SAFETY CULTURE: THE ICEBERG EFFECT

A strong, positive safety culture results in reduced injuries and lost time by valuable resources, improved morale and productivity, and greater loyalty to the organization. Safety culture and the desire to have a strong safety culture are often discussed, but what exactly is safety culture? In basic terms, safety culture is the “preferred way things […]

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Changes to Vermont Stormwater General Permit 3-9050

Landowners in Vermont are feeling the effects of the latest Stormwater General Permit 3-9050 requirement for stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces. Sites with three or more acres of impervious surface that do not currently have coverage under previous operational general permits are now required to seek coverage under General Permit 3-9050. Affected sites are beginning […]

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OUCH! Laceration Prevention

Statistics The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported that in 2020, there were over 59,000 cuts and lacerations involving time away from work sustained by private employers in the U.S.  A large majority of these lost time injuries involved the hands and fingers. These injuries are painful, impact employees and their families, and […]

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Common Misinterpretations of OSHA’S Process Safety Management Standard

Who must follow Process Safety Management regulations? Companies processing “highly hazardous” chemicals must follow the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) standard to assess the risks of processes and establish a series of controls to avoid catastrophic consequences. Does OSHA consider common flammable materials “highly hazardous”? Many chemical companies have assumed […]

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USEPA Updates Regional Screening Levels with 14 PFAS

USEPA’s May 18, 2022, Regional Screening Level (RSL) update included the anion and acid forms of several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), providing residential and industrial soil screening levels; soil screening levels for protection of groundwater; and tapwater screening levels. 14 PFAS included in USEPA RSL Update ammonium perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoate hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (aka, […]

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