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S/P2 Newsletter |  |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the April issue. One of the
advantages of an online publication is that
it can be updated literally at a moment's
notice when the need arises. Such a need made
itself known this week when the U.S. EPA
announced [on April 3] the release of its new
brochure on limiting exposure among auto
mechanics and DIYers to asbestos. You'll read
more about the new brochure below and can
click a link to review it.
The 2007 National Automotive Technology Competition, one of the industry?s most prestigious events for high school automotive students, will again feature CCAR?s S/P2 e-learning in Safety and Pollution Prevention to measure competitors knowledge of environmental and safety issues. The National Automotive Technology Competition was begun in 1990 by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association to help meet the demand for qualified automotive technicians and raise the level of vocational education standards in the public school system. The national finals, in which the best high school automotive education students from across the country compete, will take place April 11-12 at the New York International Auto Show. More than $3 million in prizes and scholarships will be awarded to participating students and schools.
On April 3, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has released a new brochure providing health and safety information for professional and do-it-yourself mechanics who may work with asbestos-containing automotive components. Current Best Practices for Preventing Asbestos Exposure Among Brake and Clutch Repair Workers emphasizes the need to prevent asbestos fibers from escaping into the air during repair work.
While it is impossible to tell if clutch and
brake components contain asbestos, the
booklet advises that mechanics should
automatically assume the possible presence of
asbestos. The booklet
emphasizes the warning against blowing dust from
brakes and clutches with compressed air. It also
details three recognized methods for containing
asbestos dust in a professional automotive shop.
The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR) is joining with the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) and other organizations and companies to increase public awareness of the importance of workplace safety and health during North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH), May 6-12, 2007. Events will be held continent-wide during the week, along with Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day celebrations on Wednesday, May 9. The NAOSH Week kick-off in the U.S. will be held Monday, May 7, at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., with an ASSE awards ceremony to follow on Capitol Hill. Because transportation-related accidents are the number one cause of on-the-job deaths, NAOSH Week 2007 will focus on all modes of transportation safety. Available tools include the ANSI/SSE Z15 "Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations" Standard. The standard provides safe motor vehicle operation guidelines including the operational environment; driver considerations; vehicle considerations; and incident reporting and analysis. CCAR also recently introduced ?Operating Motor Vehicles: A Guide for Employees in the Automotive Repair Industry,? a free online safety training course. Click on the course name above to access the free course.
The mission of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) is to provide service to the people of Louisiana through comprehensive environmental protection in order to promote and protect health, safety and welfare while considering sound policies regarding employment and economic development.
The LDEQ maintains a "Regulations
in a Nutshell" page for Auto Body Shops
on its web site, as well as these documents
related to auto repair:
Previous issues of the S/P2 newsletter have
informed readers about how quickly hazardous
waste violations can add up when penalties
are assessed by regulatory agencies. In 2006
alone, an Oregon company was fined more than
$50,000 by the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality, and a California
company was penalized $56,000 for violating
federal hazardous waste regulations.
During a routine inspection in May 2006, Ohio
EPA found that the facility failed to:
The reality is unchanged for the auto repair community: the cost of preventing violations is minimal compared to the end cost of the penalties. Make sure your employees understand the importance of keeping your facility in compliance.
Earth Day - April 22, 2007 - is an opportunity for all Americans to demonstrate that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility. There are a number of simple everyday choices that people can make to help protect the environment.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Use Water Efficiently
Save Energy
Fire
Prevention: Don't Get Burned!
Arizona
DEQ Announces Initiative to Prevent
Contamination from Radiator Repair Shop Waste
EPA
to Revise Definition of
Solid Waste
Ohio
Company Penalized for Excess Scrap Tires
EPA
CleanupNews, Issue #32
Massachusetts
Fuel Company Penalized $4,300 for Violating
Air Pollution Control Requirements
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