Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog

OSHA’s New Hazcom Explained

Everything you think you know about

about hazardous chemicals is about to change

Since the 1980s, most employers throughout the U.S. and Canada have been required to protect workers from workplace chemical hazards, and to train workers to protect themselves.  The cornerstones of these programs have been manufacturer-supplied summaries called Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).  Sad to say, but sometimes they’re wobbly cornerstones, because they start with hazard information developed by company scientists for agency scientists, and may or may not extend that information into practical hands-on guidance for employers and workers.  They also vary in detail, because the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides guidance for appropriate topics but no requirements that the content be practical.  While some MSDSs are fine, we’ve all grumbled about others that report clinical results of the lethal dose of constituent chemicals to half the test population (LD50), but then recommend no more than "use appropriate personal protective equipment."

A free report authored by Gary Lucks is now available from Specialty Technical Publishers.   The 23-page 2011 California Environmental Legislative Year in Review provides a comprehensive synopsis and analysis of the 2011 environmental legislation enacted by the state of California. This comprehensive report covers the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), energy, land use, climate change solid waste, hazardous waste and materials, storage tanks, and water quality. Download the Free Report Now. The following is the introduction to the report:

I love Google Chrome! It’s fast, it’s clean, and it’s wonderful. What’s not wonderful is how the Chrome PDF viewer opens our publications for subscribers in STP Online. Sure, it renders PDF content in its browser faster than Adobe does, but by removing the PDF bookmark navigation, it makes it hard to read further than the title page. The good news is I’ve found a way to tell Google Chrome to open all PDFs using Adobe Reader instead of the Chrome PDF Viewer.

In November 2011, EPA proposed substantial revisions to current regulations addressing petroleum releases from underground storage tank (UST) systems. The regulations (40 CFR Part 280) were promulgated in 1988 and imposed strict controls on tank design, construction, and installation. The proposed revisions (76 FR 71708) target and further reduce releases caused by poor operation and maintenance, releases from piping, spills and overflows associated with deliveries (especially releases at the dispenser), and ineffective release detection equipment. The revisions minimize retrofitting requirements for existing underground storage tank systems, while mandating additional release prevention requirements for new underground storage tank systems.

I’d like to tell you about the newest functionality we’ve added to STP Online:  the ‘side-by-side view’.  This feature allows you to view two of our publications next to one another in the same browser window and is useful for comparing state differences to federal regulations or having the rulebook guide notes right next to your scoresheet when conducting an environmental audit.  Let me walk you through how it works:

Webinar Scheduled for March 7, 2012:  Headlines following catastrophic incidents such as fatal or crippling injuries, fires and explosions, lead to demands for answers as to who was at fault and how the event could have been prevented. EHS managers, auditors, operations, risk managers, and legal counsel all have a role in uncovering the potential for and preventing high-consequence/low-frequency events.

STP author Barry Zalma is featured in a new series on the Web-based television news network World Risk and Insurance News (WRIN.tv). The series, launched in January, is called Who Got Caught? It focuses on the apprehension of perpetrators of fraud, from healthcare and workers’ compensation fraud, to murder for life insurance, arson for profit, and more.

FACEBOOK, MYSPACE, TWITTER AND BLOGS:  HOW TO MANAGE SOCIAL MEDIA AT WORK.  A recent article in the Globe and Mail described how Canadians spend on average approximately 43.5 hours a month on the Web, which is, according to data released by a Web research firm comScore, almost twice the worldwide average of 23.1 hours.(1)

The most recent update of STP's OSHA Compliance: A Simplified National Guide alerts readers to OSHA’s new “Enforcement Procedures for Investigating or Inspecting Workplace Violence Incidents” at nursing and personal care facilities.  The Procedures are effective September 11. OSHA has long had numerous prevention guidelines targeted to employers whose establishments are likely to be at highest risk for workplace violence, and some states have issued more detailed guidance to complement OSHA’s efforts, focusing on planning, facility design, and employee training.