05/11/21
Gregory Duncan
n February, OSHA published a long-awaited notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to update its Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom). The update is being made to align with Revision 7 of the UN s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The NPRM is currently
through May 19, 2021.
The NPRM identifies some of the major industries likely to be affected by the proposed changes. These include:
Chemical manufacturing (and all subsectors)
Oil and gas extraction
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing
Merchant wholesalers (both durable and non-durable goods)
Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing
If your business is potentially impacted by changes to the HazCom Standard, take some time to review the proposed updates and consider submitting comment to OSHA. Your comments can help OSHA refine the proposed updates in a way that reflects the needs and feedback of stakeholders.
03/03/21
John Dony
Like many of you probably have, I ve spent a good chunk of this long winter reflecting on the past 12 months (if there s one thing shoveling snow is good for, it s reflection). And like many of you, mostly I ve simply been dumbstruck by the fact that it s been a year since life has been anything approaching normal.
But part of my job is to take these sorts of musings and translate them into something useful – something that will help organizations make the
To that end, late last year, I set out to synthesize what I had been hearing from EHS and business leaders both before and during the pandemic. And while it was obvious that the circumstances of our work had changed drastically, it turned out the underlying drivers, needs, and trends hadn t. When I sat down (or shoveled) and thought about it, it seemed to me that COVID-19 didn t really change us so much as it accelerated us on a path we were already on.
02/24/21
Claire Stroer
When you think about the phrase “impairment in the workplace,” what typically comes to mind? For many, images of a worker using some sort of drug (legal or illegal) might surface. Others might recall the difficulty a coworker had performing their best when dealing with a substance use disorder. While substance misuse is a critical component of addressing impairment in the workplace and on the road, it is not the only safety concern employers should heed.
Stop to consider other ways your performance and safety might be impacted by different situations: experiencing fatigue from caring for a young child, dealing with stress or shock from a personal or work-related crisis, or even certain medical emergencies such as hypoglycemia. Any of these scenarios can affect a worker s physical and mental abilities, preventing them from functioning at 100% and creating fitness for duty concerns.
12/28/20
Richard Fairfax
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been in business for 50 years. Over the years, many agency programs worked well, some didn t work out so well, and others worked initially but never grew. One key OSHA program, Enforcement, has had a great deal of influence on workplace safety.
In the 1970s, OSHA was driven by conducting inspections. The more inspections OSHA conducted, the more successful the agency was considered. In the early days, OSHA focused primarily on manufacturing. Most industry in this country was geared towards manufacturing, and there was a much higher percent of unionized employers.