Chemical Management

OSHA named the Top 10 OSHA violations of 2014 at this year’s National Safety Council Congress and Expo in San Diego. Not surprisingly, Fall Protection, Hazard Communication and Scaffolding kept a tight lock on the top three spots. Here is the complete Top 10: Most Cited Violations of 2014 Fall Protection (29 CFR 1926.501) – […]

What Exactly is Hydrochloric Acid & Where is it Found? Hydrochloric acid hazards are serious. However, you may be surprised to learn that hydrochloric acid is commonly used in many types of industrial processes. Approximately 20 million tons of hydrochloric acid are produced globally each year, and you can even find it in your own […]

Here are 5 stories, with 5 lessons, that illustrate why chemicals in the workplace, no matter the size of the company or the number of employees, are serious business. As demonstrated below, how chemicals are used, stored, labeled, and disposed of, and how employees are trained on chemical hazards, affects workers, customers, and in some […]

Methanol is a natural by-product of wood alcohol, natural gas and coal. It has also recently garnered attention for being used in biofuel. But don’t let the “green” of this chemical fool you. Methanol is very dangerous and can cause death when mishandled. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to handle methanol in a […]

Where and How Sulfuric Acid Can Be Found Sulfuric acid is one of the most hazardous and common chemicals you may encounter. It’s actually an international commodity chemical produced in large quantities all around the world. While sulfuric acid has primarily industrial uses, it’s also found in common household products such as drain cleaner and […]

by J’ai Watson, AEP An office employee typically spends more time sitting in his office chair than he spends sleeping in his cozy bed each night.  So why are we not more focused on purchasing office chairs that improve comfort, support, and productivity in the office?  The simple answer is…chairs are expensive.  A high-quality office […]

by Jennie Gober, CPE If you’re an “Ergo Nerd” like myself and the rest of us here at VelocityEHS, you’ve probably noticed everyday items that are poorly designed.  (My colleagues Lauren and Christy recently posted about their own experiences with poorly designed bank drive-throughs and fuel gauges.)  I have a similar design pet peeve:  handles.  […]

Used many years ago in soaps, sodium hydroxide – also known as lye – is still a widely used chemical today. Its uses range from food processing to petroleum refining, but it can be a very dangerous chemical. Here we’ll examine its usual uses, and the specific properties that make sodium hydroxide a threat to […]

We have all heard of ethanol, somehow, somewhere. But what is it, exactly? How is it used? And most importantly – how can ethanol be dangerous in the workplace and beyond? (Photo: Corn and Cornier by Seth Anderson) In this information post from the experts at VelocityEHS, we’ll take a look at what ethanol is, […]

Today sustainability is not just a buzzword. Captains of commerce, like Wal-Mart, Target, Virgin, and Apple are championing the drive to improve the chemical footprints of entire supply chains. In the past, the word “sustainability” conjured images of extreme environmentalism at the cost of all else; today it encompasses a wide-angled view of the relationships […]