WHEN assessing their compliance programs, many companies are diligent when focusing on training, documentation, and facilities maintenance.
MANAGING hazardous materials in a safe and compliant fashion can be a complex and daunting task unless proper planning and procedures are in place. Many environmental, health & safety (EHS) professionals turn immediately to OSHA and EPA regulations to determine what is required, then provide guidance to those who will ultimately be held responsible for proper use and storage of the hazardous materials.
EFFECTIVE management of flammable and combustible materials is a critical fire prevention and protection issue. The essence of fire prevention is keeping potential fuel away from ignition sources.
REPORTING requirements for a facility can cover a broad spectrum of laws, regulations, and standards at the federal, state, and local levels. These requirements may apply to a variety of media, such as air, land, water, and waste.
WHEN a hazardous materials accident occurs, time is a precious commodity. How long it takes responders to secure the scene could mean the difference between life and death.
WHETHER a company stores, uses, or transports hazardous materials (hazmat), there is always the potential for a chemical spill. And beyond regulatory requirements that all employees are trained to handle chemical spills, it is also the responsibility of an owner to keep employees safe when doing so.
WITH an estimated 650,000 hazardous chemicals in the workplace, tens of thousands of chemical manufacturers creating material safety data sheets, and a vague OSHA standard defining its framework, we are left with a discombobulated mess of MSDSs. Yet we are required by law to maintain them in the workplace for our employees.
MERCURY is a known neurotoxin that is extremely toxic even in small amounts. It directly affects the central nervous and renal systems, causing developmental delays and motor and brain problems like those associated with autism.
AS many safety managers know, absorbents have long been the first line of defense when dealing with a chemical or oil spill in the workplace. While the Environmental Protection Agency has no management guidelines for the use of specific absorbent materials, safety managers have an obligation to protect their employees from these types of hazards and to protect their companies from the liability that could arise from a spill.
IN 1941, the people of the United States believed they were safe behind a two-ocean barrier. They were proved wrong by the attack on Pearl Harbor. That attack was conducted by the armed forces of a hostile nation. In 2001, the people of the United States believed that, as the world's only superpower, they were safe from attack. Again, they were wrong.
PRIOR to the early 1980s and the introduction of AIDS into our society, infection control practices were designed almost exclusively to protect the patient from developing a nosocomial infection--an infection acquired after admission to the hospital.
EVEN though the OSHA flammable and combustible storage regulations at 29 CFR 1910.106 have been around for 30 years, there is still confusion about exactly how to comply with the requirements.