Why are industrial manufacturers always portrayed as the bad guys in environmental action movies? Although most factory work is messy by nature, TV producers drudge up all the dirty details in the black-and-white struggle for eco justice and downtrodden townspeople. While wanton pollution was rampant before the EPA’s establishment, the overwhelming majority of industrial factories…
OSHA recently updated its Hazard Communication Standard, reflecting minor additions to the seventh revision of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. Although the agency’s review don’t include significant regulatory overhaul, companies storing dangerous chemicals should read between the lines for nuance. OSHA will likely more stringently regulate chemical labelling and worker…
Chemical storage compliance isn’t a recommendation – it’s the law. A Texas petrochemical company paid a high price for improper hazardous material inventorying following an explosion that prompted the evacuation of 50,000 people while causing $130 million in offsite property damage. Furthermore, the plant pleaded guilty last year to violating the Clean Air Act and…
Industrial storm shelters are meeting a growing demand, as widespread tornado outbreaks indicate a widening Tornado Alley. Straight-line winds and powerful tornadoes killed at least 40 people over the weekend from Missouri to the Gulf Coast. Although meteorologists began preemptively broadcasting extremely rare tornado warnings last week, unprotected residents in the storm-prone Deep South couldn’t…
Lithium-ion battery waste storage is polarizing noncompliant companies. While the lithium-ion battery market continues to grow, compliant disposal practices are overloading vulnerable ecosystems. Lithium-ion battery waste is discarded batteries and cells containing toxic materials, including cobalt, nickel, and manganese. These materials are flammable and corrosive, requiring consistent vigilance and safe handling. Defining regulations and hazard…
Incoming tariffs could overcorrect the chemical storage industry. After brazenly flaunting price hikes, which amount to outright embargos for cash-strapped businesses, President Trump will enact 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum products. Steel, which fabricators use in manufacturing metal chemical drums, is the building industry’s most common raw material. Sudden price fluctuations will…
Is your workforce ready NC Severe Weather Preparedness Week? The statewide severe weather information campaign began March 3 and peaks on Wednesday with a statewide tornado drill at 9:30 am – so don’t punch in late unless you want to get ribbed all week for missing the companywide paid “retreat” (hopefully managers won’t make their…
Wildfires have decimated the West Coast. Blizzard-like conditions continuously envelop the Northwest while shifting weather patterns have permanently skewed seasonal norms. Welcome to the Climate Change era. Destructive and disrupting meteorological shifts are upending conventional severe weather wisdom. While tornado sightings have increased nationwide, America hasn’t sustained an EF5 tornado since the infamous 2013 Moore,…
OSHA Regulation Fire Storage likely spared Jenkintown, Pa. residents from unfathomable casualties following an aerospace manufacturing facility fire. Monday’s four-alarm fire underscored the gravitas when officials learned of onsite industrial chemicals. Fortunately, the manufacturer kept those chemicals in a separate storage facility away from operations. Although firefighters’ quick resolve for fire containment prevented the flames…
New chemical storage laws could be a costly reality for thousands of businesses nationwide. State legislatures enact chemical storage regulations while updating current legislation every January. Countless businesses are caught off-guard each winter as few regulating bodies offer grace periods for negligent storage practices. Investing in OSHA-compliant fire-rated chemical storage warehouses provides continuous onsite protection…