STC Winter 2012 Banner
  www.specialtytechnicalconsultants.com
Winter 2012  
IN THIS ISSUE
STC News
Did You Know?
EPA to Modify UST Regs
Term to Remember
New TSCA CDR Rule
On the Audit Trail
Fortune Cookie Wisdom
Opportunities for Learning
STC NEWS
   
STC Expands Consulting Team. Martin Bermudez, CHMM, joins STC as a Senior Program Director in our Oakland, CA office  >>>
DID YOU KNOW?
     
EPA and National Center for Manufacturing Sciences launches the Combustion Portal  >>>
   
OSHA publishes new and updated materials on worker safety and health  >>>
 
Local Emphasis Programs listed on OSHA Enforcement Web page  >>> 
  
Chemical Safety Board (CSB) releases a new safety video  >>> 
 
EPA updates SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors >>> 
 
EPA Releases 2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data >>> 
 
Return to Top
QUICK LINKS

Newsletter Archive Button

About STC Button



Follow us on Twitter  View our profile on LinkedIn

Join Our Mailing List!

EPA Logo EPA Proposes to Modify UST Regulations
 
Russ Boesch, CPEA, CHMM, STC Senior Program Director, Nashua, NH 


In 1988, EPA promulgated underground storage tank (UST) regulations to prevent, detect, and clean up petroleum releases into the environment. The 1988 regulations (codified at 40 CFR 280) required new UST systems to be designed, constructed and installed to prevent releases, while existing UST systems had to be upgraded. In addition, owners and operators were required to perform release detection, demonstrate financial responsibility, and clean up releases. >>>


Term to Remeber
A Term to Remember 
Under-dispenser containment (UDC) - containment underneath a dispenser system designed to prevent dispenser system leaks from reaching soil or groundwater. >>>

 TSCA - Be Careful What U Wish For
 
Curt Johnson, CPEA, STC Senior Program Director, Richmond, TX 


There was a sigh of relief this summer when EPA suspended the submission requirement for the TSCA Form U Inventory Update Reports (IUR) of commercial chemical substances (76 FR 27271). For a reporting requirement that only came around twice every five years, it caused many quite a bit of stress; so suspending the reporting requirement in 2011 was a wish come true. However, after having carefully read through the new Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule, I think we need to be careful what we wish for. >>>
Airline Seating On the Audit Trail:
Managing Slips, Trips, and Falls
Barbara Jo Ruble, QEP, CPEA, STC President, Baltimore, MD

 

Many sites I audit have admirably reduced their rate of severe injuries over the past several years, but they commonly report a nagging level of slip, trip, and fall incidents (typically falls on the same level, as opposed to falls from heights). Many of these falls result in recordable injuries or lost time cases and clients routinely lament their inability to reduce the number and severity of such incidents. In discussions with colleagues, we've identified some causes and solutions to this problem. >>>
 
Fortune Cookie Wisdom: If We Do Not Change Our Direction, We Are Likely to End Up Where We Are Headed

Curt Johnson, CPEA, STC Senior Program Director, Richmond, TX

 

Every organization implementing a management system faces the question of why to do it. Why spend money on planning, training and documentation? You've got day-to-day systems; you've got routine procedures-why design an entire management system when you have work to do? There are many drivers for implementing an environmental and/or health and safety.  >>>

 

Return to Top

Opportunities for Learning

STC  Webinar

Preventing High-Consequence Events

 

Date: Wed, March 7, 2012

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST

Free! All are welcome

 

Headlines following catastrophic incidents like fatal or crippling injuries, fires and explosions scream for answers to who was at fault and how could it have been prevented. This webinar will help you learn to recognize information you may already have in order to take action that could save lives and prevent that devastating accident. EHS managers, auditors, operations, risk managers, and legal counsel all have a role in uncovering the potential for and preventing high-consequence/low-frequency events.

  

In this session we will:

  • Review examples of some high consequence events and their underlying causes;
  • Discuss a major theory of accident causation;
  • Understand observations and nonconformances that can lead to high consequence events; and
  • Learn to communicate such information in a way that will get attention when it really matters.

Our presenter will be Curtis J. Johnson, CPEA and STC Senior Program Director in our Texas office.  Mr. Johnson will bring examples from amongst the hundreds of facilities he has examined during his 30+ years EHS experience in industry and consulting.  In addition to auditing and assisting with EHS management program development in industries ranging from petroleum and chemicals, to manufacturing to food and pharmaceuticals, Mr. Johnson is a contributing author for STP's Pipeline Safety Auditing: Federal Compliance Guide and for ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems: A Complete Implementation Guide. He is currently developing an auditing guide for use in the upstream oil and gas production industry.

 

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/329351930 



Upcoming Events   
 

ASSE Chesapeake Chapter 

Barbara Ruble  will be attending the ASSE Chesapeake Chapter's February speaker presentation entitled Wind Energy in Maryland: Challenges, Benefits and Safety Considerations. The presentation will be held on Tuesday, February 14 at the Squire Restaurant in Dundalk, MD. The speaker, Steve Wallace, CSP, is Director of Safety: East Operations Constellation Energy. He will discuss the issues faced by the company during building of the Criterion Wind Site in Garrett County. Issues ranging from site preparation, transportation of wind turbine towers, nacelles, erection, wildlife concerns, safe climbing and self-rescue, and damage from natural factors such as lightning, snow and ice.

 

Conference and registration details can be found at: http://www.chesapeakeasse.org/events/event/wind-energy-in-maryland/

 

NEAM 2012

Kathryn Nobrega  will be attending the 2012 NAEM Corporate Sustainability Management Conference.  The 2012 Corporate Sustainability Conference will be held at the Hotel Meli� Atlanta, GA on March 7-8, 2012. This conference offers practical insights for EHS and sustainability and managers responsible for leading corporate sustainability efforts in all industries. Conference sessions will address sustainability management challenges such as:

  • Setting performance metrics and goals
  • Staffing and organizational structure
  • Establishing priorities for sustainability projects
  • External reporting, including Global Reporting Initiative
  • Best practices for stakeholder engagement
  • Business drivers and benefits of corporate sustainability programs

Conference details and registration can be found at: http://corporatesustainabilitymanagement.naem.org/index.php.

 

 

Kathryn Nobrega will be attending the 12th CDC International Symposium on Biosafety. The symposium, entitled Sustainability:  People, Practices, Planet , will be held February 13-15, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia, in Atlanta, GA. The symposium provides an opportunity for experts to share their knowledge and experiences in greening laboratories and animal facilities.  Discussion topics will include:

  • Successful, sustainable laboratory/vivarium design and operations.
  • "Greening" BSCs and autoclaves.
  • Practical, proven strategies for saving water and energy.
  • Sustainability with limited resources.
  • How to become an effective sustainability advocate.

Detailed agenda and symposium registration: http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/index.htm 

 

Closing Headline
We hope you have enjoyed this quarterly newsletter. If you would like more information regarding any of these articles, I invite you to contact our team members. You can find contact details for our team members on our website - www.specialtytechnicalconsultants.com.
.

And I hope you will register for our March webinar, Preventing High-Consequence Events.

Questions about this Newsletter?

Melanie Powers-Schanbacher

Telephone: 908.707.4001

Email: [email protected]