The 15th Annual Creek Week will take place September 20th – 28th, 2014. Creek Week is an annual community event celebrating Santa Barbara’s local creeks and the ocean with many groups sponsoring events to help build awareness and stewardship of the natural treasures of the area.
Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog
Tags: Corporate Governance, Business & Legal, Health & Safety, Environmental risks, Environmental, EHS
I love a good novel with an environmental theme and reading in the summer is one of the best ways to relax. There have already been many days this summer where it’s too hot to do anything except sit under a tree, sip a cold drink and get immersed in a novel. So I have created a list of books that I think are some of the best environmental fiction reads.
Tags: Business & Legal, California Legislation, Environmental
New Executive Order Pursues Labor Law Compliance By Federal Contractors
Posted by Jon Elliott on Tue, Aug 19, 2014
On July 31, President Obama issued Executive Order (EO) Number 13673, establishing a series of reporting and procedural requirements for federal contractors, inducing them to provide “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” to their employees. Beginning in 2016, these new requirements will apply to contracts and subcontracts to provide more than $500,000 in services and/or non-standard goods to federal agencies. Some requirements are specific in the EO, while others will become clearer after revisions to the contracting standards codified as the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
Tags: Corporate Governance, Business & Legal, Employer Best Practices, Health & Safety, Employee Rights, Training, Environmental risks, EHS, EEOC, Disability benefits
Now that you’ve switched from ordering paper or CD publications to online ones from STP, I thought I’d share a few creative ways to make your old binders and CDs useful!
Tags: Business & Legal, California Legislation, Environmental, EHS
Anti-Discrimination Responsibilities Expanded By New Executive Order
Posted by Jon Elliott on Wed, Aug 13, 2014
On July 21, President Obama issued Executive Order (EO) Number 13672, expanding anti-discrimination responsibilities of federal agencies, federal contractors, and federal grant recipients, to cover “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” Once implemented, employment practices in these workplaces will match private employers’ responsibilities under a growing number of state laws, and under some federal court cases interpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). These changes are potentially very important to large numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers.
Tags: Corporate Governance, Business & Legal, Employer Best Practices, Employee Rights
Mount Polley Dam Breach: KSM Mine Opponents Renew Fight
Posted by Mark Sabourin on Mon, Aug 11, 2014
Tags: Corporate Governance, Business & Legal, Employer Best Practices, Health & Safety, Environmental risks, Environmental, EHS, Hazcom, effluent, Canadian
Vehicle Maintenance: Begin Recycling Your Used Motor Oil Today
Posted by STP Editorial Team on Thu, Aug 07, 2014
Did you know that if all the oil from American do-it-yourself oil changers were recycled, it would be enough motor oil for more than 50 million cars a year? Wow! Imagine how much foreign oil that would eliminate.
Tags: Corporate Governance, Business & Legal, Training, Environmental risks, Environmental, EHS, EPA, Transportation
Is your employer hiring "temp" workers this summer—to serve tourists, meet cascading production deadlines, tend crops, or maybe just to fill in while permanent workers take vacations? Most employers recognize that occupational safety and health laws throughout North America assign them an Employer's General Duty to protect their own employees from workplace hazards. Some don’t remember that this duty also applies to shared employees, and even to other employers’ employees while they’re at your workplace. This month, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is re-emphasizing ongoing efforts to ensure protections for temporary workers ("temps"), extending the Temporary Worker Initiative it started in 2013.
Tags: Corporate Governance, Business & Legal, Employer Best Practices, Health & Safety, OSHA, Employee Rights, Training
In the run-up to the 2015 federal election, Canadian business owners may start getting unsolicited emails from political parties inviting them to fundraising dinners. The ones that come from the Conservative Party of Canada may be especially aggravating. After all, it was a Conservative government that brought in Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)—a law that is costing Canadian businesses millions to implement but that few believe will put any kind of dent in phishing scams and spam.
Tags: Corporate Governance, Business & Legal, Internet, Canadian
OSHA: Safeguarding Equipment and Protecting Employees from Amputations
Posted by STP Editorial Team on Mon, Jul 28, 2014
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has revised a guide that identifies eight mechanical motions and eight hazardous actions that present possible amputation hazards. The guide also sets forth steps employers can take to reduce these hazards. The material is appropriate for anyone responsible for the operation, servicing, and care of machines or equipment: employers, employees, safety professionals, and industrial hygienists. Topics covered in this document include hazard analysis, awareness devices, and hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), and safeguarding machinery. An excerpt follows:
Tags: Corporate Governance, Business & Legal, Health & Safety, OSHA, California Legislation, Training