Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Does EPA have any guidance for EPCRA Tier II reporting for tenant leased spaces? Who is responsible for reporting – the building owner or the tenant who has the hazardous chemicals in the leased space? We are not aware of any EPA guidance documents per se concerning Tier II reporting for leased spaces. However, EPA […]
Here’s a UST checklist to help you out with the paperwork: Have owners and operators kept on file the following information (40 CFR 280.34(b)): Corrosion expert’s analysis of site-corrosion potential if corrosion-protection equipment not used (40 CFR 280.20)? Documentation of operation of corrosion protection equipment (40 CFR 280.31)? Documentation of UST system repairs (40 CFR […]
Waste management is included under the TRI definition of toxic chemicals that are otherwise used, which refers to activities that are not manufacturing or processing. TRI requires that subject facilities report releases and other waste management of listed chemicals. Facilities must also report transfers of toxic chemicals for waste management to off-site locations. Waste management […]
Surprise! Don’t get caught without the necessary records in the event of a surprise EPA or state agency inspection. Here are some tips for getting and keeping your records organized. Employee training records should be filed by date and topic. In an effort to keep employee records organized, most supervisors put employee training records in […]
After the decision is made to vent propane from a cylinder, up until it is vented onsite, does a propane cylinder need to be managed as D001 hazardous waste? Because the container of D001 hazardous waste does not yet meet the “RCRA empty standard” (as explained at 40 CFR 261.7) the container must be managed […]
Here’s a quick checklist of the paperwork you should have for your RCRA, hazardous waste exporting, and land ban requirements. RCRA Have you kept the following hazardous waste records for specified periods of time (if applicable)? Copies of a small quantity generator’s “reclamation agreement” for at least 3 years after the agreement’s termination or expiration […]
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 […]
According to OSHA, some 3 million workers face the risk of injury or death from hazardous energy–related accidents. Compliance with lockout/tagout rules keeps about 120 of them alive each year and prevents some 50,000 accidents. Three men were performing maintenance inside an asphalt mixer. One of them was still inside the mixer when the power […]
Whenever machine maintenance or repairs are performed by a group of employees, you must develop and implement a group energy control procedure that provides the same level of protection as a personal lockout or tagout device. Machine maintenance and repair operations performed by a group of employees are often more complex than similar operations performed […]
Forklift operations raise many safety issues for employers. There’s a lot to know about OSHA requirements, and not all of it is well-known. Many of your colleagues have turned to our safety experts for answers to their safety forklift questions. Here’s a sample of interesting forklift questions sent in to our sister website, Safety.BLR.com®, where […]