, the EPA has streamlined the process whereby federally recognized tribes with reservations apply to the Agency to be treated in a manner similar to states (TAS) for the purposes of administering Clean Water Act (CWA) regulatory programs. The primary change under the interpretative rule is that tribes will no longer […]
Yesterday, we began a review of machine shop safety, and today we continue with more suggestions for making your shop a safe and productive place. Proper storage is right up there with good housekeeping when you’re working to make your machine shop a safer place. Raw materials and finished products, which are usually found in […]