Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
There are many chemicals in use in modern workplaces—and there are a lot of ways workers can be exposed to them. Three employers that were cited within a 1-month period earlier this year provide instructive examples of the kinds of mistakes that lead to overexposures.
While OSHA’s annual list of top 10 violations typically focuses on issues like hazard communication, lockout/tagout, and machine guarding, many other serious risks sideline employees and cost employers money. Keep reading for another perspective on industrial hazards.
Following safety regulations isn’t just the right thing to do—it keeps employers on the right side of OSHA enforcement and saves money by avoiding fines, legal fees, and more. Keep reading to learn about six companies that ran afoul of OSHA regulations and paid the price.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is modernizing its approach to environmental compliance and efficiency through a project called “E-Enterprise for the Environment.” Yesterday we reviewed EPA’s plans for E-Enterprise as outlined in the Agency’s 2017 budget pertaining to air quality, water quality, and inspections. Today we will look at EPA’s budgetary plans for compliance […]
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), more than one-third of hazardous materials transportation violations involve the failure of employers to provide training or maintain employee training records. In most cases, violations are attributed to failure to provide function-specific training. Aside from providing the required training for loading and unloading cargo tank vehicles, there […]
In a recent webinar titled “Hazardous Waste Recycling: Uncover Cost-Effective and Legally Compliant Strategies for Your Organization’s Program,” speaker Philip Comella, Esq., head of the Environmental, Safety and Toxic Torts Group in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, voiced what many have suspected: that the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste recycling […]
What gets employers into LOTO trouble with OSHA? Attorney Nickole Winnett, shareholder in the Washington, D.C., office of Jackson Lewis, points to a number of culprits, including failing to ensure that energy control procedures have been developed, documented, and are in use for each piece of equipment where servicing and maintenance occur.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has long had enforcement guidance in place enabling it to enter into settlements that affect the operations of an entire corporation, rather than just a single facility. But these were mutually negotiated agreements; they were not something OSHA considered itself statutorily empowered to impose and enforce. That may […]
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 […]
Don’t get caught short by a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) roadside inspection. In its most recent data for fiscal year (FY) 2016, DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had performed 26,570 roadside inspections of trucks targeting compliance with hazardous materials transportation regulations. During these inspections, DOT inspectors found 5,894 violations. The top violation […]