Employer bans kettles, cites health and safety concern, U.S. Navy head indicates top security threat, senators want VPP codified and more on EHS This Week

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • A curious case in the UK of an employer banning kettles at work due to health and safety concerns. 
  • Head of the U.S.’s Pacific Navy indicates his top security threat, and it’s not what you might expect.
  • Rare show of bipartisan support to codify VPP, and lots more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

SVEP program off to a ‘strong’ start, report reveals, Fukushima Emergency Workers’ cancer risk, and much more on EHS This Week

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • The results of an internal review of OSHA’s SVEP program. 
  • Learning from safety inspections of dairy farms and agriculture in general.
  • Japan and China’s differing issues with nuclear power, and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Moodys report on water in mining, frontrunners to replace EPA chief suggest climate action and more on EHS This Week

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • Credit-negative implications for mining industry according to Moodys report. 
  • New candidates in line to become EPA chief in the wake of Lisa Jackson’s resignation.
  • Pew poll cements growing public opinion trend related to support for clean energy and alternative fuels, and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

OSHA head stays on, climate bill to be tabled and more on EHS This Week

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • Two OSHA big wigs staying on for President Obama’s second term. 
  • New safety rules for seamen announced.
  • State of the Union address tackles climate just as senators prepare bill, and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Obama and Kerry get vocal on climate change, woman pleads guilty to impersonating OSHA instructor and more on EHS This Week

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • Climate central to President Barack Obama’s inaugural address, as well as Senator John Kerry’s confirmation hearing as Secretary of State. 
  • A woman pleads guilty to charges she impersonated an OSHA inspector.
  • Details on a new safety certification, and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Shocking Centre for Public Integrity report on OSHA fine follow up, and the Chevy Volt is fired up on EHS This Week

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • A centre for Public Integrity report revealed OSHA might not necessarily follow up on all fines.
  • The EPA launches an asthma program.
  • Coal use rises while the Chevy Volt finds success, and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

OSHA enforcement vs. incident rates, airline attendant safety, Doha climate talks and more on EHS This Week

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • The correlation between higher OSHA enforcement areas and injury and illness rates.
  • A proposal to increase safety for airline attendants.
  • Doha climate talks and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

EPA enforcement interactive map

This isn’t particularly new news but I thought I’d blog about it because, well, it’s pretty cool! I spent time playing with the EPA’s compliance and enforcement interactive map earlier today and was amazed by how detailed the content is as you navigate through the tool to find the information you need. The tool currenlty reports on concluded cases from fiscal year 2011 and gives a great visual of where enforcement actions and cases take place across the US. It allows you to pick the types of cases you want to show on the map (Federal facility, criminal, cleanup, air, waste, water, chemical…) and your choice adds or eliminates pins that appear on the map.

When you have the pins visible that you are interested in you can click on them and get detailed additional information about the facilities in question who have had some sort of enforcement against them. Then if you go ahead and click into ‘More info’, there is full detail on the facility, their permits, NOVs, enforcement actions and other information.

The tool is intended to keep the community informed of enforcement cases in their area, which it does well; you only need to put in your city and state to get a localized version of the map that is easier to digest. I’m guessing the 2012 data is still coming but no expected date seems to be indicated.

There are different interactive maps for 2009 and 2010 but the 2011 version has added functionality and a noticably more modern look.

If environmental compliance is something that you manage in your company. Be sure to check out our software for environmental management – it might help you stay off this map!

Sandy cleanup, Bangladesh garment factory fire, Institute for Policy Integrity’s harsh words for EPA and more on one-year anniversary edition of EHS This Week

Welcome to the one-year anniversary of EHS This Week! For 52 full weeks we’ve been bringing you essential news on all aspects of workplace health and safety, EHS legislation and regulation, and environmental and climate issues from around the world, not to mention developments in renewable energy. We’ve been blown away by all the feedback we’ve received over the course of the past year and want to thank all our loyal listeners for providing us with tons of questions and feedback.

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • The devastating Bangladesh garment factory fire that killed over 100.
  • The Department of Labour works to improve worker safety awareness and prevent exploitation of immigrant workers in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
  • The EPA faces the possibility of another lawsuit on emissions controls, and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The post-election regulation landscape, chaos in Fresno and more on EHS This Week

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • What the U.S. regulatory landscape might look like over the next four years.
  • Progress in reducing incidents in the meat industry.
  • Worker violence in Fresno and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments at paul@ehsthisweek.com. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. 

Until next week, enjoy the program! Sign up for the I2P2 webinar we mention here.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.