Chemical Management

President Biden recently issued executive orders (EOs) directed at public and workplace safety, including a mandate for OSHA to assess the need for an emergency COVID-19 standard and potentially fast-track development of the standard in the coming weeks and months. Let’s take a closer look at the background of the new EOs, the changes we […]

On January 1, 2021, Australia began a 2-year transition of its hazard communication regulations to align with Revision 7 of the UN’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling (GHS). The transition, which will finish on December 30, 2022, brings a number of changes to the classification of chemical product hazards and the information that must […]

Since OSHA completed its initial alignment of the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) with the UN’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in 2016, the Agency has repeatedly expressed an interest in making further updates to the Standard to align it with a more recent revision of GHS. According to the OSHA’s […]

Over the years, I have consulted with many EHS professionals about the best way to implement and sustain a corporate-wide ergonomics program. One thing is clear: even though each program and approach has been different, most companies share the common goal of reducing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace. The value of ergonomics is often […]

Since COVID-19, workplaces have changed enough to trigger an increase in musculoskeletal disorders at organizations that are not proactive with ergonomics. Here’s a summary of polling results from health and safety professionals who attended The VelocityEHS Short Conference in May and our MSD Tsunami webinar in December. Industrial Workplace Results • 60% of respondents said […]

On January 1, 2021, Australia began a 2-year transition of its hazard communication regulations to align with Revision 7 of the UN’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling (GHS). The transition, which will finish on December 30, 2022, brings a number of changes to the classification of chemical product hazards and the information that […]

On December 19, 2020, the Government of Canada published Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 154, Number 51 containing Health Canada’s proposed amendments to the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR). These latest amendments seek to align Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) with the seventh revised edition of the UN’s Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of […]

In November, the US Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released its Fall 2020 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which details the actions administrative agencies plan to puruse in the near and long term. This year’s Unified Agenda is significant for being the last released under the Trump administration. Among other agency actions, […]

Throughout my career, I’ve worked with many professionals across a broad spectrum of industries. As an ergonomics consultant, I’ve often found myself playing the role of a catalyst within an organization, and have been part of difficult conversations with senior engineers and business leaders alike when implementing new processes. In order to be effective during […]

Workplace injuries happen, and although they’re not entirely avoidable, their occurrence can be greatly reduced. Safety professionals use different types of workplace controls to minimize the risk of short- and long-term injuries. Now that 42 percent of the workforce has been working remotely (due to COVID-19), 74 percent of companies are planning to make the […]