environmental protection

Editorial

Plastics are ruining the environment

How can we help stop this?

August 22, 2018

Single use plastics are the hot topic of the moment – and with good reason. They’re non-biodegradable meaning once created they will never disappear from the environment. When consumers open the bin to drop their plastic waste in that may be the last they see of it but it’s far from the end of the story.

Settlement with giant oil processor to help prevent, prepare for accidental spills

August 21, 2018

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 have entered into a consent decree with Ag Processing, Inc. (AGP) to ensure compliance with oil pollution prevention requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA). As part of the settlement, the company has agreed to implement specific preventative measures to ensure future compliance and improve accidental spill response.

A Confined Space blog post

Kavanaugh: Threat to workers and to OSHA

Jordan Barab

July 11, 2018

While most of the discussion of President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court focuses on the possibility that he will be the deciding vote to repeal Rowe v. Wade or that the will bend over backwards to help Trump out of the Russia investigation, there is clear evidence that Kavanaugh is overly friendly to corporate America, and hostile to workplace safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the environment.

A Confined Space blog post

Scott Pruitt: RIP

July 6, 2018

"MARLEY was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge’s name was good upon ‘Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to."

World Environment Day to focus on plastic pollution

June 5, 2018

Coming just a week after a whale died near Thailand and was found to have 17 pounds of plastic in its stomach, this year’s World Environment Day - today - has a timely theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution.” Begun by the United Nations (UN) in 1974 as way to raise awareness of the need to protect the environment, World Environment Day has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is observed in more than 100 countries.

A Confined Space blog post

Written in blood: Trump appointee reverses lessons of Deepwater Horizon

Jordan Barab

March 15, 2018

They say that those who forget history are forced to repeat it. But when it comes to workplace and environmental disasters, that’s not exactly true. Because while the politicians and their corporate supporters are doing the forgetting, it is the workers, the environment and surrounding communities that ultimately pay the price when the inevitable — and preventable — tragedies come home to roost.

Oil industry group unveils corporate responsibility tools

February 5, 2018

An oil and gas industry organization has developed a set of tools intended to help make the business case for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). IPIECA, the oil and gas industry association’s for environmental and social issues, says the tools can also be used to improve internal company due diligence processes for social performance.

Become savvy to the need for sustainability

Don’t be a ‘one trick pony’

Mike Williamsen Ph.D., CSP

June 8, 2017

My first job out of college was as engineer # 3884 in a large oil refinery. Yield, cost, and throughput were all more important to the organization than the front-line people who were nameless numbers to the higher-ups.

How to handle temperature & labor stressors

BENJAMIN BROOK

April 1, 2017

Many workers and outdoor enthusiasts’ are exposed to temperature extremes throughout the day. Most of the time this is due to work, exercise or in my case, a circulatory disorder which can make me sweat profusely.

A FairWarning story

Novel strategy for dealing with toxic contamination: Do nothing

Dan Ross

March 2, 2017

At toxic cleanup sites across the country, environmental agencies have allowed groundwater contamination to go untreated and slowly diminish over time—a strategy that saves money for polluters but could cost taxpayers dearly and jeopardize drinking water supplies.

This webinar will provide attendees information and demographics on the profession and what can be done to make every effort to ensure young OEHS professionals are learning about what we do to continue our “mission” – working with management at all levels to ensure that a safe and healthy work environment is provided and maintained.