It’s Hot Out … Can I Safely Wear Shorts in My Warehouse?
Q: Is the wearing of shorts in a parts warehouse permitted by OSHA?
Tag: General Duty Clause
Inspected in Poughkeepsie, Enforced in Peoria? When Will OSHA Recommend a Corporatewide Settlement Agreement?
Generally, when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspects an employer’s facility in one location, it issues citations and abatement requirements that apply only to that location. OSHA does not habitually attempt to issue citations and require abatement at facilities in other locations that are affiliated with the same employer—even in cases where repeat […]
How to Avoid RMP
Are you close? You must have more than a threshold amount of a listed substance in process at your facility for the Risk Management Program requirements of the Clean Air Act Section 112(r) to apply. If your facility’s source is close to the threshold for a particular substance, you may be able to limit the […]
Are You Covered by the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?
Tomorrow, July 28, is World Hepatitis Day. According to the World Health Organization, 400 million people worldwide are currently living with hepatitis B and C, and 1.4 million die of these diseases each year. OSHA is taking workplace exposures to bloodborne pathogens seriously. On June 25, the agency issued enforcement guidance for inpatient healthcare settings […]
What Is an EHS and Why Would I Want to Know?
The CAA’s Chemical Accident Prevention Program requires that any facility that has listed substances above threshold quantities in any single process prepare a Risk Management Plan (RMP). The listed substances contain 77 toxic chemicals with thresholds ranging from 500 pounds (lb) to 20,000 lb and 63 flammable substances with a threshold quantity of 10,000 lb. […]
“Free from Recognized Hazards”: Understanding the General Duty Clause
One section of the OSH Act that seems to bewilder employers and employees alike is Section 5, known as the General Duty Clause (GDC). It’s very brief, but it has considerable significance among OSHA’s means of enforcing compliance—and, for that matter, can be useful to employees seeking relief from what they consider unsafe work. The […]
2014 EPCRA Enforcement Roundup
2014 EPCRA Enforcement Roundup What do a wood door manufacturer, an organic food company, a wire manufacturer, a cheese manufacturer, and an oil sands crude refinery have in common? On the surface, it would appear they are pretty different, but when it comes to compliance with EPCRA, all reached settlements with the EPA during […]
On a Multiemployer Worksite, What Are You Responsible For?
How many employers have a presence on your worksite? Do you have two or three contractors renovating your office space, another contractor running your on-site cafeteria, some consultants evaluating your production unit, a medical group doing a wellness screening on-site, and a crew of temporary employees in the warehouse? All of those workers represent different […]
Refrigerated Warehouse Violations Show Potential for Disaster
Combustible Dust: A Challenging Issue for Safety Professionals
In today’s Advisor, we focus on standards and other considerations that can help manage combustible dust hazards.