Everything is bigger in Texas, including chemical storage incidents. Last week, folks in Shepherd, Texas found themselves scurrying for the hills after a large explosion at a solvents plant sent massive plumes of black smoke skyward. Initial reports indicate minimal injuries, but the investigation is ongoing. Like with almost every other hazmat incident making headlines…
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More often than not, most citations for improper chemical storage can be resolved with corrective measures and a stern warning. Repeat offenders, however, will find their fate hanging perilously in the balance. The most egregious and notorious chemical storage incidents invariably come to an end in the courtroom. Despite persistent warnings and hefty fines, countless…
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With cooler temperatures setting in and the first frost permeating the soft clay topsoil, most seasonal construction jobs will be wrapping up for the year. As foreman trim back their workforce to skeleton crews, they will turn their attention to the year ahead. While project managers might be eyeing a new excavator or work van…
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Custom Container Solutions, a dumpster manufacturer based in Pennsylvania, has been cited by OSHA for multiple safety violations related to the storage of flammable chemicals and other safety issues. The violations were uncovered during an OSHA investigation conducted in March 2023, and they include two willful, three repeat, 23 serious, and two other-than-serious citations. The proposed penalties…
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Planned obsoletion to drive consumer demand is modern industry’s worst-kept secret. Shortly after the invention of the lightbulb, manufacturers worldwide began to notice a disturbing trend. Their lightbulbs were lasting a bit too long, dimming sales and slowing production. To reilluminate market share, engineers went against their instincts by designing bulbs that would last a…
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America’s workforce is evolving and adapting to changing conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the first slew of lockdowns forcing millions of employees to abide by stay-at-home orders, Zoom meetings and online scrums became the norm for businesses nationwide. As the more stringent protocols of the lockdown receded with de facto herd immunity,…
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When it comes to compliant chemical storage, some companies just can’t clean up their act. Whether it’s a small procedural oversight or a glaring mistake potentially jeopardizing the lives of thousands, fines for negligent storage practices continue to dominate the headlines. Recently, a U.S. District Court handed down a hefty $850,000 penalty against an ag-chemical…
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News of climate change is the dark cloud that we just can’t escape. And that’s for good reason. Erratic changes to the earth’s delicate weather patterns are having an impact humanity can no longer ignore. From the raging Canadian wildfires to the recent discovery of a possibly collapsing Gulf Stream, this harbinger of impending doom…
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No industry is safe from tornadoes. Completely oblivious of the progress and good intentions of humanity, Mother Nature will indiscriminately destroy our strides toward a better tomorrow. Earlier this week, the Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in North Carolina was severely damaged when a tornado ripped through the area. No injuries were reported, but a large section…
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You know the neighborhood has gone all to heck when the United Nations gets involved. While typically reserved for warzone intervention and humanitarian relief, the UN is about to break unchartered ground. Looking to pressure domestic regulating agencies into regulatory action, a North Carolina community group has turned to UN to investigate toxic PFAS pollution.…
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