Regulations & Compliance

The demand for brighter, more energy efficient lighting has driven innovations to develop substitutes for incandescent sources. One of these substitutes are light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are now widely used in commercial and domestic applications, such as computer and mobile devices. There has been some concern over blue light emission from these devices, particularly since […]

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 recently added 160 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). This addition creates immediate regulatory requirements for establishments that manufacture, process, or otherwise […]

On February 4, 2020 OSHA announced it will be launching a national emphasis program (NEP) aimed at reducing occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), and promoting compliance with its Respirable Crystalline Silica Standards for general industry, maritime and construction industries. Background A 2015 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) […]

Virtual reality (VR) technology used to be something that you would only see in movies (I’m picturing the virtual combat scene from The Matrix (1999) between Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne). With the advent of VR for video game consoles, it is becoming accessible to everyone in their homes. The first time I used the […]

OSHA workplace injury and illness reporting season is already upon us, and there’s no better time for employers to take a step back and review their injury and illness recordkeeping practices — not only to make sure you’re in compliance, but to evaluate whether you’re capturing the most accurate possible injury and illness data in […]

The Chemical Safety and Investigation Board (CSB) recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would create new accidental chemical release reporting requirements, in addition to those already in place under other regulations. In comparison to existing regulatory requirements, the CSB proposed rule would broaden reporting requirements by requiring reporting under a range of […]

In the series Ergo U: Ergonomics Research Notes from the Field, VelocityEHS Director of Research and Ergonomics Engineer Blake McGowan meets with ergonomics researchers from leading universities and associations across the country to share their latest findings. Field notes Recently, Blake met with Dr. Robert Radwin, the Duane H. and Dorothy M. Bluemke Professor, from […]

Penalties for noncompliance with regulations enforced by EPA, OSHA and other U.S. environmental and occupational health and safety agencies are going up! Under the requirements of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015, all U.S. federal agencies must annually revise their civil penalty amounts to account for the rate of inflation. Read on […]

OSHA’s Recordkeeping deadline is quickly approaching. By February 1, employers in the U.S. covered by the rule are required to prepare, certify and post a signed hard copy of their Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (Form 300A) in a location accessible to employees to view. While OSHA has made no changes to the Rule […]