Are there any new pieces of equipment in your labs that need a job safety analyses conducted on them to evaluate potential hazards? In an ideal setting, EHS personnel are notified when new equipment is purchased so set-up, hazards, proper procedures, and waste can all be evaluated.
Remember that as of January 1, 2015, the OSHA reporting requirements for severe work-related injuries and illnesses have changed. All employers under OSHA jurisdiction are now required to report all work-related fatalities within eight hours, and all work-related inpatient hospitalizations, all amputations, and all losses of an eye within 24 hours.
Everyone is probably well aware of the fact that a national electronic manifest system, commonly referred to as e-manifest, is under development. Once the development is complete, generators of hazardous waste will be able to submit the uniform manifest form to the EPA electronically.
Establishing and maintaining a well-organized and compliant environmental, health, and safety program should be high on the priority list for all companies. The level of the program necessary depends on many factors, however all employees should be encouraged to make safety a priority.
The new Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code, 527 CMR 1.00, will go into effect on January 1, 2015. This new code adopts, in part, the National Fire Protection Association’s Model Fire Code, NFPA-1, 2012 Edition, with amendments specific to MA. This new code will stipulate more stringent chemical safety process regulations.
For many MWRA Category 2 permit holders, semi-annual wastewater effluent sampling must be conducted by December 31st. Even though the results are submitted directly to the MWRA, permit holders are responsible for reviewing the results and notifying the MWRA of any issues of non-compliance.
In accordance with 105 CMR 120, analytical x-ray equipment, including bone densitometers, x-ray crystallography systems, and diffractometers, needs to be registered with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Radiation Control Program (RCP). Scanning electron microscopes also require registration.
Incident reporting forms should be completed in accordance with your institutional policy for all work-related injuries, illnesses, allergies, exposures, spills, and near misses. Do employees at your facility know how to properly complete the details of your incident report?
Do you know that 29 CFR 1910.106, OSHA’s regulation for Flammable Liquids, stipulates a storage requirement for water-reactive materials?
When most people hear the term Safety Data Sheet, they think of chemical SDSs that manufacturers supply with orders of chemicals. However, there are also great biological safety data sheets available for review.
Probe sonicators use ultrasound to disrupt biological materials. People that are familiar with sonicators are well aware of the fact that hearing protection is required for employees working with probe sonicators outside of a protective sound enclosure.
In the beginning of October 2014, OSHA announced their launch of a national dialogue with stakeholders on ways to prevent exposure to hazardous substances resulting in work-related illnesses. OSHA published a Request for Information (RFI) on the management of hazardous chemical exposures and strategies for updating permissible exposure limits (PELs).
