The annual “national day for the environment”, Earth Day, is happening tomorrow, April 22, 2015. I think everyone knows and agrees that environmental awareness should be a part of daily life. Following are some tips for integrating your EHS program into the daily life of employees at your facility.
Does your biosafety program include a detailed post-exposure policy that clearly specifies the steps to follow in the event of an exposure incident? The last thing you want to be doing following an incident involving an exposure to potentially infectious material, or material known to be infectious, is figuring out the comprehensive steps to take.
If there are oxygen monitors present in your facility, do you have an established policy on what the proper response to an alarm sounding should be? The normal concentration of oxygen in the air is approximately 20.9%.
Are there employees using air guns for cleaning purposes at your facility? If so, are you aware of the OSHA stipulations regarding the safe use of compressed air?
Everyone knows flammable cabinets are used to store flammable liquids and other flammable materials. But do you know the importance of properly securing the shelving? Numerous chemical spills have resulted from flammable cabinet shelves collapsing.
EHS firm Safety Partners, Inc. today announced the appointment of Lauren Laidlaw as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications. Laidlaw will head the organization’s strategic marketing efforts as the company continues to grow. Safety Partners, Inc., established the professional services field of hands-on EHS services for the life sciences industry in 1992.
Have you ever walked through the labs and seen N95 masks sitting on a bench shelf even though you do not have an active respirator program? Make sure the use of all respiratory protection is reviewed and approved at your facility.
A Chemical Hygiene Plan is required for companies falling under OSHA’s Lab Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1450, while a Hazard Communication Plan fulfills the requirements found in OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200. Is your Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) updated as hazards, procedures, and policies change, or is it a stagnant document that is reviewed annually at best?
The Massachusetts State Sanitary Code, 105 CMR 480, defines sharps as discarded medical articles that may cause puncture or cuts, including, but not limited to, all needles, syringes, lancets, pen needles, Pasteur pipettes, broken medical glassware/plasticware, scalpel blades, suture needles, dental wires, and disposable razors used in connection with a medical procedure.
Are you looking for ways to engage attendees during annual safety training refreshers? Have you ever considered setting up mock spill scenarios for participants to clean-up during training?
When utilizing recombinant DNA technology, a thorough risk assessment should be conducted for all projects. The potential risks to personnel and the environment need to be evaluated should an exposure or release occur.
February 2015 in New England is certainly giving people something to talk about! If you are subject to Tier II reporting, hopefully being snowed in is giving you sufficient time to meet the March 1st reporting deadline.
