U.S. EPA has published and/or updated Health Advisories (HAs) for the following four PFAS: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) – 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) – 0.02 ppt Hexafluoropropylene Oxide (HFPO) Dimer Acid and its Ammonium Salt, also known as “GenX chemicals” – 10 ppt Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid and its Potassium Salt (PFBS) – […]
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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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Benefits of Consolidating your PSM and RMP Programs
Although they are enforced by different regulatory agencies, OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) and EPA’s Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions – also known as Risk Management Plan (RMP) – work in tandem to mitigate potentially catastrophic onsite and offsite incidents involving fires, explosions, and toxic vapor releases. From a regulatory standpoint, the PSM standard (29 CFR […]
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