Regulations & Compliance

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 […]

What exactly does the new Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica final rule mean for employers in terms of training? Who must be trained? On what precisely? We’ll break it down for you here, and answer the most commonly asked questions. Under the new rule, what do employees need to be trained on?  First of […]

President Obama has issued a proclamation declaring today, April 28, Worker’s Memorial Day in the United States, and calling “upon all Americans to participate in ceremonies and activities in memory of those killed or injured due to unsafe working conditions.” OSHA, the AFL-CIO, NIOSH and other organizations are also preparing to observe the occasion. According […]

As industry experts begin to analyze the new  1700+ page respirable crystalline silica PEL rule released by OSHA late last week, it’s becoming clear that the expansive nature of the rule will result in new responsibilities for workplaces. Two of the largest involve revised safety data sheets (SDSs) and required workplace signage. The new rule […]

Despite the political brinksmanship in Washington during this election year, Congress is close to sending a bill to the President’s desk that would strengthen the provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and give the EPA greater authority to identify and regulate hazardous chemicals. Last June, the TSCA Modernization Act of 2015 (H.R. 2576) […]

Today, in a decision sure to send waves throughout the EHS space, OSHA published a long-awaited final rule strengthening permissible exposure limits (PELs) for respirable crystalline silica. The announcement comes on the heels of a March 21 approval by the OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and after an almost 3 year rulemaking and public […]

A guest blog post by Meghan White, Senior Implementation Consultant at VelocityEHS. On World Water Day – today – I reflect on a topic that initially peaked my interest years ago, ISO Standard 14046: 2014 “Environmental Management – Water Footprint – Principles, Requirements and Guidelines.” Almost two years post publication, how relevant is the standard […]

VelocityEHS is reminding chemical end users to file Tier II Hazardous Chemical Inventory Reports by the March 1, 2016 deadline. Any facility with hazardous materials present at or above threshold amounts established by EPA may be subject to reporting obligations. Visit our blog to learn more about how the VelocityEHS chemical management solution, streamlines the […]