Regulations & Compliance

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) quietly issued a final rule on June 2, 2016, titled “Hazardous Materials: Miscellaneous Amendments,” which amends its Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). The implications are far reaching, affecting many PHMSA regulations, as well the shipping processes and chemical management tasks for various […]

The OSHA final rule governing respirable crystalline silica calls for employers to monitor air quality and conduct exposure measurements in some situations. But how exactly should this monitoring be conducted? How frequently? What should employers do with the results? In this entry, we’ll try to answer common questions related to this requirement. Who needs to […]

In many cases, workplace dangers that put employees at the most risk are not the most apparent ones. Such an example concerns mine and quarry workers. While subject to all kinds of sudden, dramatic dangers on the job that can cost life and limb, there is one part of their body that is under constant […]

People who work in the maritime industries know that safety is always the number one priority. This is much more than just a saying, though. Whether you’re in marine construction, shipping, commercial fishing, transportation, offshore oil and gas exploration, or dockside support services, the hazards that surround the maritime industries and the marine environment are […]

There are many manufacturing jobs that exist, each with their own set of hazards. For machine shop employees who work with metalworking fluids (MWFS), designed to cool their machines and remove metal particulates produced as the machines operate, potential hazards stem from exposure to these common substances. Workers can breathe in aerosols created from machining, […]

The OSHA final rule governing respirable crystalline silica calls for employers in general industry and maritime to create regulated areas in order to limit employees’ exposure to silica dust in the workplace. But what exactly is a regulated area?  Who can go in or out of it?  What happens inside? In this entry, we’ll try […]

This week marked the culmination of the years-long effort to align OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard with GHS, the UN’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. But it’s not the end! As Winston Churchill might say, it’s just the end of the beginning! OSHA has indicated an intent to review and potentially align […]

As reported in the Wall Street Journal late yesterday, the U.S. House has approved the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act by a vote of 403-12. The bill is poised to require an unprecedented analysis of many hazardous chemicals to determine their safety and environmental impacts. It would set new exposure standards […]

The OSHA final rule governing respirable crystalline silica calls for all covered employers to maintain a written exposure control plan. But what exactly needs to be in this plan? Who should create or update it? How should it be used? This guide will try to provide some clarification as to exactly what OSHA is looking […]

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is scheduled to publish its new occupational health & safety standard ISO 45001 in October, 2016. The new standard is being developed with guidance from an international committee of OH&S experts representing more than 50 countries and 20 leading industry organizations including the International Labor Organization (ILO). Its purpose […]