Blog

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 […]

If you’re looking for a new keyboard, you may be a bit overwhelmed by the variety of models, including those labeled “ergonomic.” Unfortunately, there is no governing body that determines whether or not something is ergonomic. To help alleviate the confusion, look for these features in your next keyboard. Keyboard slope – When keying, your […]

Our Canadian office has moved out . . . and moved up (a floor)!  Having outgrown our old office, our new location doubles our available space to accommodate our continually expanding team. The new office reflects our new name and branding as VelocityEHS. This new identity reflects our unique focus on providing a comprehensive EHS, sustainability and […]

OSHA is readying to publish a new Letter of Interpretation that provides a further explanation of labeling rules for importing and exporting hazardous chemicals under the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS 2012). OSHA issued the letter as a response to an inquiry from the American Coatings Association (ACA) around labeling best practices for goods that will be […]

The December 1, 2015 OSHA deadline has now passed for all distributors of hazardous chemicals to begin sending only GHS-labeled products and safety data sheets. What does this mean for American workplaces?  Well, theoretically, now every hazardous material that ships will feature the new GHS-compliant labels. However, in practice, it’s likely the case that many […]

OSHA named the Top 10 OSHA violations of 2015 at this year’s National Safety Council Congress and Expo in Atlanta. Once again, Hazard Communication maintained a stranglehold on the #2 spot, second only to Fall Protection. Here is the complete Top 10, as well as the listings for previous years: Most Cited Violations of 2015 […]

As students across the country head back to school, it’s important to understand the kind of complex chemical ecosystem they will face on K-12 and university campuses. In addition to cleaners and maintenance chemicals, these facilities often feature chemical labs with an array of hazards comparable to those found in an industrial setting. And with […]

According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 3,100 American workers suffered from heat-related illness requiring at least one day away from work to recover in 2013. In the same year, 34 workers died from exposure to extreme temperatures. The total climbs to 126 when you add that to the […]

Here are the links to two publicly available manual material handling calculators. For further information on this topic, view the archived webinar we presented last week on warehouse ergonomics. NIOSH – https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/niosh/calculating_rwl.html Refer to this link to utilize the NIOSH Lifting Equation calculator from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. As long as […]

June 1, 2015 is the deadline by which manufacturers, distributors, and importers must reclassify chemicals and update all SDSs and labels to the new GHS format. Many in the industry are in the process of preparing, but some still have questions about what will change for them, and what they’ll need to do in order […]