Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In December 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a Request for Information to be used in updating its process safety management (PSM) standard. One of the changes under consideration by OSHA was the addition of a definition for recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEP)—a term that is used, but not […]
In the wake of the Chevron Richmond Refinery fire in 2012, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and state agencies have stepped up their process safety management (PSM) recommendations and enforcement efforts. Federal OSHA had already initiated the Petroleum Refinery Process Safety Management National Emphasis Program (Refinery NEP) […]
OSHA has clarified its interpretation regarding the exemption of retail facilities from compliance with its standard on Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (PSM). Keep reading to find out what’s involved and if your business might be affected.
For employers that handle small quantities of highly hazardous chemicals or large quantities of flammable liquids or gases, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) process safety management (PSM) standard (29 CFR 1910.119) imposes extensive requirements on the handling of those substances. Until July 2015, many employers were avoiding the need to comply with those […]
OSHA’s latest regulatory agenda, released in late May, outlined the status of the agency’s currently pending prerules, proposed rules, and final rules. Today, BLR® Safety Editor Emily Clark provides information on what you can expect to see from OSHA in the coming months and which developments could affect your facility. Among the final rules, the […]
Every time a facility explodes, we look for ways it could have been prevented. Well, in the wake of a refinery explosion in Richmond, California, Cal/OSHA has proposed strict process safety measures at oil refineries. We are taking a look at Cal/OSHA’s proposal because it has been suggested that other states follow California’s lead. The […]
National Highlights from the 2013 Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Mandatory reporting of GHGs became law in October 2009 for sources emitting 25,000 metric tons or more of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year in the United States. Reporting began in 2010 and in 2011, the EPA published the first GHGRP report setting a benchmark for […]
Conclusions from the TSCA Assessment of Dichloromethane According to the EPA, the use of products containing DCM for paint stripping poses some of the highest exposure risks compared to all uses of DCM. The chemical is a volatile organic compound (VOC) and is also considered to have “likely carcinogenic properties.” In 2012, 261.5 million pounds […]
Conclusions from the TSCA Trichloroethylene Assessment Each year, the United States uses 225 million pounds of TCE, a volatile organic compound (VOC) and human carcinogen. TCE is used widely, primarily in industrial and commercial processes as a solvent, degreaser, and fixative. EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (EPA/OPPT) focused the TCE assessment on characterizing […]
