“Care, Protect, Grow”: The U.S. Compliance Blog

How do I start a Lockout/Tagout Program? Lockout/tagout programs prevent injuries and ultimately, save lives. Lockout/tagout is an energy control procedure that requires an employee to isolate energy before doing any cleaning, adjusting, or repairing of a piece of equipment. In layman’s terms, it means that if an employee is going to access a piece…

As a refresher, a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plan is required for facilities storing oil with an aggregate storage capacity greater than 1,320 gallons in containers greater than 55 gallons. The plan is a requirement under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), an amendment made to the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1990. Under…

Water from rain and melted snow washes dirt, oil, garbage and chemicals into nearby rivers and streams. This can be very hazardous to the health of these water channels and the land surrounding them. Keeping industrial materials in a storm-resistant shelter protects surrounding waterways from exposure to the potentially harmful effects of industrial stormwater runoff. …

As working environment temperatures increase due to the season or other factors, heat-related risks can be effectively reduced for employees working inside or outside using a combination of controls and knowledge. What do you need to know to protect your employees? The level of heat stress exposure at your facility The human body’s response to…

It’s the phone call every safety, plant or human resource manager dreads: “There’s someone from OSHA here waiting for you in the lobby.” Regulatory action isn’t the sole reason we work every day on our safety programs, but it does create an instance where the “rubber meets the road” so to speak. Being able to…