The iSi Blog
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Halloween Safety Tips
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. It's the first official holiday of fall – Halloween! Before venturing out...
Health Hazard OSHA Regional Emphasis Program Looks at Industrial Hygiene-Related Issues
OSHA has issued a new regional emphasis program for its Region VII states (Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska) that is targeting industries considered to be in the Top 50 for creating worker health hazards. Called, “Top 50 Workplace – Health Hazard,” some of the...
EPA Names Most Common SPCC Plan Deficiencies – Do You Have Any of These?
EPA recently reviewed inspection data from its regional offices to get an idea of the most common SPCC (Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures) Plan deficiencies. The goal of the review was to help EPA determine how clear their rules were to help companies...
RCRA Air: What Air Regulations are in the Hazardous Waste Standards?
In our blog article about EPA’s compliance initiatives, EPA said a number of facilities were not complying with RCRA air requirements and as a result, inspectors were being directed to look at these items in inspections. So, what are the RCRA air requirements, and...
EPA Discusses Current Compliance, Enforcement Priorities and Initiatives
At the recent KDHE Environmental Conference, Dave Cozad, Director of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division with Region VII EPA gave an update outlining EPA’s upcoming compliance and enforcement priorities. Compliance Inspections & Public Posting of...
EPA Warns Incinerator Backlog Could Mean Compliance Issues for Hazardous Waste Generators
Many of the nation’s commercial hazardous waste incinerator facilities are notifying customers they’ll no longer accept new waste for a while, says a new memo issued by EPA. This is because there are backlogs at the incinerator facilities, and they can’t handle any...
Recognize the Signs of Heat Illness
Hot working conditions can bring increased risks of heat illness, especially when heat-producing equipment is used. OSHA has added an item in its Spring Regulatory Agenda called "Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings" to start the wheels in...
Which Emergency Response Plans are You Required to Develop for Your Facility?
Download a pdf copy of article that you can reference for later!Don't miss upcoming EHS news! Sign up to receive our blog via email weekly!In a review of environmental and safety regulations, you will find quite a few references to developing emergency response plans...
OSHA Issues Emergency Standard for COVID
UPDATE 6/10/21: OSHA has issued an emergency temporary standard for Covid-19, but it will only apply to healthcare workers. For all other industries, there is new updated guidance related to unvaccinated and otherwise at-risk workers. Emergency Temporary Standard...
Annual DOT Registrations Due July 1
If your company ships hazardous waste or hazardous materials in certain types and/or quantities, you are be required to register with the Department of Transportation (DOT) annually. Who Needs to Be Registered With DOT? DOT registrations are required for companies or...
Sometimes You Really Need to Listen to the Voices in Your Head
At iSi, the office and marketing/sales teams get involved in safety too, and one of the things we do is we each get a week to share a personal safety experience. This is what I plan to share this month during my turn, and I hope you can take something away from it,...
iSi Summer Safety Series: Grilling Safety
Summer here and so is grilling season. Well, it's always grilling season in some places, but Summer is the time of year when it's most conducted. According to NFPA, 64% of all households own a grill or a smoker, and gas grills are the biggest culprit to fires. ...
EPA’s Changes to TRI Reporting: What to Know Before the July 1 Due Date
EPA has made some updates, changes and additions to their Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting. Their focus on environmental justice is evident in many of these changes. Because the TRI is used as a mechanism to publicly report businesses’ chemical and release...
Go Orange for Work Zone Safety & Struck-By Hazard Awareness Week
With spring and summer, along with the barbeques, pool parties and vacation days that come with warm weather, so does one other inevitability: road construction. The week of April 26-30, 2021 is National Work Zone Awareness Week. Road construction occurs all...
A Look Into the Biden Administration’s Environmental Priorities
New year, new president, and a new push on policies. Trying to guess what will happen for the next four years into any new Administration is like trying to figure out when it will actually rain here in the Midwest. But, just like the assistance of a meteorologist, we...
EPA Watches TV Too – EPA Fines Renovation and Reality Shows
As an EHS professional, have you ever found it hard to turn off the part of your brain that sees potential violations when you’re out and about, living your life away from the job? Our industrial hygienists talk about seeing mold in restaurants and our safety...
OSHA Proposes Changes to Hazcom Standard
UPDATE: OSHA has announced an informal public hearing for Sept. 21. If you'd like to testify or question witnesses, submit your notice by June 18. OSHA has announced it’s planning on making changes to its Hazcom Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) and they are soliciting...
5 Ways OSHA’s Top 10 Can Make Your Safety Job Easier
5 Ways OSHA's Top 10 Can Make Your Safety Job Easier Getting Value Out of the "Same Old List" OSHA's Top 10 Violations for 2020 have been announced. So what! OSHA's Top 10 hasn't changed much in the past 5 or 6 years and most of the time it’s the same violations...
Sustainability is Much More Than Just Being Green
Sustainability…that’s a word that’s been thrown around a lot within the past few years and to many it may conjure images of recycling and being a good environmental steward. However, sustainability is more than just that environmental “stuff,” it’s actually much...
Explaining How OSHA Fines are Calculated, as OSHA Raises Penalty Prices for 2021
OSHA has raised its maximum and minimum penalty dollar amounts with a cost of living adjustment. These new rates go into effect January 15, 2021: There are maximum and minimum amounts, but most fall somewhere in between. So how are OSHA fines calculated? The...
iSi Finds Success With Virtual EHS and ISO Compliance Audits
The COVID-19 pandemic really threw a curveball at all businesses, forcing them to think differently about how to provide services and products to their customers. Although the pandemic has been a major disruption, something good has come out of it for iSi. We’ve...