Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The latest safety trend for construction workers may have been established by a New York City (NYC) law signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in October 2017. Local Law 196 set forth new training requirements for employees at certain construction jobsites. The requirement—a minimum number of hours of training on specific safety subjects for workers […]
When a major retail business moves to shutter its operations the impacts have major reverberations, especially when that business is the size of Circuit City, Borders Books and Music, or Toys “R” Us. In the case of the latter, the rapid closing of the toy giant left 31,000 employees without work and close to 800 […]
Despite OSHA’s 2014 rule strengthening provisions that require employers to inform the agency about work-related fatalities and serious injuries and illnesses, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that OSHA’s data on these incidents are deficient as is its assurance that employers abated the hazards that contributed to the incidents.
Below is a question that recently came in to our Safety experts regarding training frequency requirements for Aerial Lift Operators.
A series of explosions in three Massachusetts towns in mid-September resulted in one fatality and several injuries. The incident and the resulting investigations and pending litigation are a reminder of the costliness of failing to conduct proper maintenance and monitoring of equipment to ensure its safe operation and performance.
Three public interest groups have petitioned the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order OSHA to lift its suspension of portions rule requiring employers to electronically submit certain information about injuries and illnesses that occur in their workplaces to OSHA. According to the petition, OSHA suspended the requirement to submit the information […]
Does your safety program effectively protect workers when they are exposed to moving machine parts and hazardous energy? The machine guarding and lockout/tagout (LOTO) standards are consistently on the list of the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards—read on for a Q&A on the basics, as well as an opportunity to join our live […]
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 […]
A new EPA proposal states that existing emissions limits for hazardous air pollutants generated by three industry sectors engaged in coating operations are sufficient to protect people from cancer risks.
Several states now have looming deadlines for discharge monitoring reports (DMRs), making it a good time of year to evaluate your industrial facility’s stormwater monitoring practices. Improper monitoring—or just plain forgetting to monitor—can lead to a number of costly violations for facilities operating under industrial stormwater permits, so it pays to make sure you’re doing […]