A New Approach to Health & Safety Compliance

Let’s say you own a manufacturing company and employ dozens of workers — some of them in high-risk positions. You’re gaining business, growing in capability, and cultivating a difficult-to-beat leadership team. Chances are high, though, that you’ve one spot yet open. You don’t have an environmental health and safety (EHS) compliance officer. Here’s why you… Read more »

Mold and Moisture Guide for Property Owners and Maintenance Teams

Mold doesn’t care about your schedule, your budget, or your best intentions. If moisture gains entry to your property and meets the right material and conditions, mold will grow. The goal of this article is to give property owners, maintenance staff, and facilities managers the practical knowledge they need to handle mold and moisture problems—before… Read more »

Smart Monitoring for Water Quality—The Future of Industrial Hygiene

Water is the most common process material used in industry and almost all buildings have water service, yet most facilities still treat it as an after-thought—sampling once a week and hoping nothing critical happened in the interim. Regulations are tightening, though, and new healthcare standards, such as ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023, demand documented proof that every rinse,… Read more »

Mold Control in Commercial Buildings, Multi-family Units, and Hospitals

When mold goes unnoticed or unaddressed, it can compromise structural integrity, negatively impact indoor air quality, and even pose serious health risks to building occupants. Mold thrives in damp or humid conditions, which are surprisingly easy to find in commercial buildings, multi-unit residential properties, and even hospitals. Facility managers know that regular inspections, timely repairs,… Read more »

Mold Remediation FAQs: What You Need to Know

Mold outbreaks at your property aren’t just a nuisance – they are a liability. Whether you’re concerned about mold in a hospital, apartment complex, or other commercial facility, mold can jeopardize tenant safety, cause extensive damage to your property, and lead to costly legal issues if not handled properly. Mold thrives in damp, poorly ventilated… Read more »

California’s New Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Regulation

California’s new indoor heat illness prevention regulation is the first comprehensive law of its kind in the United States, requiring significant protective measures for workers in indoor environments where temperatures meet or exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Effective immediately, this regulation mandates that employers develop an Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Plan (IHIPP) that ensures worker access… Read more »

What Is The OSHA Updated Hazard Communication Standard? Key Changes Explained

Are you familiar with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) updated Hazard Communication Standard? This essential regulation is designed to protect workers from chemical hazards through improved communication and training. The most significant change is the adoption of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for classifying and labeling chemicals, which ensures consistent information for better… Read more »

Heavy Metal Poisoning and You

Dust is everywhere. You’ll find dust in your home, your workplace, and even in your favorite restaurant. Sources of dust are abundant: clothing fibers, paper fibers, skin cells, dust mites, and more. When we walk from one place to another, we create and transport dust. Microscopic particles that present themselves as dust buildup create the… Read more »

Heavy Metal Poisoning: FAQs

Lead is an excellent additive for extending the durability of paint, but lead is toxic to humans. That’s why the residential use of lead-based paint was banned in the United States decades ago. But lead is just one of a group of elements known as “heavy metals.” Your body needs some of those metals (iron,… Read more »

Are OSHA Citations Public? A Guide to Workplace Safety Records

Workplace safety impacts everyone, and awareness of potential hazards can make all the difference when choosing an employer or advocating for better working conditions. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tracks workplace inspections, violations, and enforcement actions across industries. These records allow employees to check whether their employer follows federal safety regulations and provides… Read more »

Respirable Crystalline Silica Regulations – Cal/OSHA Adopts Emergency Temporary Standard for General Industry

On December 14, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) approved Cal/OSHA language for the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on respirable crystalline silica for General Industry (under California Code of Regulation, Title 8, section 5204). The ETS went into affect on December 29, 2023, which includes and emphasizes revisions to protect workers engaged… Read more »

The Importance of Health and Safety Training

Who needs health and safety training? Employers often wonder why hazard awareness instruction is important — since many of the safe work practices included seem evident and need no explanation. Workers new to a job, though, may not recognize hazards that seem so apparent to you. On the other end of that scale, more experienced… Read more »

Emergency Response Essentials

A water pipe bursts inside one of your properties, and your maintenance staff responds quickly to stop the flow. After that, you’ll have to make sure areas incurring water damage are addressed and the salvageable building materials are dry before you can begin the work of returning your property to its former condition. You’re in… Read more »

What is Industrial Hygiene Consulting?

Industrial hygiene consulting is a vital part of workplace safety and health. It involves the identification, assessment, and control of environmental factors that can affect the health and well-being of employees in a variety of industries. In this article, we will examine industrial hygiene consulting and explore its key components, goals, and objectives. Understanding Industrial… Read more »

What Is the Purpose of the Hazard Communication Standard?

If you run a business that handles chemicals — even common ones like cleaning agents or solvents — you’re already subject to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), whether you realize it or not. But what exactly is this standard, and why is it important? More than just a regulation, the HCS helps protect your people,… Read more »

Why Was the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Revised?

If your business uses, ships, stores, or manufactures chemicals — even something as common as paint, cleaning supplies, or compressed gases — then OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) affects you. In recent years, though, the HCS changed. But why was it revised? What does it mean for you? And what steps should you take next?… Read more »

Turning Liability into Opportunity

We have all seen the headlines: bacterial outbreaks, chemical contamination, mold lurking behind walls. They are attention-getters that play upon our fear of the unknown and how it may harm us. This is the realm of environmental health, the study, and management of human health impacts arising from physical, chemical, and biological agents in our… Read more »

Influenza and RSV Prevention: Don’t Let Your Guard Down

Don’t let your guard down quite yet. Not only is COVID still a threat to your health, cases of influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) are hospitalizing people at abnormally high rates. Those three — COVID, influenza, and RSV — are often collectively termed a “tripledemic.” We’ve written extensively about COVID in previous articles. Here,… Read more »