07/29/2014
Infectious substances and pathogens are regulated by both the US DOT and OSHA due to the unique hazards they pose, namely causing disease in humans or animals. The DOT and OSHA regulations vary in scope because the two programs have different goals: the former seeks to ensure the safety of hazmat transported on public roads, while the latter...
07/22/2014
On July 31, 2013, the US EPA promulgated a new final rule to relax hazardous waste management requirements for solvent-contaminated wipes (i.e., shop towels). Under this rulemaking, solvent-contaminated wipes that are laundered are conditionally excluded from regulation as solid waste, and discarded solvent-contaminated wipes are conditionally excluded from regulation as hazardous waste...
07/15/2014
07/08/2014
Under the Clean Air Act, owners or operators of facilities at which a process uses “…more than a threshold quantity of a regulated substance…” [40 CFR 68.10] must create a Risk Management Plan (RMP) to prevent the accidental release of these substances to the ambient air and to minimize the consequences of releases that do happen...
06/30/2014
OSHA Administrator David Michaels recently renewed his Agency’s commitment to protecting employees from high-heat hazards—which can cause serious physical harm and even death. “This is a common-sense thing,” said Michaels, who urged employers to ensure they provide workers with sufficient water, rest, and shade. Last year, OSHA issued...
06/25/2014
At manufacturing and industrial facilities nationwide, managing hazardous waste can be a burdensome and expensive responsibility. Compliance professionals must manage their waste to exacting standards and pay to have the waste hauled away, treated, and disposed of safely. In addition to these management, treatment, and disposal rules, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires...
06/24/2014
The fluorescent lamps in offices and facilities across the US use mercury vapor for illumination. Under the US EPA’s RCRA regulations, wastes that contain elevated levels of leachable mercury compounds are hazardous waste. [40 CFR 261.24] When you discard the bulb from a tube or compact fluorescent lamp, you are discarding hazardous waste. Because nearly every office and business in the country generates this kind of waste...
06/17/2014
Cryogenic liquids (i.e., cryogens) have unique properties that create a very different set of concerns and requirements when compared to materials like flammable liquids, corrosives, and poisons. The majority of the differences focus on packaging. In this article, we will limit the discussion to smaller packages such as cylinders and Dewar flasks and not worry about bulk shipments or tanks...
What to do before, during, and after a RCRA hazardous waste inspection to defend your site from rising state and Federal penalties.