Environmental Health and Safety Blog | EHSWire

Those in the world of Chemistry and Chemical Manufacturing are hoping that 2013 is the year that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) will be modernized. Updates to TSCA would reflect five years of work by organizations such as the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) to ensure workplace and environmental safety in terms of toxic substances. 

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Topics: Emilcott, Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), 2013 TSCA Modernization, Modernizing TSCA, American Chemistry Council (ACC), Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SO

There has been a lot of talk about the sequestration and across the board budget cuts. OSHA is not exempt from the March 1^st mandate. In fact, OSHA is directed to cut it’s $564.8 million budget by 8.2 percent. Safety advocates estimate OSHA will conduct 2,100 fewer inspections this year to comply with terms of the sequester.  What do the $46 million in budget cuts mean for your business? It means being more compliant than ever.

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Topics: Emilcott, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSH, OSHA, Sequester Cuts Affect OSHA

We are keeping those Field Tested Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) recommendations coming! Here is our third installment—again, all field tested and used by EHS professionals.

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Topics: Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, Field tested personal protective equipment, Employer Guideline for Purchasing Personal Protect

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released detailed information on the use of chemicals and chemical production in the United States in a February 11, 2013 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR). This public document contains data collected by the EPA in 2012 under the CDR Rule which requires manufacturers and importers to submit information about the chemicals produced or imported during in 2011.

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Topics: Emilcott, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Chemical Data Reporting (CDR), Toxic Substances Control Act, EPA’s 2012 CDR information

As promised, the staff at Emilcott is sharing their Top 5 Favorite Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) over the next few weeks or so, and these are field tested by EHS professionals, so the recommendations hold a little water.

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Topics: Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, Field tested personal protective equipment, Employer Guideline for Purchasing Personal Protect

We all like to use the beginning of a new year to take stock and evaluate the effectiveness of those things we do! It just lends itself to asking “Why?” and “Is there a better way?”. So—maybe you are doing that with your own personal protective equipment (PPE), or even the effectiveness of your program at work. Maybe we can help!

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Topics: Personal Protective Equipment, PPE

The following are important regulatory submission dates for 2013. These apply to regulations such as the EPA TSCA New Chemicals, OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeepingand Reporting, the NJ Emission Statement Rule and many others. 

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Topics: Emilcott, EPCRA Section 312, NPDES, EPA TSCA, OSHA Injury, NJ Emission Rule, EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Emilcott is excited and proud to launch our new website! We understand the importance of utilizing the latest in website design to better highlight our commitment to serve as a leader in the environmental, health and safety field. Our goal in redesigning of our website is to make the important information you need easier to find and access. Our new site is intended to serve as a resource for regulatory news and updates, EHS course schedules, articles and event notifications. 

Some new features include:

 

CONNECTION

Enjoy a modern layout and design that is optimized to be viewed in multiple devices and over any level of internet connects. Whether you are on an iPad, Android phone in the field, or at your computer in your office, you will never have a problem accessing our website.

 

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Topics: EHS, environmental health and safety consultants nj, nj ehs professionals, occupation health and safety experts, ehs professional resources

If you have a giant stack of the best Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), but don’t use it, or just as important, don’t use it properly, are you trying to become an OSHA statistic? Knowing how to protect yourself from occupational hazards is a critical part of your job.

A Real Life PPE Correction

A few years ago, I was taking my annual HazWOPER 8-Hour Refresher class and a fellow student shared his story about PPE.

Part of his job was to open and close valves that allowed aviation fuels to flow to pumps used to fill airplane fuel tanks. While conducting this task, he was often exposed to fuel vapors. After complaining about the headaches and dizziness that he was experiencing, his employer had him fit tested for a respirator. However, even with the proper-fitting respirator, he still had the same symptoms of overexposure.

Why didn’t the respirator control the exposure?  As a health and safety professional, the answer was obvious to me! I asked him, “What type of cartridge are you using?”

His reply, “I am using what was given to me.” Two days later he called me to tell me that he had been given HEPA filters – the WRONG cartridge for his petroleum vapors. Instead he should have been using organic vapor cartridges. Without correction, this COULD have been become a very dangerous problem – just because of the wrong cartridge in the right respirator!

Proper Protection:  Where Do You Start?

A perfect place to start understanding how to protect yourself is to know what you are dealing with on the job.

1)      What are the potential hazards? Is there more than one? Not sure? Ask questions! Make sure that you understand the hazards and risk before you are satisfied?

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Topics: OSHA, Personal Protective Equipment, General Industry H&S, General EHS, Construction H&S, H&S Training, worker safety, hazards, Lab Safety & Electrical, respirator, Exposure, Respiratory

by Bruce D. Groves

On August 16, 2012, OSHA issued its criteria of when an employer could be removed from their Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP).  The SVEP has been in effect since June 2010, replacing OSHA’s much-criticized Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP). The SVEP is intended to focus the agency’s enforcement resources on those employers believed to demonstrate “indifference” to their responsibilities to workplace safety by committing any of the following:

• Any violation categorized as “Egregious”


• One or more Willful, Repeat or Failure-to-Abate violations associated with a fatality or the overnight hospitalization of three or more employees


• Two or more Willful, Repeat or Failure-to-Abate violations in connection with a high emphasis hazard (generally speaking, the subjects of OSHA’s special emphasis programs, including falls, amputations, grain handling, etc.)


• Three or more Willful, Repeat or Failure-to-Abate violations related to Process Safety Management (prevention of the release of  a highly hazardous chemical)

Considering that OSHA’s mission is to not only to protect worker safety, but reduce workplace hazards through both enforcement and outreach, recognition of an employer who turns their safety efforts around and improves working conditions for employees is good policy. Generally, an employer may be considered for removal from the program after:

1. A period of 3 years from the date of the final disposition of the SVEP inspection citation items including: failure to contest, settlement agreement, Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission final order or court of appeals decision; and


2. All affirmed violations have been abated, all final penalties have been paid, the employer has abided by and completed all settlement provisions and has not received any additional serious citations related to the hazards identified in the SVEP inspection at the initial establishment or at any related establishments.

In the event an employer fails to adhere to the terms and provisions of the agreement, the employer will remain in the program for an additional 3 years and will then be reevaluated. Except in cases where national corporate-wide settlements are involved, approval of the employer's removal will be at the discretion of the regional administrator or designee and will be based on an additional follow-up inspection and IMIS/OIS data.

For more information visit http://s.dol.gov/VD.

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Topics: Emilcott, OSHA, workplace safety, General Industry H&S, SVEP, Severe Violator Enforcement Program, OSHA Compliance