Featured Articles

Celebrating 50 Years of Earth Day

Apr 24th, 2020 | By

April 22, 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. A recap of the day’s key messages and events was provided by EarthDay.org, which seeks to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Earth Day celebrations this year were conducted from home in most areas due to restrictions on travel and public gatherings associated
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Australia to Phase Out Old Safety Standards in Favor of ISO 45001

Jun 3rd, 2018 | By
Australia to Phase Out Old Safety Standards in Favor of ISO 45001

A recent Standards Australia forum involving key stakeholders saw attendees unanimously agree that an identical adoption of ISO 45001, the international standard for occupational health and safety, as soon as possible was the best possible outcome for the country. The consensus was that it would provide a “sensible” three-year transition period for businesses moving from
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Why Are U.S. Workplaces More Dangerous Than European Ones?

May 19th, 2018 | By
Why Are U.S. Workplaces More Dangerous Than European Ones?

On average, the American workplace is more dangerous than the Latvian, Czech, Slovakian, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Hungarian, or Estonian workplace. Considering that the United States has a much higher GDP per capita than all of these countries, this seems unlikely. Yet, it’s true. Despite the United States’ immense power on the global stage, its
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Laboratory Safety: Demand Control Ventilation Challenges and Opportunities

Apr 29th, 2018 | By
Laboratory Safety: Demand Control Ventilation Challenges and Opportunities

Laboratory ventilation is an important component of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) risk management and compliance at research universities and similar institutions. Traditionally, the practice in laboratories was to maximize air change rates (ACH), with an hourly ACH rate of 12 or more considered to be sufficient to protect worker safety. There are several limitations
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USEPA Attempts To End “Once In Always In” Policy

Apr 18th, 2018 | By
USEPA Attempts To End “Once In Always In” Policy

In late January 2018 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued an internal memorandum and in early February USEPA Administrator Scott Pruitt testified to Congress about his desire to rescind the “Once In Always In” (OIAI) policy for major sources under the federal National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) program. Under OIAI, a
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Eco Travel: Galapagos Islands

Apr 7th, 2018 | By
Eco Travel: Galapagos Islands

Growing each year in popularity, the Galapagos Islands off of Ecuador’s coast are a highly sought-after vacation destination. The islands are also one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems. To help visitors enjoy the Galapagos while minimizing the impacts of their visit, Todd Smith, founder and president of AdventureSmith Explorations, provided the following travel recommendations.
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Blood-borne Pathogen Control: OSHA Requirements

Nov 1st, 2017 | By
Blood-borne Pathogen Control: OSHA Requirements

Check out this comprehensive, easy to read overview of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) blood-borne pathogen standard published by EHS Data Base. An excerpt is published below, and more detail is provided in the original article.   Introduction Blood-borne pathogens are microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria that are carried in blood
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Safe Driving Video and Interactive Map

Jul 28th, 2017 | By
Safe Driving Video and Interactive Map

Take a break and watch this short video summarizing traffic fatalities by type and region. The video was prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) and features an interactive map. It would make a great training tool for safe driving courses.



After the Deluge: Designing EHS Organizations for Post-Merger Companies

Jul 17th, 2016 | By
After the Deluge: Designing EHS Organizations for Post-Merger Companies

To create leaner, more effective EHS organizations that support the new and changing business conditions that occur after a complicated transaction, EHS leaders often need to rethink the vision, scope, and expression of their EHS organization. This places a premium on an already-challenging question: how do you design the EHS organization for a post-merger company? This article provides tips for designing and refining EHS organizations.



Evaluating Executives’ Commitment to EHS Audit Programs

May 21st, 2016 | By
Evaluating Executives’ Commitment to EHS Audit Programs

Corporate EHS audit programs require a substantial commitment on the part of executive management in order to be successful. Sadly, it is not always the case that senior corporate executives participate actively in EHS audit programs. This article examines the role of executive commitment in EHS audit programs and discusses ways to test whether this involvement is real or not.