Chemicals

According to OSHA, over 43 million workers in the United States are exposed to hazardous chemicals in the workplace each year. Employers are responsible for providing these workers with barrier-free access to safety data sheets (SDS) — in their work areas, during their work hours — for every hazardous chemical kept on-site. OSHA’s alignment of […]

EPA recently issued a final rule that updates refrigerant management requirements under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act. The rule, which was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2016 and is now in effect as of January 1, 2017, extends existing requirements and sales restrictions for ozone depleting refrigerants to certain substitutes, […]

As the deadline to file Tier II Hazardous Chemical Inventory Reports quickly approaches, VelocityEHS is reminding safety professionals to submit their 2016 inventory forms by March 1, 2017. Facilities with hazardous materials present at or above the threshold amounts established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are subject to the annual reporting obligations. What is […]

New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that the overall incidence rate of workplace injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work decreased by 2.9 percent in 2015, with 104 cases per 10,000 full-time workers – down from 107.1 in 2014. The data also suggests an overall decrease in the severity of […]

Suppliers of hazardous chemicals to Canadian workplaces can now access additional guidance for complying with new WHMIS requirements, which were modified in 2015 to incorporate the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Health Canada has published this new content as Phase 2 of its Technical Guidance on the Requirements of the […]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently published a fact sheet to help employers develop effective strategies for Process Safety Management (PSM). The fact sheet identifies and discusses the ways that facilities enrolled in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), and who therefore have been recognized by OSHA for safety performance above industry average, use […]

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has blocked efforts by OSHA to more strictly enforce its Process Safety Management (PSM) standard. The PSM standard mandates that all businesses handling, manufacturing, or storing large amounts of certain hazardous chemicals take specific steps to prevent unexpected releases. Fertilizer retailers are especially impacted. In 2001, […]

Reaffirming its commitment to holding both host employers and staffing agencies responsible for training workers on hazards they may encounter on the job, OSHA has levied fines of over $700,000 against an auto parts manufacturer and the staffing agency it was using. The businesses were cited for numerous violations, including failing to adequately train workers […]

In the material handling industry, even when most of the major hazards are identified and addressed, a small or careless mistake can still result in serious injury. Below are four common warehouse hazards should not be overlooked. 1. Pallet Rack Collapses Incidents involving pallet rack collapses often stem from materials not being properly stowed in […]

A new free content offer from the VelocityEHS chemical management solution provides a wallet card, available in two formats, which can help supplement OSHA-required HazCom training on GHS pictograms and the six required elements of a shipped label. One side of the card features all nine GHS pictograms and the hazards they represent. The reverse […]