Impacts of Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Law on Employers
Ohio’s new medical marijuana law went into effect on Saturday, September 8, 2018. Hopefully, it will spur employers to evaluate their workplace policies.
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EPA Shifting to Focus on Compliance Assistance
Susan Bodine, the EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), has released a new memo suggesting that the Agency will continue to revamp its enforcement activities by emphasizing its engagement with compliance assistance.
CDC: Rate of Drug Overdose Deaths Highest in Construction
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined unintentional or undetermined overdose deaths for 26 occupation groups. The data shows that construction occupations had the highest proportional mortality rates (PMRs) of deaths from both heroin and prescription opioids.
Power Plants Look to Dry Cooling
Using ambient air to cool and condense steam at electric power plants is a costly alternative to water cooling, however, energy companies are gradually adopting dry cooling according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Dry cooling or hybrid cooling—a combination of air and water—occurs in 3% of all U.S. thermoelectric generating capacity, says the […]
If You Use Methylene Chloride at Your Facility (or to Strip Bathtubs), Read This Now
Employers and employees have relied for years on methylene chloride (also called dichloromethane), one of the more effective substances for industrial cleaning, degreasing, and paint stripping, among many other uses. But, as a commercial product, methylene chloride has few peers when it comes to its hazardous effects on users.
Requirements for Storing Flammable Aerosols in Flammable Lockers
The experts at Safety.BLR.com® have provided an answer to the following question: “We have a general industry Texas customer whose business insurance company is requiring that they store all their flammable aerosols in flammable lockers, even if there is less than 25 gallons. Is this true?”
What’s the Craziest Thing Your Security Cameras Have Captured?
A properly functioning security system is always on, ready to capture any threats to your workforce, property, or other essential assets. Sometimes, though, they bear witness to the best (or worst) of humanity’s “hold my beer” moments. All you need to do is head to YouTube and search for something like “security camera fails” to […]
Risk Management and Spill Prevention Violations Round Out Enforcement Penalties in August
While this last batch of environmental enforcement penalties doesn’t contain any blockbuster million-dollar fines or penalties, they still highlight the ongoing need for regulatory adherence! These four recent compliance slip-ups ranging from risk management violations to spill prevention mishaps, with one costing a business $500,000, not including the $200,000 it will cost them to install […]
More Million-Dollar Environmental Penalties for Non-Compliant Facilities
Yesterday, we looked at several fines levied against business operating non-compliant facilities. Two of those penalties were over $1,000,000! Today, we can add one more 7-figure fine to the pile. Of course, not all the fines were headline grabbing (one was only $350), but the differences highlight the breadth of violations agencies are willing to […]
Seven-Figure Reasons to Keep Your Facilities Compliant
Our first environmental enforcement report for August 2018 highlights the importance of running a compliant facility. Below, we present five recent cases—two of which resulted in penalties of over $1,000,000. These kinds of fines are a good reminder of the importance of environmental compliance to a facility’s bottom line.