It’s a beautiful fall day, crisp temperatures, leaves turning those beautiful shades of oranges, yellows and reds, and that touch of pumpkins in the air.  So what are safety managers thinking about?  They need to have all of this years training completed….soon.  They are going into the 4th quarter and need to have their budgets ready from next year.  They also need to make sure they have all of this years budget spent, so there is not too significant of a cut back for next year.

Here are some ideas that may help the process.  If you have not done all your training and have some money to spend, this is a great time to make sure it is complete.  OSHA, EPA, and DOT often first look at training records a when they come visiting. 

OSHA recommends and sometimes requires on-going training in a variety of areas. 
 ·  New employees and/or new polices and procedures require new training.
 ·  Changes in using or labeling of hazardous materials require training.
 ·  Making sure that people are re-certified in First Aid, CPR/AED. 
 ·  If you have HAZWOPER trained people, having an 8-hour refresher class.
 ·  Driver Safety Training.
 ·  Emergency Response Planning.

The US DOT requires Hazmat training if your organization ships hazardous materials by ground, air or ocean.  Employees involved in the shipping or receiving of hazardous materials MUST be trained every 3 years for ground transportation and every 2 years for air and/or ocean shipping.  Your employees require Hazmat training if your company manufacturers hazardous materials packaging,.  New employees must receive training within 90 days after employment. 
This training must include:
 1.  General Awareness Training
 2.  Function Specific Training
 3.  Safety Training
 4.  Security Awareness Training
 5.  In certain cases In-Depth Security Training

This site does not publish the fines that companies get when they are in violation of compliance.  However, a majority of these fines, lost work days, lost productivity and more, could have been avoided by spending money training the employees.

The Compliance Resource Center can do all this and more.  Whenever possible the training is customized to your organizations needs. 
HAVE A SAFE DAY!

 For more than a decade now, EPA has joined governments, communities and citizens taking part in National Pollution Prevention Week. Pollution prevention measures can protect the environment before pollution even begins, save energy and natural resources, and leave our homes, schools and workplaces cleaner and safer.

In 2007 National Pollution Prevention Week is September 17-23, and this year’s theme urges us to “Take the Next Step” toward sustainability. How? Well, if you are recycling – great, keep it up. You can also take a few steps that will prevent pollution before it occurs like switching to “ENERGY STAR” light bulbs or joining a car pool. Learn more ideas on how you and your family can prevent pollution and “take the next step” with helpful tips on a variety of topics. If every person made just one change, the impact would be tremendous.

Tips to help you get started with pollution prevention right now!
At Home    

Use less water, less energy, reduce your trash 

At Work    

Commute smarter, green your building, reduce, reuse, recycle

In the Garden    

Spend less energy, resources, money on landscaping

 On the Road

Improve your mileage, use less gas

Why is it so important to reduce the sources of pollution?
Reducing pollution before it ever gets to the environment is one of the most important ways to protect the environment. By reducing our energy and creating less waste, for example, we reduce the need for expensive environmental controls, treatment, disposal – and even cleanup. Pollution prevention has grown from a good idea many years ago to one of the principal ways our country protects the environment. As a result, our land, air and water are cleaner and safer. In the past decade, reductions from pollution prevention have been remarkable, for example, cutting billion pounds of hazardous materials, saving trillions of BTUs of energy, and conserving billions of gallons of water.

Use this Web site to learn more about how pollution prevention is helping to reduce pollution, conserve resources and protect our health and environment. For more information, see EPA’s Pollution Prevention Web site.

Pollution Prevention in Action at EPA
At EPA we too are reducing pollution at our office “home” by reducing our environmental impacts and preventing pollution. Our actions range from seeking sources of alternative energy to recycling and purchasing environmentally friendlier products. EPA is the first federal agency to purchase green power equal to 100 percent of its estimated annual electricity use nationwide. Read more about how EPA is going green.

Hazardous waste generators are required to maintain the following records in accordance with 40 CFR 262.40.

• Completed manifests (a copy with handwritten signature of the owner/operator of the destination facility) for three years from the date the waste was accepted by the initial transporter.     
• Biennial reports and exception reports for three years from the due date of the report (not applicable to small quantity generators, in accordance with 40 CFR 262.44).     
• Records of any test results, waste analyses, or other determinations in accordance with 40 CFR 262.11 for three years from the date the waste was last sent for on-site or off-site treatment, storage, or disposal.

These periods of retention are automatically extended during the course of any unresolved enforcement action regarding the regulated activity or as requested by the EPA administrator or your state environmental agency. Moreover, other recordkeeping requirements are mandated by several other portions of the hazardous waste regulations. Conditionally exempt small quantity generators are not subject to these requirements, except as specified in 40 CFR 261.5(b).
   The Compliance Resource Center offers customized 40-hour, 24-hour and 8-hour HazWoper training (29CFR part 120.00).  We can also design a site specific Emergency On-Site Response Plan.

Contact us at info@thecrcenter.com or 847-298-3063   

The heat of summer may be right around the corner, but consumers and small businesses can stay cool and protect the environment by following five recommendations from EPA.

“This summer, you don’t have to let sweltering temperatures and sky-high energy bills get under your skin,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “By taking a few simple energy-efficient steps, Americans can beat the heat while keeping more money in their pockets.”

The average family spends $1,900 a year on energy bills, nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. With a few steps like seasonal maintenance of energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment, consumers can save on their energy bills and help reduce the risks of global warming.

EPA recommends the following five steps to help consumers and small businesses count down to a cooler planet and a more energy-efficient home:

1. Find and seal air leaks that cause drafts and make your cooling system work overtime. Sealing and insulating your home can prevent the loss of cooled air and help save up to 10 percent on your energy bills each year.
2. Look for the Energy Star when purchasing cooling products for your home. Products such as room air-conditioners and programmable thermostats that have earned the Energy Star operate more efficiently, which saves money and help protect the environment.
3. Schedule annual, pre-season maintenance checkups with a licensed contractor to ensure that your cooling system is operating efficiently and safely. Be sure to clean or change your system’s air filter regularly (generally once a month).
4. Install a programmable thermostat and use your ceiling fans wisely. Turn your thermostat up several degrees when you are away (and your home doesn’t need to be kept as cool). And use your ceiling fans only when you are in the room to save even more.
5. Visit EPA’s interactive Web-based tool, Energy Star @ home (http://www.energystar.gov/home), to learn more ways to make your home energy-efficient. Homeowners can see where they’re doing well, find areas for improvement and learn how they can use energy more efficiently to save money and enjoy year-round comfort in their home. Homeowners also will be able to share their home improvement stories or read and learn about others who have saved through energy-efficient upgrades.

Many of these same tips for consumers are also useful for small businesses. In fact, with energy saving improvements throughout their facilities, small businesses can save up to 25 percent or higher on their energy bills.

Study Evaluates Asbestos Removal Technology

On May 15, EPA announced the release of a draft report that evaluates an alternative demolition process for buildings containing asbestos. Scientists and engineers from EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory and the Dallas regional office compared the current process of demolishing a dilapidated, asbestos-containing structure with a new method called the Alternative Asbestos Control Method (AACM).

The first demonstration project was successfully completed in Fort Chaffee, Ark. Preliminary findings show AACM procedures to be protective for the cleanup of many asbestos-containing buildings.

Two similar buildings containing similar types and quantities of asbestos were demolished in April 2006. One demolition used the alternative method, and one employed the standard National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) method. As the buildings were demolished, environmental emissions were monitored to determine if the alternative protected the environment as well as the NESHAP method.

The current NESHAP process involves removal of some asbestos materials prior to demolition of a structure. This process can be time-consuming and expensive. After demolition, the removed asbestos and the demolished structure are both disposed of in approved landfills.

Similarly, the alternative method removes some friable (capable of becoming airborne) asbestos materials, but some asbestos-containing materials are allowed to remain. The structure is then wetted with amended water to control asbestos fiber release prior to and during demolition. Demolition debris and several inches of affected soil from the AACM process are disposed of as asbestos-containing debris at an approved landfill.

Data from the evaluation demonstrated lower than expected levels of asbestos and reduced potential for worker exposure. The cost and time savings for the first study also were found to be significant.

A select panel of experts has released the draft report for public comment and for peer review. The public is invited to review the draft report at http://www.epa.gov/region06/6xa/asbestos.htm. Comments are due by June 11

An early look at air quality and emissions data for 2006 shows continued improvement in the nation’s air quality over the long term, EPA reported on April 30. Emissions of six key pollutants have dropped by more than half since 1970, and the national average concentration for each criteria pollutant is below the level of its air quality standard.

“The data is in and the trends are good — our nation’s air continues to improve because of the Bush administration’s innovative clean air policies,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “By tackling tailpipes and smokestacks, EPA is clearing the air, and all Americans are breathing easier.”

Total emissions of the six key pollutants dropped 54 percent between 1970 and 2006, the agency stated. During the same time period, the U.S. gross domestic product increased 203 percent, vehicle miles traveled increased 177 percent, energy consumption increased 49 percent, and U.S. population grew by 46 percent. In addition, emissions of air toxics in 2002 were 35 percent lower than 1990 levels, the agency stated.

Under the Clean Air Act, EPA sets national air quality standards for six key pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO) and lead (Pb). Each year, EPA examines the levels of these pollutants in the air and the emissions from various sources to see how both have changed over time and to summarize the current status of air quality. While national average concentrations of the six key pollutants are below national standards, results vary by site. Annual pollution levels at some monitoring sites do remain above one or more of the national air quality standards, with ozone and particulate matter remaining as the most persistent problems.

The day after EPA’s announcement, the American Lung Association (ALA) issued its annual air quality report card, finding that Americans in the eastern United States are breathing more soot, while stricter local and state controls have dropped air pollution in West.

“The increased (particulate matter) pollution in the East is a particularly troubling trend, because exposure to particle pollution can not only take years off your life, it can threaten your life immediately,” said Terri E. Weaver, PhD, RN, ALA chairperson. “Even in many areas EPA currently considers safe, the science clearly shows that the air is too often dangerous to breathe, particularly for those with lung disease. Protecting Americans from potentially deadly air pollution means we need more protective federal standards, so that every community in the United States can have truly clean air.”

Higher soot levels in the East are linked to an increase in electricity generated by heavy polluting power plants, according to ALA. In the West, by contrast, soot levels continue to drop even in areas that rank historically high in particle pollution. California showed the most improvement with 32 counties dropping their year-round particulate matter pollution levels.

To review EPA’s national air quality and emissions trends, go to http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/econ-emissions.html. To view the “American Lung Association State of the Air: 2007″ report, visit http://lungaction.org/reports/stateoftheair2007.html.

Scientists from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory unveiled a new tool to monitor changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by region and source. The tool, called CarbonTracker (http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/carbontracker), will enable its users to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts to reduce or store carbon emissions, officials said on March 21.

The online data framework distinguishes between changes in the natural carbon cycle and those occurring in human-produced fossil fuel emissions. It also provides verification for scientists using computer models to project future climate change. Potential users include corporations, cities, states and nations assessing their efforts to reduce or store fossil fuel emissions around the world.

“NOAA encourages science that adds benefit to society and the environment. CarbonTracker does both,” said Conrad Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Increasingly, observations of the Earth are demonstrating a remarkable impact on our understanding of human and natural systems. We are transitioning this understanding gained from intensive research into operations that benefit the environment and the economy.” (more…)

With more than $500,000 in grant funding, UConn is one of six public universities in New England that is benefiting from a national focus on “green chemistry” as a way of preserving resources while reducing waste and the generation of hazardous materials.  A past aticle on this site, 10 Corps Call for Environmental Reform also deals the Environmental Reform.

Green chemistry is well beyond the research stage, at next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, people will use throwaway eating utensils able to be composted without harming the environment, even though they may not be biodegradable.

The EPA’s Green Chemistry Mission is to promote innovative chemical technologies that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and use of chemical products.  In addition, the Royal Society of Chemistry now has a Green Chemistry Journal.

It’s Not Easy Being Green!

I was recently asked to do Hazmat training by 2 different companies.  The interesting thing was each company wanted totally different training.  One company ships hazardous materials “in commerce” and they want 49 CFR training.  The other company has a “Hazmat Response team” and wanted Hazmat training in relationship to OSHA 29CFR part 1910.120, dealing with a hazardous waste spill.  In news broadcasts we often hear “they called out the Hazmat team.” 

To help distinguish the 2 meanings of this term I want to refer back to a previous article I wrote To Haz or Haz Not.  This article defines each use of Hazmat and which federal agency is responsible for compliance.  Remember, whichever way you use the term Hazmat, the lack of training is the most often fined part of compliance.

 What’s wrong with this picture from both a safety and EPA concern?  Find out about the EPA concerns.

EPA Sets Limits for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Gasoline, Vehicles and Portable Fuel Containers

On Feb. 9, EPA announced the finalization of new standards that would establish stringent new controls on gasoline, passenger vehicles and gas cans to further reduce emissions of benzene and other mobile source air toxics.

By 2030, EPA’s new Mobile Source Air Toxic (MSAT) regulations, as well as fuel and vehicle standards already in place, will reduce toxic emissions from cars to 80 percent below 1999 emissions, officials said. (more…)