Compliance Safety Training

Idaho construction sites violate storm water requirements

Three operators at construction sites near Boise, Idaho, recently paid over $20,000 to settle two enforcement cases for Clean Water Act violations filed by EPA.

The violations were found at the sites during routine EPA inspections conducted to assess compliance with the nationwide storm water Construction General Permit (CGP). The permit requires operators of construction sites to plan for and implement storm water controls, to protect surface waters from common construction pollutants like sediment, oil and grease, and concrete washout.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing two public meetings regarding product tracing systems for fresh produce. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss mechanisms to enhance product tracing systems for fresh produce and to improve FDA’s ability to use that information to identify the source of contamination associated with fresh produce-related outbreaks of foodborne illness. The two meetings will be held as follows:Oct. 16, 2008 Read more…

CBP opens joint enrollment center in International Falls

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced the opening of another joint “Trusted Traveler” Enrollment Center. The center is located downtown in the former information center near the International Falls port of entry. The Enrollment Center (EC) is designed to make obtaining a NEXUS border-crossing card easy and convenient for nearby residents on both sides of the border. NEXUS is a joint CBP-Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) program for frequent travelers that both the American and Canadian governments have implemented to enhance border security while simplifying border crossings for pre-approved, low-risk travelers.

Approximately 225,000 U.S. and Canadian citizens/residents are currently enrolled in the NEXUS program nationally. NEXUS members can use dedicated lanes at selected ports along the U.S.-Canadian border. The dedicated “NEXUS lanes” allow travelers to cross the border with a minimum of customs and immigration questioning.

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REE KellerOnline® webcast …

Audits: Making Them Work for You
Date:    Thursday, October 23, 2008
Time:     1:00 p.m. Central Time (11:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. MT / 2:00 p.m. ET)
Length:  Approximately 1 hour

NOTE: Registration for this webcast will begin 30 days prior to the event.

Practical tips for conducting an audit, documenting findings, and ensuring effective system improvements. Presenters: Travis Rhoden - J. J. Keller Editor Travis Rhoden has been an editor with J. J. Keller and Associates for over 10 years. He specializes in the areas of safety management and auditing. Prior to joining J. J. Keller, Travis worked as a safety manager for a Midwest-based manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks and buses, where he conducted safety and environmental audits at several facilities. He holds a Master’s degree in Loss Prevention and Safety Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. Jennifer Stroschein - J. J. Keller Editor Jennifer Stroschein has been an editor with J.J. Keller and Associates, Inc., for 10 years. Through research and content development of guidance materials and products, she provides timely, accurate information that helps companies comply with a range of regulatory programs. In addition, attending seminars and programs allows her to remain focused on industry issues and concerns.

NIOSH issues Respiratory protection recommendations for crystalline silica exposure

A new document describes the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) policy for respiratory protection against airborne exposures to crystalline silica.

NIOSH recommends the use of half-facepiece particulate respirators with N95 or better filters for airborne exposures to crystalline silica at concentrations less than or equal to 0.5 mg/m3. OSHA also specifies the use of at least a 95-rated filter efficiency. The recommendation for a 95-rated filter efficiency reflects the improved filter efficiency of N95 filters over the earlier dust and mist (DM) filters. Read more…

CSB Chairman urges OSHA to adopt combustible dust standardAt a recent Senate hearing, John Bresland, chairman and CEO of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), called on OSHA to act on a November 2006 CSB recommendation to adopt a comprehensive standard regulating combustible dust in the workplace.Speaking before the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Chairman Bresland said this year’s tragedy which killed 13 workers at a Georgia refinery — caused when sugar dust was ignited and exploded — demonstrates the need for a new OSHA standard that would cover a range of industries exposed to this hazard. Such industries include food, chemicals, plastics, automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, electrical power (where generated by coal), and others.The chairman noted the CSB’s 2006 Combustible Dust Study identified 281 dust fires and explosions in the U.S. between 1980 and 2005, killing 119 and injuring 718 workers. These included major dust explosion accidents in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Indiana in 2003, killing a total of 14 workers. Read more…

A contractor does work at one of your facilities and, in the course of his work, generates a small amount of hazardous waste. Is your facility responsible for the proper disposal of the hazardous waste or is it the responsibility of the contractor/generator?

According to an EPA interpretation, both the facility and the contractor will be subject to the hazardous waste standards. Read more…