07/30/2015
On July 29, 2015, OSHA proposed a new rule to clarify employers’ injury and illness reporting and recordkeeping (I2P2) responsibilities. Namely, the new rule seeks to make it clear that recording of injuries is an ongoing responsibility—meaning employers must keep records of injuries and illnesses even in cases when the employer failed to record it when first required to do so...
The US DOT Federal Rail Administration (FRA) has finalized a rule to prevent unattended trains that carry certain hazardous materials from “rolling away.” The new rulemaking is part of US DOT’s effort to bolster the safety of hazmat trains, especially those carrying crude oil, in the wake of many train derailment incidents in the US and Canada that caused fires and explosions, destroyed property, and led to fatalities...
07/29/2015
The CEO of a chemical company that stored drums of corrosive and ignitable hazardous waste in a Camden, NJ facility basement will face criminal charges and a $250,000 criminal penalty for illegal waste storage under Federal hazardous waste law. According to the indictment from the US District Court of New Jersey, from December 2003 through August 2011, Concord Chemical stored hazardous waste drums without a permit from US EPA or the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)...
07/28/2015
Earlier this year, EPA issued a Final Rule that redefined "solid waste" to exclude many hazardous secondary materials—when recycled in certain ways—from the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste management standards. The January 2015 Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rulemaking also changed other related portions of the RCRA regulations to clarify longstanding EPA policies for hazardous waste recycling...
07/24/2015
07/23/2015
In a new Interim Enforcement Policy, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) announced on July 22, 2015 that certain employers will no longer be exempted from compliance requirements under the Process Safety Management (PSM) standard for highly hazardous chemicals at 29 CFR 1910.119...
07/22/2015
Under OSHA’s “HazCom 2012” Standard (HCS), mandatory for chemical manufacturers, processors, and distributors as of June 1, 2015, containers of hazardous chemicals must display new labels and pictograms...
07/21/2015
Now that the June 1 deadline for GHS compliance has come and gone, and chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors have shifted to new chemical classification, marking, labeling, and documentation criteria, one big question remains: How will OSHA enforce the new GHS Hazard Communication (HazCom) standard?
On August 6, 2014, PHMSA updated the lithium battery shipping provisions of the Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR 171-180). The new lithium battery shipping rules more completely harmonize the US regulations with evolving international standards. While some dicrepancies remain, domestic and international rules for shipping lithium batteries are now more similar than ever...
07/20/2015
In a Direct Final Rule posted to the Federal Register today, US EPA is mandating the use of a new version of electronic reporting software (e-PMN) for businesses subject to Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) §5 Premanufacture and Significant New Use Notifications and other chemical reporting requirements...
Lithium battery regulations are complex and constantly evolving. If you’re just starting out with lithium battery shipping, answering the four questions in this guide will help you determine how stringently your shipment will be regulated and where to find the rules you need to ensure compliance.