Tag: industrial

Carbon Capture Bills Gathering Steam in Congress

Several bills creating benefits and financing for carbon capture have been introduced in Congress and are seeing movement through bipartisan support.  Carbon capture, also known as carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), is the process of gathering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, typically from sources such as coal-fired power plants. Once captured, the greenhouse gas is […]

Industrial Exoskeleton

NIOSH Notes Lack of Study on Industrial Exoskeletons

Despite the growing introduction of industrial exoskeletons across several industry sectors, their benefits and risks have not been well studied, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently said in a scientific journal.  Few studies have been made of the health and safety implications of using wearable exoskeletons, NIOSH said in commentary in […]

Safety Data Sheets

As an Industrial Supply Company, What Do I Need to Add to My Hazcom Inventory?

Complete Question: I am developing an updated hazardous material inventory for my Hazard Communication (HazCom) program. We are a industrial supply/hardware supply company that maintains an inventory of paints, thinners, lubricants, and cleaners etc. The employees do not use these substances, but do handle them from receiving, to the shelf, to the customer. What should be […]

Is Bio-oil Mixed with Motor Oil Used Oil?

Changing environmental situations often requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revisit policies and interpretations of regulations even if the rules themselves are not amended. A case in point is a 1997 EPA policy that precluded the regulation of bio-oils (e.g., vegetable and animal oils) that have been used as lubricants, or for other […]

Refrigerants—Cold Lessons Learned

A refrigerant formulator was recently fined $300,000 by the EPA and the Department of Justice for violations of SNAP regulations. First, let’s look at what the pertinent regulations say, then at what the company allegedly did, and finally what the fix will be. Note: Under SNAP, a “producer” is any person who manufactures, formulates, or […]

Managing Refrigerants—It’s a SNAP!

Many refrigerants have been determined to be ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and have been targeted for phaseout under the Montreal Protocol. Chemicals used in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning industrial sector is one group for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reviewed and identified substitutes under the Clean Air Act’s (CAA) Significant New Alternatives Policy […]

5 Steps for Managing Solvent-Contaminated Wipes

So, if you’ve decided that the best option for managing your solvent-contaminated wipes is to see if you can get them exempt from EPA’s definition of solid and/or hazardous waste by complying with either the rule’s solid waste exclusion or therule’s hazardous waste exclusion, you need to know the steps to take to satisfy the […]

9 Tips for Keeping Cool Refrigerant Records

EPA’s regulations for safeguarding and repairing the stratospheric ozone layer include provisions for the servicing and disposal of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. Under these regulations, a “refrigerant” is defined as any substance consisting of, or is part of, a Class I or Class II ODS that is used for heat transfer purposes and provides a […]

Build a Rain Garden into Your SWPPP (con’t)

Advisor: What is the average life span of a properly maintained rain garden? RT: Don’t know yet. They haven’t been used long enough in this manner to know when they are done. Research indicates that they do better as they get older. As the biota [Advisor Note:  animal and plants of a particular region] in […]

Focus on 4 to Guard against Refrigeration Leaks

Owners of equipment with charges of more than 50 pounds (lb) of refrigerant are required to repair leaks in the equipment when the leak rates exceed a certain percentage of the charge over a 12-month period. For commercial and industrial process refrigeration, the leak rate requiring repair is 35 percent or more of the charge […]