Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Today’s Advisor reports a “good news” story about how effective training saves lives. When three miners became trapped in a lead zinc mine in January 2010 in Bunker, Missouri, rescue teams worked together to save them, applying what they had learned in training to a real-life test of their skills. The U.S. Department of Labor’s […]
Let’s face it. If someone in your community has a complaint about your facility, you would much rather hear from them than having the EPA alerted first. It’s all about communication. We’ve discussed some of these ideas before, but some of them bear repeating. These tips can help you in developing an open relationship with […]
Employers have a great deal of flexibility in designing wellness programs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—but there are also some pitfalls to avoid, and most of them involve laws that predate the ACA. Some employees who are subject to more stringent wellness program requirements designed by their employers under the ACA are suing—successfully—for discrimination […]
When the EPA publishes a press release about an enforcement case, the release will likely contain a statement about how the Agency came to uncover the violations. Sometimes a routine inspection, sometimes a surprise inspection, but often you will find that the inspection was prompted by a citizen complaint. In essence, your neighbors are tattling […]
On March 3, 2015, OSHA cited Seldat Distribution, a distribution warehouse in Dayton, NJ, for 10 serious violations carrying $63,000 in proposed penalties. Inspectors were at the facility looking for electrical hazards in the wake of an employee’s electrocution, and they found many, including problems with the distributor’s electrical panels. They found other problems as […]
Civil Penalties With a few exceptions, most violations of RCRA’s hazardous waste regulations carry a civil penalty of up to $37,500 per day per violation and the possible suspension or revocation of the violator’s permit. Criminal Penalties Knowing violations of hazardous waste rules can result in fines of up to $50,000 per day per violation […]
The goal of training is always to develop employees—to work more safely, to be more productive, to act as a leader, and to be more professional. In today’s Advisor, we’ll look at how one company has made a commitment to developing its employees across the board. Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America has received […]
NPDES permits establish allowable discharge limits or effluent limitations that include both concentration and volume of flow. Section 402(k) of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) provides for what is known as a “permit shield.” This means that if you are in compliance with your NPDES permit, then you are deemed to be in compliance […]
Shortly after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a woman named Connie Knight began making the rounds of the Southeast Asian fishing communities in coastal Louisiana. She claimed to be a high-ranking OSHA hazardous waste safety instructor and inspector, and she showed off federal identification cards to prove it. She promised trainees that she could […]
NPDES permits establish allowable discharge limits or effluent limitations that include both concentration and volume of flow. Section 402(k) of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) provides for what is known as a “permit shield.” This means that if you are in compliance with your NPDES permit, you are deemed to be in compliance with […]