Current News

The Pipeline and Hazardous Material Security Administration has issued a notice regarding IATA and IACO's Jan. 1, 2017 changes to Lithium Battery markings. This notice address enforcement until PHMSA decides if it will adopt the IATA/IACO markings.

[Read the Notice]

WATER. REST. SHADE.

HEAT ILLNESS CAN BE DEADLY.

The body normally cools itself by sweating. During hot weather, especially with high humidity, sweating isn't enough. Body temperature can rise to dangerous levels if you don't drink enough water and rest in the shade. You can suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

In 2014 alone, 2,630 workers suffered from heat illness and 18 died from heat stroke and related causes on the job. Heat illnesses and deaths are preventable. [ more ]

DEEP has passed a new regulation adopting the EPA's 2013 Solvent-Contaminated Wipes Rule. This rule provides an exemption from hazardous waste requirements for certain solvent-contaminated wipes that meet specified management requirements. In particular, qualifying wipes may be: (1) laundered at certain laundry facilities; or (2) disposed of at certain in-state combustion facilities or at out-of-state combustion or landfill facilities meeting the requirements of the receiving state. [ more ]

The New York City Council is implementing new construction safety training requirements in a new local law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York and the New York City building code. According to Int. No. 1447-C, all construction and/or demolition permit holders will have to make sure that anyone who is working under their permit will have completed either a 10-, 30- or 100-hour OSHA training course and that they hold their required training throughout the duration of the permit. If the worker is completing a 10- or 30-hour OSHA training course, they will also need to earn additional specified Site Safety Training (SST) credits.

Upon successful completion of their required training, workers will receive a Site Safety Training Card, or SST Card. There are varying levels of SST cards, including Temporary, Limited and Supervisor. Permit holders will have to keep daily site logs that include copies of relevant SST cards and proof that the permit holder is in compliance with the NYC building code. In the event that a permit holder is not in compliance, there are civil penalties starting at $500 and going up to $25,000 plus $1,000 a day for each day that the permit holder remains out of compliance. [ more ]

WASHINGTON, DC – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced today that it will start enforcement of the final rule on occupational exposure to beryllium in general, construction, and shipyard industries on May 11, 2018. This timeframe will ensure that stakeholders are aware of their obligations, and that OSHA provides consistent instructions to its inspectors. The start of enforcement had previously been set for March 12, 2018.

In January 2017, OSHA issued new comprehensive health standards addressing exposure to beryllium in all industries. In response to feedback from stakeholders, the agency is considering technical updates to the January 2017 general industry standard, which will clarify and simplify compliance with requirements. OSHA will also begin enforcing on May 11, 2018, the new lower 8-hour permissible exposure limit (PEL) and short-term (15-minute) exposure limit (STEL) for construction and shipyard industries. In the interim, if an employer fails to meet the new PEL or STEL, OSHA will inform the employer of the exposure levels and offer assistance to assure understanding and compliance. [ more ]

One of the most common ways to measure the dangerousness of an occupation is by the total number of fatalities in a year. Going by that metric, truck drivers and material moving occupations are at the top of the list, with 1,388 fatal injuries in 2016, according to recent data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, that number is up 7% over the previous year, the highest it's been since 2007, and all told fatalities among drivers accounts for more than one-quarter of all work-related fatalities in the U.S. Little surprise, then, how much attention is being given to the development of autonomous vehicles and intelligent highway projects. [ more ]

CONCORD, NH – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Luis Guallpa - doing business as Guallpa Contracting Corp. – for exposing workers to fall and other hazards at a Nashua work site. The Milford, Massachusetts, roofing contractor faces $299,324 in proposed penalties.

OSHA inspectors observed six of Guallpa's employees working on a roof without fall protection, and also observed workers using ladders unsafely, and failing to use head protection. The Agency cited the employer for exposing employees to fall hazards of up to 25 feet, for ladder and head protection violations, and for failing to provide effective training. OSHA cited Guallpa for similar hazards in 2014 and 2015. [ more ]

Electronic manifesting for hazardous waste shipments began June 30, 2018.

Access the latest information on the EPA's E-Manifesting Portal.

Katt Training & Consluting can help your company transition to the new system. Please contact us for more information.

[The EPA's E-Manifesting Portal]

[EPA News Release]

ALBANY, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited New Windsor-based Verla International LTD, and proposed fines of $281,220 for failing to protect its employees from dangerous chemicals, and other hazards.

In November 2017, OSHA investigated the cosmetics manufacturer after an employee was fatally injured in a fire. The company was cited for 11 violations for fall, and compressed air hazards, and for failing to ensure proper electrical grounding and bonding to prevent flammable vapors from igniting; properly dispose of flammable materials; develop and implement an emergency response plan; provide employees with first responder awareness level training; and record a workplace fatality in its OSHA 300 illness and injury log. [ more ]

Aerosol cans are widely used for dispensing a broad range of products including paints, solvents, pesticides, food and personal care products, and many others. The Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) estimates that 3.82 billion aerosol cans were filled in the United States in 2015 for use by commercial and industrial facilities as well as by households. Aerosol cans can account for nearly 40 percent of retail items that are managed as hazardous waste at large retail facilities. [ more ]

Virgina has adopted the Hazardous Waste Generators Improvement Rule.

The Virgina DEQ Website:

The Generator Improvements Rule (GIR) was developed by EPA to make necessary changes to the hazardous waste generator regulatory program by making the regulations easier to understand, improving environmental protection, and providing greater flexibility in how hazardous waste is managed to better fit today's business operations. Most of the rule changes are clarifications to the existing regulations meant to facilitate improved compliance. [ more ]

DALLAS, TX – U.S. District Court Judge Ed Kinkeade has ordered Design Plastering West LLC to pay criminal and civil penalties for criminal violations of occupational safety and health standards after an employee suffered a fatal fall at an apartment complex in Dallas. The court ordered the company to pay a $150,000 criminal fine, $100,000 civil penalty, admit to eight willful violations, and to undergo monitoring by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for four years. [ more ]

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $160,500 civil penalty against Woodioso Technology Limited of Hong Kong for allegedly violating the Hazardous Materials Regulations.

The FAA alleges that on January 3, 2017, Woodioso knowingly offered a shipment of 30 lithium ion batteries to United Parcel Service for shipment by air from Hong Kong to the company's service facility in Louisville, Kentucky. [ more ]

This matrix tracks state implementation of the Hazardous Waste Generator Improvement Rule. Updated monthly, the matrix provides key information on rulemaking status, publication date, public hearing dates and comment periods, and the rule effective date.

Information is collected by a professional legislative and regulatory tracking service that monitors the development and adoption of the regulations, and individually contacts State Agencies to assess their progress on the Generator Improvement rulemaking process.

Katt Training can help you navigate the new rules in your state. Please contact us for more information.

[Go to the Tracking Matrix]

MILLPORT, AL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Thorpe Specialty Services Corp. - operating as Thorpe Plant Services Inc. - and Steel Dust Recycling LLC for fall and confined space hazards after an employee was hospitalized following a 30-foot fall at Steel Dust's Millport, Alabama, facility. Thorpe Plant Services faces $175,528 in proposed penalties; Steel Dust's penalties total $28,270. [ more ]