Safetec Chemical Compliance

Failing to Provide Community Disclosure Information Yields Penalties for 11 Companies

2008-05-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Release date: 02/27/2008

Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – Feb. 27, 2008) – Eleven companies based in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will pay EPA a penalty for failing to submit chemical inventory reports on chemicals present at their facilities, under terms of settlements recently reached. March 1 is the next deadline for submitting chemical inventory reports.

The settlements are between EPA and the following companies. Each company was assessed a fine of $2,000. The companies are:

Bass Plating Co., Bloomfield, Conn.
Fusco Brothers, Inc., Windsor, Conn.
O & W Heat Treat, Inc., South Windsor, Conn.
Dixfield Discount Fuel Co., Peru, Maine
Lisbon Fuel Co., Lisbon Falls, Maine
Murray Oil Co., Turner, Maine
TI Logistics, Inc., Worcester, Mass.
Geib Refining Corp., Warwick, R.I.
National Chain Co., Warwick, R.I.
Technodic, Inc., Providence, R.I.
M. Weisman Roofing Co., Warwick, R.I.

EPA reached expedited settlements with all 11 entities after inspections discovered failure to report as required under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). EPCRA Section 312 requires the companies to file hazardous chemical inventory reports (“Tier II” reports) that provide information on the nature, amount, location, and hazards of chemicals stored at the facility. The cases involved several different types of chemicals and businesses, including, among others, metal plating and treating operations that use acids and cyanides, and fuel companies that have large amounts of oil on site.

“Chemical reporting is very important for the public-at-large, and it is essential for the safety of first responders if there is an accident at one of these facilities,” said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Regular reporting of hazardous chemicals helps first responders to protect themselves, and protect the public, if there is a fire or other dangerous event at a facility. Officials also use this information for disaster planning -- for example when simulating a response to a hurricane.”

Right-to-Know provisions help to increase the public's knowledge and access to information on the presence of hazardous chemicals in their communities. Among the key provisions of EPCRA, there are requirements for annual submission of chemical inventory data (known as Tier II reports) by facilities to state and local planning officials for incorporation into ongoing emergency planning. EPCRA also requires facilities to quantify and submit annual releases of certain chemicals for incorporation into a national database known as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).

Under EPCRA, reporting of chemical inventory information is required under federal law each year. The next reporting deadline for Tier II reports is March 1. Facilities storing hazardous chemicals are required to file a chemical inventory with several entities: the State Emergency Response Commission, the Local Emergency Planning Committee and the local fire department. This is required to provide planners and first responders with information about the hazardous chemicals present in a community so that they can effectively prepare for and respond to chemical accidents. Facilities are subject to these requirements if they store hazardous substances on site in amounts equal to or greater than 10,000 pounds at any one time during a reporting year, although there are lower thresholds for extremely hazardous substances.

EPA helps companies meet their reporting obligations by offering compliance assistance in the every state. In anticipation of the upcoming March 1 reporting deadline, EPA already has held 13 compliance assistance conferences in several New England states, reaching approximately 1,300 people.

New Chemical Compliance Manager Help System

2008-05-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

In the May release of the Chemical Compliance Manager 8 software, Safetec included a new method of providing help documentation which is both innovative and flexible. If you are familiar with Safetec’s software, you may know the user experience is extremely customizable. The underlying Dynamic Forms technology allows each form to be designed based on a particular industry, customer, facility or role. As you can imagine, this flexibility posed an interesting challenge for the online help system.

Most online help systems provide static reference data. Safetec’s new help system is context sensitive on a per web-page basis. This feature alone is fairly common, but we go one step further by allowing the per-page help files to be customized at either the enterprise level (all facilities) or on a website-by-website basis which would allow facility-specific or even role-specific documentation.

The user’s experience is seamless. Just click on the “Help” link on the toolbar (available on every page) and the corresponding help file is displayed.

We have also made the switch to PowerPoint as the software package for generating help files. The PowerPoint files are converted to PDF format when released into production so you don’t need PowerPoint installed on your system.

You might be wondering, “Why use PowerPoint?”. The answer is based on our findings as to what people really need and want out of help documentation. The reality is long-winded, text-based documentation doesn’t get used. In our PowerPoint approach, almost every page features a screenshot with high-level descriptions of what’s happening on the page along with some quick definitions and background information. Each page is easy-to-read and easily grasped. We call this QDC (Quickly Digestible Content) format.

The slideshow approach also works great for training. You can save the help files to your local system and use them as a base for your own training presentations. As I mentioned previously, the online help files are in PDF format, but you can request a copy of the original PowerPoint files from any of your Safetec contacts. This would allow you to pick and choose which slides you wanted to use as well as adding in your own slides or combining with an existing presentation.

Don’t like the slideshow approach? One great advantage of this flexible new help system is we can create any style of help documentation you want and then override the base documentation with the new documentation. In fact, you could create your own documentation and send it to us and we can easily drop it in to your existing website(s).

Please feel free to contact Safetec if you’re interested in learning more about this capability and how your online help documentation could be customized for your organization.

Reno, Nev. company pays over $80,000 for toxic chemical reporting violations

2008-05-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

Release date: 05/06/2008

Contact Information: Margot Perez-Sullivan, 415947.4149, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently reached an $80,080 settlement with a Reno, Nev. company for its failure to submit required toxic chemical reports, a violation of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

Electronic Evolution Technologies, Inc., located at 9455 Double R Road in Reno, Nev., failed to submit timely, complete, and correct reports detailing the amounts of lead processed at its facility from 2002 through 2005. EPA inspectors discovered the four violations as a result of a routine inspection in April 2007 and a follow-up investigation.

“Facilities that process particularly toxic chemicals, such as lead, must follow reporting rules to ensure area residents and emergency response personnel are informed of possible chemical hazards locally,” said Nathan Lau, Communities and Ecosystems Division Associate Director for EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. “This penalty should remind others that we are maintaining a close watch over chemical reporting practices and are serious about enforcing community right-to-know laws.”

Federal community right-to-know laws require facilities processing, manufacturing, or otherwise using more than 100 pounds of lead to report releases of this highly toxic chemical on an annual basis to the EPA and the state. Although Electronic Evolution Technologies exceeded these thresholds from 2002 through 2005, it failed to submit reports to the agency for any of those years.

The facility uses lead in connection with its manufacturing of printed circuit boards. Although the facility’s operations did not release lead into the environment, it was still required to report lead processing to the EPA because the facility was over the applicable reporting threshold.

Exposure to lead may result in high blood pressure, digestive problems, muscle and joint pain, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, increased chance of illness during pregnancy, and harm to a fetus, including brain damage or death. Exposure to even low levels of lead can severely harm children under the age of six.

Each year, the EPA compiles the information submitted to it from the previous year regarding toxic chemical releases and produces a national Toxics Release Inventory database for public availability. This TRI database estimates the amounts of each toxic chemical released to the environment, treated or recycled on-site, or transferred off-site for waste management, and also provides a trend analysis of toxic chemical releases.

VPPPA Affiliate Introduction - Safetec Software

2008-04-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

We at Safetec are very pleased and proud to become affiliate members of the VPPPA. Some of you we know already, and the rest we look forward to meeting. We respect and admire your commitment to become leaders in safety and to be seen as examples of what it looks like when safety is done right.

Safetec is committed to the same goal. Safetec is a Software as a Service (SaaS) organization providing world-class MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) and chemical management solutions and services to medium and large-sized organizations. But, rather than turning this email into an advertisement, we offer it as an invitation.

Please visit our chemical compliance website and see for yourself what Safetec has to offer your organization in regards to MSDS and chemical management.

View previous quarterly MSDS newsletters.

Download our white paper on Software as a Service as an EHS solution.

View our 3 Minute Movie.

Join us at these Chemical Compliance events.
We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you.

Best regards,

Jim Frohlich

Tips and Tricks - Version 8

2008-04-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

The next release of CCM v8 includes a new navigation panel called “Related Links.” This panel contains a static list of page links commonly used in conjunction with the currently visible page.

The link panel is prominently placed on select search and detail pages. This navigation improvement benefits the user by allowing them to quickly navigate a particular module without returning to the main menu.

As well as being a pleasant visual enhancement to the web application, both new and advanced users will be sure to find this feature a tremendous time saver.

OSHA records another successful enforcement year in FY 2007

2008-04-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released its annual enforcement statistics, confirming that the agency's enforcement programs are producing positive results for the benefit of American workers.

In FY 2007, OSHA conducted 39,324 total inspections, a 4.3 percent increase over its stated goal of 37,700. Total violations of OSHA's standards and regulations were 88,846, a 6 percent increase from Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. The agency cited 67,176 serious violations, a 9 percent increase from the previous year and a more than 12 percent increase over the past four years. The number of cited repeat violations also rose from 2,551 in FY 2006 to 2,714 in FY 2007.

''The fact that OSHA surpassed its inspection goal for FY 2007 proves our enforcement commitment remains strong,'' said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. ''The significant increase in citations for serious and repeat violations documents OSHA's focus on identifying and eliminating severe hazards in the workplace.''

Fatality and injury and illness rates have continued to decline to record lows. The injury and illness incidence rate of 4.4 per 100 employees for calendar year (CY) 2006 was the lowest that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has ever recorded. Workplace fatality rates hit an all-time low in CY 2006 with 3.9 fatalities per 100,000 employees.

OSHA's results show that a strong, fair and effective enforcement program, along with outreach to employees and employers and partnerships and cooperative programs, add value to the workplace for both employers and employees by reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to help protect the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit OSHA

DHS Chemicals of Interest List in Safetec Database

2008-04-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

The Safetec regulation database now includes the finalized version of the Department of Homeland Security’s Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards - Chemicals of Interest list. By including this list, Safetec makes it possible for clients to verify if they have any chemicals on that list.

In addition to loading the chemical list into the database, Safetec has also captured all of the attributes associated to each chemical. The data has been transposed from the original format (which is PDF) to Excel.

All are welcome to pass the DHS CHemicals os Interest List on to any interested party.

This list contains chemicals that, if possessed by a facility in a specified quantity, trigger a requirement to complete and submit an online consequence assessment tool called a Top-Screen.

The DHS identified these chemicals in the specific amounts for preliminary screening based on their potential to create significant human life or health consequences.

Using the information gathered through the Top-Screen, the DHS will be better able to make a preliminary determination as to whether a facility presents a high level of security risk and whether it will be required to comply with the substantive requirements of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS)

For more information on the chemical list or the Top-Screen click here

AterWynne LLP chosen by Safetec for legal counsel

2008-04-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

Every business needs guidance and what would the business world be without attorneys? We wanted to go with the best so we are proud to announce that we have chosen AterWynne LLP as Safetec's legal partner.

“Safetec is pleased to announce its decision to partner with AterWynne LLP for legal counsel. AterWynne is well known for its work with both emerging and established software and technology businesses, and the firm also offers a highly skilled environmental practice. We believe this is a perfect fit to support Safetec’s needs as we grow our presence in the chemical management and compliance market,” said Jim Frohlich, Safetec CEO.

AterWynne is known for its strong practice among technology companies in the Pacific Northwest and California. Six AterWynne partners have been included in The Best Lawyers in America 2007, a national referral guide for the legal profession.

Safetec partners with financial advisor KPMG

2008-04-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

To assist us in managing Safetec's current and predicted growth, we are now partnering with KPMG LLP for accounting and tax advising services.

“Safetec is on a rapid growth path. We expect to continue to double in size and will soon enter directly into international markets. KPMG has the experience and breadth of services to be a key partner in helping us achieve our ambitious goals,” said Dave Bundy, Safetec CFO.

KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm, is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International. KPMG International’s member firms have 113,000 professionals, including more than 6,800 partners, in 148 countries. They are recognized as the leading accounting and tax services firm in the Portland/Vancouver market for software and technology companies.

Chemical Compliance Manager Version 8.1

2008-04-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

We are very proud to announce that version 8.1 of our popular Chemical Compliance Manager (CCM) software has gone into production!

The new version of CCM boasts an innovative approach to its current functionalities. This includes an even higher level of configurability, which has been a hallmark of Safetec’s technology. It also features a new internationalization component and improved user interface characteristics.

“This is an important milestone in Safetec's history,” said Paul Burkett, Chief Technology Officer. “This new generation of software will place Safetec far ahead of all of our competitors in the MSDS and Material Management industry.”

CSAT - Chemical Security Assessment Tool

2008-04-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Chemical Security Assessment Tool (CSAT) is the Department of Homeland Security's system for collecting and analyzing key data from chemical facilities to:

Identify facilities that present a high level of risk

Support the preliminary and final tiering decisions for individual high-risk facilities

Assess a facility’s security vulnerabilities

Evaluate a facility’s security plan to address vulnerabilities and meet risk-based performance standards

The Chemical Security Assessment Tool comprises four secure, web-based tools:

Facility Registration Questionnaire

Consequence screening questionnaire (Top-Screen)

Security Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) tool

Site Security Plan (SSP) template

After registering for CSAT, facilities are provided access to the Top Screen, which enables the Department to determine if they are a high risk chemical facility covered by the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Interim Final Rule (CFATS). For facilities that are determined to be high risk, other tools, specifically the SVA and SPP, are made available to satisfy additional CFATS requirements.
Register to Access CSAT
To complete and submit a Top Screen, required by the Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards 6 CFR 27, please register for access to the Chemical Security Assessment Tool (CSAT).

CSAT User Registration User Guide (PDF, 45 pages - 903 KB)

CSAT User Change Request Guide (PDF, 26 pages - 686 KB)

CSAT Top-Screen Survey
Any facility that manufactured, used, stored or distributed certain chemicals above a specified quantity must complete and submit a CSAT Top-Screen.
The proposed Appendix A Chemicals of Interest List is available. The Department may also notify facilities – either directly or through a Federal Register notice – that they need to complete and submit a CSAT Top-Screen.

CSAT Top-Screen Questions (PDF, 79 pages - 1.1 MB) List of questions provided to assist chemical facility owners and operators in assembling the information needed to complete the secure web-based CSAT application

CSAT Top Screen User Manual (PDF, 71pages - 1.5 MB)

Once a Top Screen survey has been completed and submitted, it cannot be recalled and edited.
Please enter Top Screen data carefully and proofread entries before submitting. Your submitter should keep a copy of the Top Screen for future reference.
If you need to resubmit your Top Screen, please contact the CSAT Help Desk at 866-323-2957 or csat@dhs.gov

Need Additional Help?

You have two sources of help if you have any questions

You may access the CSAT Frequently Asked Questions website

You may call the CSAT Helpline at 866-323-2957 from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday-Friday

Tips and Tricks - Chemical Compliance Manager (CCM)

2008-04-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

We are going to review an often overlooked feature that can be highly beneficial when working with and analyzing your MSDS and chemical data. This feature is Export to Excel, and it’s available in Chemical Compliance Manager Version 7 and Version 8.

In version 7, this option is available for the MSDS Search Results page as well as many of the other web pages that display full lists of records such as the Regulation List, Chemical List and MSDS Approval Queue. Also, many of the CCM 7 reports are in a format called “Data Grids”. In this type of report, the data is displayed in a grid or table directly in a web page (in HTML format). All data grid reports have the Export to Excel option enabled.

To export a list of records in version 7, first locate the left-side panel. Within the panel, find the “Standard Options” group of menu options. Under Standard Options, find the “Export Options” menu item. Instead of clicking on this item, hover over it with the pointer icon. This will cause another menu to pop up with an additional set of options. Click on the “Export To Excel” option.

You may receive a message asking if you want to Open or Save the file. Either option works fine, but the Open option will immediately launch Microsoft Excel and display your data in a new spreadsheet. Now that you’re data is in Excel, you can use the full power of Excel to manipulate your data including sorting, filtering, graphing, copying, etc. You can save the results of your changes to a file on your local hard disk when you’re finished.

In version 8, Safetec makes the Export functionality even easier to use. Almost every list of records in CCM V8 includes an Export to Excel button directly above each list. It’s easy to recognize since the button includes the familiar green Microsoft Excel icon within it. In V8, even small tables / grids within other pages can be exported to Excel! This includes such item as facilities and chemical constituents associated to materials / MSDSs.

Not seeing the Export to Excel feature on your CCM web site? The feature may not be turned on. Please contact your Safetec representative and someone will be glad to fix this for you. It’s a complimentary option included for all Safetec customers. Concerned about security and the ease with which this data can be retrieved by your employees? Safetec can just as easily turn this feature off for you.

If you have any questions or comments about this article or technical questions about any of Safetec products, please contact me at paulb@safetec.net

Paul Burkett, CTO

Relocation of our server systems to the new collocation facility, SunGard

2008-04-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

We completed the relocation of our server systems to the new collocation facility, SunGard, in early June and have experienced a very noticeable increase to system performance. This primary production complex now includes three load balanced IIS servers, two clustered redundant SQL servers, and two mirrored file servers with a fully redundant firewall and switch architecture. SunGard provides advanced monitoring to validate that all of the servers are not only running, but that actual application processes responsible to “serve up” the Safetec application are operational. We now exceed our previous systems availability of a 99.95% service level, and our customers are experiencing this in terms of better system responsiveness and throughput.

Safetec’s development team continued to advance Chemical Compliance Manager (CCM) v8, with a completely redesigned Chemical Inventory Module released into production in June. This redesign was based on several years of working closely with Safetec’s chemical inventory customers, such as Cooper Standard Automotive, Con Edison and McWane. The primary focus was usability, additional reporting options plus the ability to include purchased, received and usage data. This additional data extends CCM’s reporting capabilities to include SARA 313 / Toxic Release Inventory reporting which has been a highly requested feature from our customers.

OSHA announces workplace safety violations against Steris Isomedix Services in Waukegan, Ill.

2008-03-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

OSHA has proposed $117,000 in fines against Steris Isomedix Services Inc., a medical devices sterilization company in Waukegan, for repeat and serious violations of federal workplace safety standards.

As the result of a safety and health inspection conducted in August 2007, OSHA issued Steris Isomedix Services citations for three repeat violations, with proposed penalties of $62,500, for failing to provide adequate protection, training, monitoring and emergency plans regarding employee exposure to ethylene oxide (EtO), a dangerous, colorless gas used in the sterilization process.

OSHA also issued the company citations for 12 serious violations, with proposed penalties of $54,500, for the company’s failure to address hazards associated with exposures to EtO; implement engineering controls to lower employee exposure to EtO levels exceeding OSHA's permissible exposure limits (PEL); provide baseline medical examinations for employees prior to working with EtO; and address the absence of guardrails on platforms and scaffolding.
Stressing that OSHA will take swift action against employers who violate safety hazards, Diane Turek, OSHA's area director in Des Plaines, Ill., said: “This company's continued disregard for the welfare of its employees is inexcusable. This case demonstrates the importance of following appropriate occupational safety and health standards to reduce and prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace.”

Steris Isomedix Services employs 37 people in Waukegan. It is a subsidiary of Steris Corp., headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, which employs 5,000 people companywide. Previously, OSHA inspected the company five times between 1999 and 2006 at various locations.
Steris Isomedix Services has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to request and participate in an informal conference with OSHA or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

New Feature: MSDS Binder

2008-02-11T14:14:00.001-08:00

CCM v8 now has the ability to generate PDF binders containing multiple MSDS records. The binders contain a table of contents and include a title page for each MSDS. To create a binder you simply do an MSDS search to list only the MSDSs you want in included in the binder, then click the "Create MSDS Binder" button above the results grid.

After a few moments your browser will be directed in new PDF containing all the MSDS records from you previous search. This PDF can be printed out in order to create hardcopies for your facilities.

Talk with your project manager about getting this feature added to your MSDS search page.

OSHA Announces New Alliance with Process Safety Group

2008-01-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON -- Process safety and the management of chemical reactivity hazards are the goals of a new Alliance between the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Process Safety Alliance. The OSHA and Process Safety Alliance will work to provide its participating members, small businesses and the public with process safety information, guidance, and access to training resources.

"Those working in the chemical and petroleum industries face significant hazards daily as they mix, manufacture, and package a variety of dangerous compounds," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "We are pleased to join forces with the organizations of the Process Safety Alliance, and are confident that our combined expertise will help employers to protect the safety and health of industry employees as well as the general public."

The OSHA and Process Safety Alliance signatories (known as the Alliance Partners) are the American Chemical Society; the American Chemistry Council; the API; the Center for Chemical Process Safety of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; The Chlorine Institute; the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association; the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The director of the Center for Chemical Process Safety, Scott Berger, stated on behalf of the Alliance Partners that, "The broad participation of chemical and refining trade associations, technical associations, the Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA underscores the common interest shared by industry and government in protecting workers, communities and the environment against catastrophic fires, explosions, and toxic releases. Each signatory looks forward to working toward the shared goal of continued improvement in process safety."

"Government and industry collaboration is a proven way to advance chemical process safety," said Susan Parker Bodine, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "EPA looks forward to working with the Alliance partners on our shared goal of preventing chemical accidents."

In addition, through the Alliance, the organizations will deliver training courses regarding process safety; speak or participate in OSHA's or the Alliance Partners' conferences and regional meetings; share information on best practices and effective approaches, and publicize results through OSHA- or Alliance Partners-developed training programs, seminars and Web sites; and focus on specific issues and projects to identify and manage chemical reactivity hazards.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

Showing Chemical Regulations With Ingredients

2008-01-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

We recently added a new feature to CCM 8 that I wanted to let you know about. I have demonstrated it to two customers and they both loved it. It’s also a great example of the power of the Dynamic Forms engine behind v8.

Since version 7 (which is almost five years old BTW!), we have listed the regulations associated to a specific MSDS record. This association was made by comparing the chemical ingredients against our regulation database. This has been a popular feature, but has been lacking one critical component. What chemical ingredient triggered the material for the specific regulation?

CCM 8 solves the problem by displaying a new grid in the Chemical Regulations tab listing the regulation along with the chemical name and CAS number that triggered it. Below is a screenshot demonstrating this:

As you can see, the top grid lists all of the regulations associated to the selected material (Dow Corning 1200 RTV Prime Coat, Rd). Below it appears a breakdown of each regulation and the chemicals associated to it. CERCLA, for example, was triggered by both Ethylbenzene and Xylene. The results can also be exported to Excel for further analysis.

There is another very important point I’d like to make. This feature change required NO programming to add to CCM. It’s simply a configurable grid control added to an existing MSDS Details tab. From start to finish, it took 30 minutes to add to the system. All customers who already had the Chemical Regulations tab assigned to them, automatically received this feature, and it’s also now a part of the standard demonstration sites.

For other customers who didn’t have the standard Chemical Regulations tab, it takes only minutes to make the association.

How Old Are Your MSDSs and Why You Should Care

2008-01-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

I’ve been in the business of helping companies manage Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs or SDSs) for the past 12 years. I’ve seen many different ways of managing collections from paper-based systems such as filing cabinets and plastic binders to software-based or online electronic methods. Regardless of how well a collection is managed, I always tried to note how old the MSDSs in the collection where.

If your facility is in Canada, WHMIS regulations require you to have MSDSs that are no older than three years. Some manufacturers simply change the revision date (or date prepared) of their MSDSs and re-send them to their customers. Believe it or not, this is actually acceptable!

In the United States, regulations don’t specifically require you have up-to-date MSDS documents for every material at your facility. However, you should consider keeping these up-to-date anyway. Here’s why:

The formulation could change. It’s important to note even slight changes to the chemical composition of your hazardous materials. A change from .05% to .15% for a carcinogen, for example, could be the difference between requiring you to report a chemical for regulatory purposes or not.

The manufacturer may have learned additional information about their product. It’s common for manufacturer to provide additional information on MSDS documents as new information is learned. This could be due to a formulation change or it could simply be a change in the testing or hazard evaluation process. The more information you and your employees know about a hazardous material, the better!

The manufacturer may have moved, been bought out or merged with another company. It’s always useful to have quick access to the contact information for a manufacturer in case you need additional information about the makeup of the material, specific characteristics or hazards.

The MSDS Age Distribution report uses a graph to visually display the age (based on revision date) of an active MSDS collection (see below for an example). This report is designed to help you understand how old your MSDS collection is and whether or not you should consider refreshing your MSDS collection.

If you are a Safetec customer and would like to get a copy of your most recent MSDS Aging, please feel to contact your account manager or project manager or you can always send me an email and I’ll make sure to have someone get this out to you.

OSHA records another successful enforcement year in FY 2007

2008-01-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released its annual enforcement statistics, confirming that the agency's enforcement programs are producing positive results for the benefit of American workers.

In FY 2007, OSHA conducted 39,324 total inspections, a 4.3 percent increase over its stated goal of 37,700. Total violations of OSHA's standards and regulations were 88,846, a 6 percent increase from Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. The agency cited 67,176 serious violations, a 9 percent increase from the previous year and a more than 12 percent increase over the past four years. The number of cited repeat violations also rose from 2,551 in FY 2006 to 2,714 in FY 2007.

"The fact that OSHA surpassed its inspection goal for FY 2007 proves our enforcement commitment remains strong," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "The significant increase in citations for serious and repeat violations documents OSHA's focus on identifying and eliminating severe hazards in the workplace."

Fatality and injury and illness rates have continued to decline to record lows. The injury and illness incidence rate of 4.4 per 100 employees for calendar year (CY) 2006 was the lowest that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has ever recorded. Workplace fatality rates hit an all-time low in CY 2006 with 3.9 fatalities per 100,000 employees.

OSHA's results show that a strong, fair and effective enforcement program, along with outreach to employees and employers and partnerships and cooperative programs, add value to the workplace for both employers and employees by reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to help protect the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

New Feature: Related Links

2007-12-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

The next release of CCM v8 includes a new navigation panel called “Related Links.” This panel contains a static list of page links commonly used in conjunction with the currently visible page. The link panel is prominently placed on select search and detail pages. This navigation improvement benefits the user by allowing them to quickly navigate a particular module without returning to the main menu. As well as being a pleasant visual enhancement to the web application, both new and advanced users will be sure to find this feature a tremendous time saver.