The March HAZWOPER Challenge is now closed. Thank you for participating. Please come back April 1^st for our next HAZWOPER Challenge!

We stumped you again for the month of March!

Please note that all the answers were available in our refresher study guide, the OSHA standards, the 2016 ERG, or online.

The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has established new reporting rules for the accidental release of a regulated or extremely hazardous substance into the ambient air from a stationary source.  The rule was published in the Federal Register February 21, 2020 and goes into effect March 23, 2020.  The adopted rule has been added to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under a new section, 40 CFR 1604.  Under the new rule, there are some key definitions to aware of in Section 1604.2.

• Ambient Air – any portion of the atmosphere inside or outside a stationary source.
• Extremely Hazardous Substance – any substance which may cause death, serious injury, or substantial property damage, including but not limited to, any “regulated substance” at or below any threshold quantity set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator under 42 U.S.C. 7412(r)(5).
• Regulated Substance – any substance listed by the EPA Administrator pursuant to the authority of 42 U.S.C. 7412(r)(3).
• Serious injury – any injury or illness that results in death or inpatient hospitalization.
• Substantial Property Damage – estimated property damage at or outside the stationary source equal to or greater than $1,000,000.

The new procedures for reporting an accidental release are included in Section 1604.3.  Reporting is separate and in addition to other required reporting such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).  Key takeaways from the reporting procedures are:

• The owner or operator of a stationary source must report any accidental release resulting in a fatality, serious injury, or substantial property damage.
• If the owner or operator has submitted a report to the National Response Center (NRC) pursuant to 40 CFR 302.6, the CSB reporting requirement may be satisfied by submitting the NRC identification number to the CSB within 30 minutes of submitting a report to the NRC.
• If a report is not submitted to the NRC, the owner/operator must submit a report directly to the CSB within eight hours of the accidental release and must include the required information listed in §1604.4.

For more information, check out the Final Regulation release at:

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d10ea88affb5d605468905bcb83f2936&mc=true&node=20200221y1.15

It’s that time of year again.  It’s time to prepare, certify and post your OSHA 300A Annual Summary of workplace injuries and illnesses in your workplace. This is required for all U.S. employers, except those with ten or fewer employees or those whose NAICS code is in the set of low-hazard industries exempt from OSHA’s injury and illness recordkeeping requirements.  They must be posted from 1 February to 30 April to comply with the regulations.

Additionally, organizations that require electronic filing must do so by the March 2^nd deadline.  If employers in State Plan states (e.g. Washington) have questions about their obligation to submit injury and illness information, please contact your State Plan office.

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus is causing concern for many as the possibilty of a full scale outbreak lingers.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are providing valuable information that detail planning and prevention strategies to help stop the spread.  Per the WHO’s latest upate, there have been 71,429 confirmed cases globally, with 15 occuring in the United States.  There is a 2% death rate for those confirmed cases.  So what can you do?

The CDC has issued a list of recommendations for both employers and employees to help minimize the potential for exposures.  The list includes:

• Reinforce personal hygeine practices – Hand washing, coughing/sneezing etiquette
• Separate sick employees by encouraging them to stay home
• Perform routine environmental cleaning and disinfection
• Explore telework opportunities for those that are showing symptoms
• Check the CDC’s Traveler Notices is travel is expected

For more planning information from the CDC, visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-business-response.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fguidance-business-response.html

https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/pdf/dont-spread-germs-work-item3.pdf

For the latest information, check out the World Health Organization situation report at:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/

The February HAZWOPER Challenge is now closed. Thank you for participating. Please come back March 1^st for our next HAZWOPER Challenge!

We stumped you all for the month of February!

The January HAZWOPER Challenge is now closed. Thank you for participating. Please come back February 1^st for our next HAZWOPER Challenge!

The January winner is Marshall Tapley Congratulations!

What a great year for HAZWOPER training here at Spring Environmental. We were joined by some of the best professionals throughout the Inland Northwest. Sharing many hours of training and experiences helped everyone to build upon their foundational knowledge to fulfill assigned roles. The HAZWOPER Challenge was rolled out in February to allow professionals to stay engaged throughout the year and you didn’t disappoint. We averaged 11 participants per challenge for 2019, distributed some great swag for the winners, and are looking to boost those numbers in 2020.

To wrap up 2019, we have compiled the whole list of questions along with answers and explanations as another tool for you to utilize in your HAZWOPER toolbox. Be on the lookout January 2^nd as we unveil the first challenge for 2020. Looking forward to another great year!

2019 HAZWOPER Challenge Year in Review