Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
When an unforeseeable emergency occurs at your retail motor fueling facility, are your employees adequately trained and prepared to respond to the situation? Retail motor fueling facilities, such as gas stations, have underground storage tanks (USTs) containing regulated substances. Unforeseen situations such as fires, spills, or severe-weather-induced power outages can have serious consequences on a […]
By Ana Ellington, Legal Editor A number of OSHA standards are cited in relation to arc flash hazards. The NFPA 70E national consensus standard is a comprehensive standard that contains detailed information on how to protect workers from arc flashes. Employers must consider and adopt NFPA 70E when employees work on an electrical system. NFPA […]
By Ana Ellington, Legal Editor An arc flash is an undesired electric discharge that travels through the air between conductors or from a conductor to a ground. The flash is immediate, but the result of these incidents can damage equipment and cause severe injury, including burns. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E […]
Indications of Possible Tank Issues Mr. Hoffman cited the following as indications of possible problems with USTs: • Filter clogging -Complaints of slow flow -Examine for presence of fiberglass residue/debris • Failed or erratic leak detection results -Automatic test gauging (ATG) system or statistical inventory reconciliation (SIR) test results -Perhaps intermittent • […]
In some areas, water is a limited resource, and complex water laws have been established to define rights to water. Every state has different laws and policies in place, and some of these laws are evolving to reflect the importance of green infrastructure. But if you are located in one of these states, how do […]
Avoid the pitfalls. According to Willobee, there are common design concerns that SWPPPs frequently overlook. He sees the following problems in many construction SWPPPs: Failure to specify appropriate stabilization measures for temporary diversion ditches Excessive reliance on sediment control practices such as silt fences, sediment basins, and inlet protection Lack of run-on controls Insufficient information […]
To whom does the boiler NESHAP for area source apply? Area sources are commercial, institutional, or industrial facilities that emit or have the potential to emit less than 10 tons per year (tpy) of a single HAP, or less than 25 tpy of combined HAPs. Area sources that may have boilers subject to the NESHAP […]
Recently, EPA announced it had reached a settlement agreement with one of the nation’s largest grocery store chains for violations of regulations governing emissions of ozone-depleting substances from refrigeration equipment. Alleged violations included failing to promptly repair leaks and failing to keep adequate service records for refrigeration equipment. No one wants to be the subject […]
DEFINITIONS FOR PURPOSES OF THE EXCLUSIONS 1) A “wipe” isa woven or non-woven shop towel, rag, pad, or swab made of wood pulp, fabric, cotton, polyester blends, or other material. 2) A “solvent-contaminated wipe” is a wipe that, after use or after cleaning up a spill: • Contains one or more of the F001 through […]