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What is a Toxic Release Inventory (aka TRI, SARA 313, Form R)?
What Is It? TRI first came into existence in 1986 as part of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). TRI’s creation was influenced by an event in Bhopal, India in 1984 where a cloud of...
Example General Duty Clause Citations to Look for in Your Workplace
OSHA has a number of regulations that govern many aspects of the workplace. When there is not a specific regulation reference, they will often cite the General Duty Clause. What is the General Duty Clause? The General Duty Clause is found in Section 5(a)(1) of the...
What’s the Difference Between the HAZWOPER’s Emergency Response Plan and an Emergency Action Plan?
Being prepared for emergencies at your facility is vital, and having that plan communicated to your employees is even more critical. OSHA references a couple of different plans in its regulations, one is the Emergency Action Plan and then OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard...
PSM Compliance Audits: How Often Are They Required? What’s Involved?
Companies that fall under Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements because of their highly hazardous chemicals are required to recertify that they have completed an evaluation of PSM compliance. Compliance evaluations must occur at least once every 3 years. ...
Which Environmental Regulations Apply to Emergency Power Generators?
Emergency power generators can be critical pieces of equipment for any facility, especially in the stormy seasons of spring or winter or in disasters such as floods and the hurricanes of summer and early fall. If you have one in your facility now, or are thinking...
EPA Makes Final Rule to Update RMP Requirements
EPA has issued a change to its Risk Management Program, or RMP regulations for those who process, produce, handle or store hazardous substances or chemicals. The changes are in an amendment to the rule, officially called the Safer Communities by Chemical Accident...
OSHA Looks to Issue “Emergency Response” Standard, But Despite Name, Will Have Little Effect on HAZWOPER
In January, OSHA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to replace the existing general industry Fire Brigade standard at 1910.156 with a new broader standard called “Emergency Response.” Despite the name, the standard will still not be the same as the current...
Grade D Breathing Air: What Requirements Do I Have to Meet for My Breathing Air System?
Compressed air, either through a fixed or a portable system, can be used to supply air to employees as they perform tasks that could not be done using an air purifying respirator. Supplied air respirators are respirators that supply the user with breathing air from a...
What is PSM?
Process Safety Management, or PSM, is an OSHA regulation that is concerned with processes at your facility that use highly hazardous chemicals. PSM provides a compliance framework to evaluate each process with the end goal of no spills, fires, explosions, reactions,...
OSHA Electronic Injury and Illness Reporting Due March 2
OSHA's final rule on electronic injury and illness reporting that passed in 2023 took effect on January 1, 2024. The new rule added some new companies and increased some of the reporting requirements. Electronic reports for 2023 injuries and illnesses are due March...
Which Annual Environmental Training Should You Add to Your Calendar?
Recently we covered the required annual OSHA safety training requirements your company should be scheduling each year. What about the most common annual EPA or environmental training requirements? RCRA Hazardous Waste Training is required for anyone handling or...
Which Annual Safety Training Requirements Should You Add to Your Calendar?
Annual safety training is a best management practice and is most often required when conditions in the workplace change. However, the OSHA standards don’t specifically require annual safety training for all of its topic areas, just a handful of them. Employee Access...
State, Regional and National Safety and Environmental Conferences for 2024
We exhibit and speak at many different safety and environmental conferences throughout the region. What's the schedule look like for 2024? Here is a list of some upcoming state, regional and national safety and environmental conferences that you may want to add to...
Hazardous Waste Biennial Reports Due March 1
Every even-numbered year, large quantity hazardous waste generators must submit their Biennial Hazardous Waste Reports by March 1. The rule is part of EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste regulations. It requires facilities to report the...
Back to Work Safety Mindfulness
After being off for the holidays or any time of vacation, sometimes it’s hard to get back into the groove of working. This is a time where it’s easy to not be as mindful about safety as we usually are. Workplace accidents tend to be higher after people come back from...
2024 EPA and OSHA Compliance Deadlines
It’s a new reporting year and time to plan for reporting and compliance deadlines from 2023's activities and for the new year. Mark your calendars with these environmental and safety reporting deadlines and other to-do tasks for 2024: EPA/Environmental March 1: EPCRA...
Christmas Safety
Christmas can be a wonderful time of the year, but it can also be a time for accidents. Keep Real Trees Watered: The combination of shorts in electrical lights and a tinder-dry tree can be deadly. Keep your tree well-watered. Water levels should never get below the...
Be Safe When Ringing in the New Year
Regardless of whether you’re going out, or staying in for New Years celebrations, safety should always be top of mind. New Year’s Eve is actually one of the more dangerous holidays for car accidents. Here are a few tips to share about being safe when ringing in the...
Inspection Data Shows Common Hazardous Waste Violations
We decided to take a look at some of the EPA enforcement sites to review hazardous waste violations issued across the U.S. within the past couple of years. We wanted to see if there were some common themes that readers should be on the lookout for because sometimes...
Thanksgiving Safety Tips to Share With Your Employees, Family and Friends
As a safety consultant, we make sure that our teams know about safety in all aspects of their life, not just the OSHA kind at work. Safety at home is just as important as safety at work. Below are some tips for Thanksgiving Safety, including a link to download a...
Are You Required to Have IMDG Training?
Recently one of our clients had a shipment of their product rejected at a port in Europe. They had been sending it there for years without incident, but this time was different. Inspectors chose to verify their paperwork and they were missing crucial IMDG dangerous...