Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine the essential steps for safely responding to natural disasters. Severe weather emergencies and other natural disasters can strike any workplace or home, often without warning. In the United States alone, there are […]
In a June 16 viewpoint article in JAMA, David Michaels, former assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, wrote the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) should take steps to better protect workers in future pandemics, including issuing a federal pandemic preparedness standard. Michaels, who served under President Barack Obama, was OSHA’s longest-serving […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine PSAP and EOC facilities and the differences between them. Public safety answering points (PSAPs) and emergency operations centers (EOCs) are critical facilities that provide essential services to the community during emergency […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine emergency exits and OSHA’s requirements for exit routes, doors, and other procedures. During a fire or another emergency, your employees need a clear exit route and clearly marked and unlocked exit […]
The purpose of an emergency action plan (EAP) is to protect employees from emergencies that may be reasonably expected to occur in the workplace. Is every employer required to have an EAP for its workplace? No. Does the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) strongly recommend it? Yes. Should you have an EAP? Certainly, if you are […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine oil spills and OSHA’s recommendations for preparedness. Oil spill emergencies pose great threats to both the safety of workers and the environment. According to OSHA, employers are responsible for protecting workers […]
On December 8, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed limiting the scope of regulatory relief provided by emergency declarations, as well as the duration of regional emergency declarations (87 Federal Register (FR) 75206). Under current regulations, when the president, a governor, or the FMCSA issues an emergency declaration, drivers and motor carriers providing […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine OSHA’s recommendations for preparing and responding to wildfires. Wildfires are becoming increasingly more common with climate change, and they cause major hazards for both people and businesses. According to the EPA, […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to be prepared to lead your team in the event of a disaster or emergency. In the workplace, one of the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) professional’s first priorities is […]
In Part 1 of this two-part series on workplace evacuations, we share the importance of building an effective Emergency Action Plan and establishing a safety strategy to address various emergency scenarios. Continuing coverage into Part 2 of this evacuation primer, we now provide a closer look at the safety requirements for establishing exit routes and […]