Browse ERA's Blog Posts by Topic:

There are many unique technologies aimed at tackling rising CO2 levels entering the market today. One such technology hopes to overcome the unique challenges posed by high-density urban environments where space limitations can impede clean air, carbon capture, and cooling efforts. Compact algae ...

The Canadian Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) operates on a two-tier system, meaning Canadian businesses must file a federal GHG emissions report and a provincial one. In many provinces, the relevant air regulations can differ substantially between the federal and provincial levels, making ...

Greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting is an integral component of an effective organizational sustainability program. Whether meeting regulatory requirements in your region or providing public data to demonstrate reduction efforts, your team must ensure complete and accurate reporting. Today, there are ...

There are a lot of critical steps to take whenever a workplace injury occurs, making it easy to overlook key details in the moment. However, properly managing reporting and workers’ compensation claims is vital to do right by your employees and to avoid fines and penalties. Here are the steps you ...

The oil and gas industry faces some of the most stringent regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Requirements for emissions monitoring, reporting, and reduction are among the most prominent examples. 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOO (Quad O) and Subpart W of the Greenhouse Gas ...

Nuclear fusion has long been considered the holy grail of energy production, harnessing the same process that powers the sun to achieve virtually limitless power generation. Fusion is seen by many as the ultimate target for clean, sustainable energy. Despite recent advancements, nuclear fusion ...

With the arrival of the summer months, temperatures rise, an increased amount of activity and maintenance takes place outdoors, and heat and humidity creep into indoor working areas. For businesses based in warmer and temperate regions, this transition to hotter weather can entail the risk of heat ...

Biodiversity is an integral part of the Earth’s ecosystems, with a wide range of niches essential to sustain life. Organizations impact biodiversity when they extract resources, develop infrastructure, and interact with the environment in other ways. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has ...

One of the biggest challenges for any site that uses tanks – including chemical manufacturers and companies in the Oil & Gas industry – is the calculation and accurate determination of emissions originating from hot and heated liquid storage tanks. Back in 2015, for example, the EPA's TANKS ...

Fresh water is an essential resource for human life, agriculture, and industry. How organizations withdraw, consume, and discharge water has numerous impacts on ecosystems and society. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provides guidelines for water-related impact disclosure through its GRI: 303 ...

The urgent need for sustainable energy solutions to combat climate change has led to the development of many alternative fuel technologies. Hydrogen fuel cells are among the most promising solutions, generating electricity from hydrogen and producing only water as a direct emission. While there are ...

Styrene-based adhesives are commonly used in a wide range of industries, including construction, automotive, and manufacturing. While effective, these products carry a variety of health risks, environmental hazards, and regulatory concerns that should be carefully considered.

If your business manufactures, imports, distributes, or uses chemicals in the workplace, then you’ll be affected by updates to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom). A variety of new requirements will come into effect on specific deadlines ...

October 28th to 30th, 2024 marked the 15th edition of the International Conference on Advanced Lithium Batteries for Automobile Application (ABAA), held in ERA's hometown of Montréal. ERA served as a Platinum Sponsor and co-CEO Sarah Sajedi as its Vice-President and co-Chair!

The third annual CARES "Future in the Making" American Sustainability Forum took place from October 23rd to 24th, 2024, where ERA acted as a Knowledge Partner, led three presentations, and participated in an expert panel discussion regarding practical carbon footprint reduction measures.

Today, wildfires are among the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, with fires increasing in both frequency and intensity. Many nations have faced increased wildfire activity over recent years, with 2023 being the worst year on record for Canada, as more than 6,000 fires destroyed 15 ...

Energy use is among the most critical focuses in sustainability reporting, with energy-related impacts affecting climate change, resource scarcity, and more. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provides practical guidelines for energy-related impact disclosure in its GRI 302: Energy standard.

Chances are if you’re reading this you’re looking for or wanting to learn more about Enterprise Compliance Systems or Software. This article will help you do just that: explain the different types of compliance software available and pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of each one.

Material use, reclamation, and recycling are among the primary environmental focuses for sustainability reporting in general and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in particular. You can take the right approach to materials-related impact disclosure by following the GRI guidelines in GRI 301: ...

If you’re considering purchasing a software platform to help you with your Safety Data Sheet (SDS) authoring or management, it means you’ve already realized the benefits in terms of accuracy, speed, and convenience for your compliance department. But getting your executives to sign off on ...

Manufacturers across all industries face a wide range of new and enhanced regulations concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These “forever chemicals” are of particular concern due to their persistence in the environment and their widespread use. TSCA Section 8(a)(7) is one of the ...

Climate change poses significant food and water scarcity risks in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions. Alongside ongoing efforts to mitigate climate change, solutions are also needed to address its immediate impact. Saline agriculture is one such potential solution, offering an alternative ...

Sustainable construction has quickly become one of the industry’s top priorities, with innovative new methods and materials developing rapidly. One such example is lime-based inorganic paint enriched with graphene to tackle the downsides of traditional paints and act as an effective carbon dioxide ...

If you have stumbled across this blog post, chances are you are unhappy with your current software provider. Perhaps their support team is not as responsive as you would like or the system itself is not adapting to your growing business’ needs. We will go over the various reasons for wanting a ...

SDS, MSDS, IMDS, MDS – if you’re a supplier at any level of the automotive supply chain, then you’ve likely come across these acronyms before. However, they’re distinct from one another, and understanding that is key to fulfilling your chemical management compliance obligations and meeting expected ...

Environmental reporting requirements are rapidly changing to monitor and restrict the use and release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These compounds are found in adhesives, coatings, packaging, textiles, and more, with new regulations impacting every industry. Keeping up with these ...

Developing and implementing novel solutions to climate change has quickly become one of the world’s top priorities. Climate change indicators continue to break records with each passing year, highlighting the urgency of the situation. While most efforts focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ...

Many countries around the world have set ambitious targets for the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), with some targeting 100 percent of new consumer vehicles being electric. The rapid increase in demand is putting stress on already strained supply chains for critical minerals used in EV ...

Update January 2025 The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has changed the face of many industries since becoming law on August 16th, 2022. The automotive industry is no exception, as a wide range of IRA measures seek to revitalize domestic supply chains and accelerate the transition to electric ...

What is the Triple Bottom Line? Incorporating sustainability into your corporate strategy can raise a lot of questions:

Environmental reporting is an essential part of maintaining compliance for your facility. However, it can often seem like a burdensome task assigned to your organization by regulations with no clear end goal. That isn’t the case when it comes to National Emissions Inventory (NEI) reporting. ...

Wondering how to identify over- or under-classification from a supplier's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and what the penalties could be should the information be incorrect or false? Read for some tips.

The Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is a federal program that strives to collect data on the release, disposal, and transfer of harmful pollutants across the country. Developed as part of the government’s Green Plan Initiative and mandated by the Canadian Environmental ...

ERA Environmental won big at the 2023 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, hosted March 3rd, 2023 at the Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Relive the moment when co-founders Sarah and Gary won the award And watch Sarah's post-win interview!

Last February, ERA was announced as one of the featured winners of 2022's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Awards by Corporate Vision Magazine.

The CanadianSME Small Business Magazine named ERA the Sustainable Business of the year as part of their National Business Awards 2022, presented by Google.

Health Canada SDS audits are conducted to ensure that companies are complying with the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) and the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) for Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in Canada. The HPR sets requirements for the classification, labelling, and SDS of hazardous products sold in ...

Having compliant Safety Data Sheets (SDS) on hand is critical for all suppliers of substances and mixtures. Not only do they aid in effectively informing workers of all associated hazards, but they also help employers meet their obligation to assess health and safety risks from the presence of ...

A study reported the drastic 8.8% decrease in Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic (Covid) lockdown compared to previous years, which sparked interest in how habit and lifestyle changes may impact the environment. People have consistently been encouraged to reduce living ...

Short-term and long-term effects of chemical exposure can have dire consequences on everyone working in a factory in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, wood and furniture, paints and coatings and manufacturing. For example, eighty-five percent of mesothelioma cases, a cancer of ...

Monitoring and reducing the Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) emitted during manufacturing activities, should be a priority for all facilities. The stationary source standards governing HAP emissions in manufacturing are known as the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs). ...

The contents presented in this article form part of our larger and more comprehensive Acute Toxicity Evaluation Guide, which covers everything from examples of GHS classification for mixtures to the specifics of OSHA’s acute toxicity categorization. We recommend reading the entire guide before ...

Having a solid chemical purchasing and approval process is the ideal way to prevent undocumented hazardous chemicals from entering the workplace. To implement an efficient strategy that is free of hurdles, you must possess a clear picture of the information required for approval, the methods for ...

If you run or manage an onshore facility that works with hazardous chemicals, then you’ve most likely heard of the new rule the EPA proposed earlier this year, in which the agency states it intends to enforce facility response plans, or FRPs, for worst case discharges of Clean Water Act hazardous ...

ERA, a member of the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) since 2011, was one of the proud sponsors of the Evening Welcome Event for the 2022 SP Innovation Summit from July 27th to 28th.

Safety data sheets (SDS) are essential for more than just chemical handling information; they also contain crucial information for environmental reporting. Properly managing, tracking, and revising them is critical to any facility or organization. Effective SDS management systems include practical ...

Finding out that some of the practices at your facility are exempt from TRI reporting is a major relief for any reporter, yet the process of navigating the intricacies of each exemption can prove to be a challenge. Following ERA’s TRI reporting webinar, it was evident that many attendees had ...

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting is the most difficult time of the year for EHS professionals: it’s an annual compendium of your air, water, and waste emissions that forces you to take a closer look at your facility’s records. Because the scope of TRI Reporting is so broad—both in the ...

The practice of private labeling—when companies sell someone else’s product under their own brands—is surprisingly frequent: you will find it anywhere from the canned food aisle at your local grocery store to Amazon’s online clothing catalogs (or any of the categories covered by its 45+ private ...

With the addition of the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) report to your compliance checklist, it is normal to be confused about where to begin. ERA has assisted hundreds of facilities with their annual TRI reporting and would like to share some knowledge to get you started on data collection and ...

After assessing their activity, chemicals and information, the EPA has added natural gas processing (NGP) facilities to the list of TRI-covered industry sectors, making them subject to TRI reporting. The first reports for NGP facilities are due July 1, 2023, which means that if you belong to this ...

A comprehensive, centralized environmental data management system is the foundation of any successful EH&S department. It makes reporting easier, facilitates incident recovery, and, above all, keeps you in compliance with all your permits and regulations. Time and time again, the facilities ...

More and more organizations are choosing to do sustainability reporting to improve their market branding and image while using this to match and exceed their competitors’ reporting efforts. According to KPMG, 80% of companies worldwide now report on sustainability, increasing the need for more ...

The March 1st deadline for Tier II reporting is fast approaching. Environmental managers across the U.S. are working hard to collect and review all of the relevant chemical inventory data needed. To make your life easier, we have prepared 5 Tier II insider tips that will ensure you're doing the ...

ERA's automotive software solution and Compliance Management module earned it a spot in 2021's ranking of the ten best solution providers for the automotive industry.

As part of their Small Business Awards 2021, Corporate Vision presented ERA with the title of "Best Environmental Management Solutions Tech Business".

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a thing of the future. The more countries pledge to phase out the registration and sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, and the more consumers spend on EV purchases year-over-year, the more the global automotive industry shifts toward electrification. This ...

Storage tanks are used in many industries, from adhesive manufacturers to aerospace manufacturers. Other facilities also store fuel in tanks for their personal industry vehicles. All these facilities are prone to emissions from tanks that result from regular tank usage and the volatility of the ...

In virtue of her innovation-focused leadership style and the advancements she has made as the co-CEO and Director of Research and Development at ERA, Sarah Sajedi was named among the 150 Finalists of the Women of Inspiration awards 2021, in the running for the Trailblazer (STEM) Award.

NEI reporting is no easy task. Manufacturers and other industries are required to track and report all significant air emissions to their state. The variety of rules associated with each state make it hard for EHS managers to file their reports accurately. If your company produces any air emissions ...

Workplace safety is an essential aspect of industrial and manufacturing operations. Government organizations such as OSHA are diligent in monitoring workplace safety standards. The rule that deals specifically with industry operations is the 29 CFR 1910. In this article, you will learn everything ...

TRI reporting is a long and complicated process with an endless list of rules to follow. The EPA’s TRI instruction guide is 172 pages long. Knowing every regulatory requirement and rule that accompanies this environmental report can be a challenging task for EHS experts and would require hours of ...

TRI reporting season is upon us and now is the time to consider checking regulatory updates that relate to the TRI reportable chemicals that you use within your facility. Knowing the changes to regulations will help you avoid fines and maintain up-to-date records for TRI regulations and other ...

Industrial waste generated from solvents used in painting and coating processes contributes to EPA VOC emissions due to the chemical composition of commonly used solvents. Effective solvent waste tracking is necessary for accurate industrial waste reporting and to ensure compliance with permit ...

As the TRI reporting season approaches, it is important to discuss the addition of PFAS to the TRI list over the past few years. The EPA added 176 poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Toxic Release Inventory chemical list in June of 2020 and has subsequently added more in 2021 and 2022 for a ...

Permitting is an effective way of enforcing Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations for various facilities. One of the major ways to enforce these regulations is through the Title V operating permit. If you are looking for a rundown on everything Title V along with some helpful improvement and streamlining ...

As an EHS professional, you should be familiar with various steps that are involved in the Tier II reporting process. Whether you have been completing Tier II reports for years or you are still learning the process, it is important to understand your calculation options and choose the right maximum ...

Tier II reporting is used by the EPA to track and enforce rules related to the storing of hazardous materials in your facility. Housing hazardous chemicals in your facility can pose an immense risk to your workers, the environment, and surrounding communities. It is essential to track all your ...

Keeping the public safe from hazardous waste releases is a top priority for regulators everywhere. Having laws that control hazardous waste release is the best way to protect the environment and the public. As a facility owner or operator, you need to consider environmental protection when you are ...

Air Compliance is an essential part of facility management. Your facility may already have elaborate systems in place to manage your air emissions, but most facilities do not consider emissions that come from waste at all when it comes to their air reporting. Industrial waste management practices ...

Knowing if you are one of the many facilities required to file a Biennial Hazardous Waste Report with the EPA is not necessarily a straightforward affair. The characteristics that determine if you need to submit a hazardous waste report are filled with tricky conditions, making it somewhat ...

Integrating pollution prevention into your industrial waste management system is essential for not only preventing land and air contamination but also reducing the burdens, liabilities, and organizational risks associated with waste management. Facility managers, state regulators, and members of ...

Behavior Based Safety Observations (BBSOs) are recorded observations to improve worker safety and reduce risk. BBSOs typically involve managers and other appointed observers watching tasks and operations while making notes and suggestions to improve safety. Additionally, workers can also submit ...

Safety audits, both internal and external are a vital part of maintaining your safety culture and feeding your virtuous cycle of continuous improvement. For most Health and Safety professionals that shouldn't be a revelation. However, we're going to deep dive into a specific element of safety ...

What Is Incident Management? Incident management refers to a systematic process which an organization utilizes to quickly identify, analyze, address and document incident related problems – including who, what, where, when, and why. Successful implementation of an incident management system ...

What is ISO 14001 Certification and How to Prepare for It? ISO 14001 is considered the gold standard when it comes to businesses demonstrating a commitment to environmental management. Developed by the experts at the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 14001 lays out the ground work ...

As regulations tighten around the automotive industry, OEMs will have to push these increased regulatory requirements down to suppliers in order to keep up. Regulations like REACH that prohibit manufacturers from including chemicals and substances of very high concern in products made in the EU or ...

How to Improve Market Performance through Intentional Corporate Culture In an article he wrote for Forbes, David Michaels likened change to surfing in that “change, like waves, actually never stops. It can be large or small, fast or slow, but it is continuous.” The amplitude, direction, and ...

Why Do Companies Need Accurate SDSs? Companies manufacturing, distributing or importing products containing hazardous chemicals must have Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for the chemicals they manage. The quality of these SDSs can vary, but the best SDSs must be accurate. In addition to data accuracy ...

Businesses with successful sustainability strategies eschew the single profit driven bottom line in favor of using the triple bottom line to assess their corporate KPIs. The success seen by early adopters forged the path forward for corporate sustainability and the TBL method evolving to become the ...

Meeting the standards and regulations of OSHA can be complex and challenging for companies to manage. But the cost of noncompliance is not only monetary; it can also risk the lives of employees. No matter how challenging it can be doing regular safety inspections, the cost is too great to take any ...

Sustainability has become a common buzzword within the manufacturing industry, but there are countless applications within any given industry. Of particular concern in today’s economic and ecological climate are air emissions from the automotive industry – particularly from the chemicals used when ...

Gathering information to file your Tier II report is a meticulous endeavor, so we want to take a load off your shoulders, by offering you a tool to facilitating your reporting process: The Tier II Checklist. Having a checklist allows you to check off what you did while keeping you aware of what ...

The Emergency Right-To-Know-Act (ECPRA) / SARA Title III In order to be in accordance with Section 312 of the Emergency Right-to-Know-Act of 1986 (ECPRA), also known as SARA Title III, facility owners and managers are required to report specific information on hazardous materials stored above ...

Section 608 of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Act (CAA) deals with rules and regulations about refrigerants and how technicians, owners, operators, and reclaimers use, manage, store, or dispose of them as well as establishes rules on record-keeping. It also sets regulations ...

Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting is one of the biggest compliance events of the year for manufacturers across the United States. Essentially, it’s an annual summary of the types and quantities of hazardous chemicals from your manufacturing, processes, and other types of usages across the ...

This article was written for the ERA EHS Blog by John Bradburn. John is an ERA expert partner, developing and advising on ERA sustainability solutions. He is the former Global Waste Reduction Manger for General Motors and was dubbed GM’s MacGyver for his uncanny knack to devise unconventional uses ...

Updated February 2025

The EPA recently terminated its support of TANKS 4.09D Software program for tanks calculations, leaving facilities that relied on the tool in the lurch All facilities must now transition away from TANKS 4.09D and find a replacements tanks software to calculate their storage tank emissions. TANKS ...

When it comes to cost-saving sustainability efforts, it's important to take the lessons learned by other industries to heart. That's one of the best ways to ensure you don't make the same mistakes and avoid some of the most common pitfalls.

The day to day operations at manufacturing plants may vary based on industry and facility, but the need to manage safety is consistent. For manufacturing businesses, change is inevitable – and can be a positive source of growth and advancement. However, change is only beneficial if you manage it ...

The public can now, through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, search and view new chemical notices. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21 Century Act, signed into law on June 22, 2016, was the first substantive reform to Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This law requires ...

Environmental Health and Safety experts may be aware of the technologies that shape their work today, but what about the technologies that are in development now? Technology has caught up with the intricacies of manufacturing and is becoming standard practice within the industry. Cloud computing ...

The role of environmental management for businesses is two-fold: to protect the environment from the effects of manufacturing by-products and to protect your business from noncompliance fines and penalties. Below you’ll find the essential must-knows about everything you need to know about the ...

Manufacturers and their suppliers have understood for a few years now that sustainability is a foundational aspect of their operations, but for the most part sustainability was overgeneralized as simply “being green”. Today, however, industry has recognized the importance of biodiversity as a ...

According to Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) the regulation, all hazardous chemicals, including substance with explosibility, flammability, oxidability, corrosivity, health-toxicology and eco-toxicology, shall obtain the HSNO approval No. prior to being manufactured or imported in ...

The Zero Incidents Vision Over the years, businesses have implemented many unique procedures and policies to eliminate worker injuries and workplace incidents. Today, Health & Safety professionals are promoting Zero Incidents as the benchmark for safety management excellence.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation that specifies how to process and use the personal data of citizens in the European Union (EU) and companies holding the data of EU citizens. Because health and safety departments oftentimes hold a wide range of personal data including ...

Updated February 2025 Businesses that manufacture, distribute, supply, or import hazardous products for use in a workplace in Canada must be compliant with the latest Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) standards. The most recent changes came into effect in December 2022 and ...

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), also known as the “employee right-to-know” standard was developed to protect employees from exposure to hazardous products and chemicals. This standard requires all employers to develop a written program addressing labeling and warning requirements, ...

When it comes to meeting EPA requirements, many businesses may be afraid to submit their records. TRI Reporting is a regulatory necessity and a legal obligation for companies that use hazardous chemicals, and the EPA relies on accurate reporting.

The Annex to the G7 Leaders’ June 8, 2015 Declaration noted that global raw material use rose during the 20th century at about twice the rate of population growth. This explosive increase in consumption has resulted in habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, overly stressed fisheries, and ...

It takes an estimated 10,000 chemicals to manufacture an automobile, many of which are left in the final product. Under REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) the automotive industry has a major challenge on its hands to communicate policies and regulations ...

Updated December 2024

One of the most common processes we see in the manufacturing industry is the application of paints, top coats, and primers using an applicator spray gun / paint line. From an environmental reporting perspective, EHS professionals are usually well versed in how to calculate air emissions from the ...

Why It's Important to Read an SDS When Using a Material for the First Time Occasionally, a plant manager will find themselves asking how to read an SDS in facing one or more of these scenarios: Plant workers are informed of a new chemical material to be used in the production process. A maintenance ...

Incident Management System FAQ: What Safety Managers Need to Know Recently, ERA hosted a webinar about OSHA compliance for workplace incidents that focused on Incident Management Systems and automation. Our attendees submitted some of their most pressing questions, and ERA's safety experts have ...

How a Safety Data Sheet Tells You What Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Use The dress code for safety should never be unclear. Knowing which personal protective equipment (PPE) to wear when handling a hazardous material is essential for working safely and preventing adverse health effects in ...

Safety data sheets (SDS) are an essential first-line resource in the workplace, protecting workers and the environment by ensuring all stakeholders are well-informed. Under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), the sixteen sections of an SDS contain a wide range of information for workers, ...

What is Your SDS Telling You About the Product You Are Using? When working with hazardous materials, it is important to be alert to the specific nature of the dangers that are posed by those materials. This also means it is important to identify and differentiate one hazardous material from another ...

The Globally Harmonized System (known as GHS for short) has introduced profound changes to the way North America as a whole classifies and communicates hazard information in the workplace and to consumers.

Manufacturers around the globe have noticed an uptick in the demand for aerosol products – and if you are a user of aerosol products or a manufacturer, you might find yourself surprised at how the switch in North America to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) has affected the requirements for ...

Compliance with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is about more than just authoring SDSs (Safety Data Sheets) and making sure your staff knows how to read them, it also includes an important component about ensuring that safety data is available throughout your facility on any secondary ...

One of the first questions that tends to be asked by an incident investigator is “Did the employee receive adequate training to do the job?”

“How does your SDS help in an emergency?”

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year of 2023. This list has been collected from the findings of approximately 34,000 inspections of workplaces across the United States by the ...

Whether it is at seminars or conferences, today’s professional group events will often feature breakout sessions on the agenda. So, what is a breakout session? In these small-scale gatherings, attendees are regrouped in reduced numbers in order to discuss and express their ideas and opinions ...

Ensuring a healthy and safe workplace is integral to both employers and employees. In their efforts to ensure a strong, fair, and effective enforcement of safety and health at the workplace, OSHA inspectors, called compliance safety and health officers, conduct onsite inspections on a regular basis ...

From workshops that focus on time efficiency to speeches given by prestigious experts, EH&S conferences represent a wide variety of different opportunities for professionals. Therefore, workers in the EH&S sector need to be discriminating when selecting which conferences to attend.

As the summer months arrive, an increased amount of outdoors maintenance and general activity can take place on work sites. Meanwhile, indoor working areas can experience higher temperatures and less pleasant working conditions, as heat and humidity creeps in. For those businesses that are based in ...

When it comes to attending conferences, employees in EH&S roles need to be keenly strategic about which ones they attend. Most companies only have a limited budget, in terms of funds and expendable time that they can use to send their key staff to conferences. Most of the time, EH&S ...

In December of 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a draft notice related to approving petition(s) to add a chemical by the name of n-propyl bromide (nPB – also referred to to as 1-bromopropane) to the Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) list. N-propyl bromide is used in ...

Nowadays, training and employee certification is essential to many modern businesses in North America. From oil & gas facilities, to manufacturing units, to painting and coating operations, the need to stay on top of training is vital. From handling hazardous waste to basic first aid, every ...

This is the second of two blog posts that will take a close look at new changes to Sub Part W reporting, which are set to swing into place over 2017. As we have previously explored, 2017 will see this important realignment amongst Oil & Gas operators. This shift primarily will concern ...

This is the first of two blog posts that will explore recent changes to Sub Part W reporting, which are set to take place in 2017. 2017 will see an important realignment amongst Oil & Gas operators. This will concern facilities that are engaged in New Source Performance Standard OOOO (Quad O) ...

The production of a document that’s as key as a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) can be a complex affair. In order to satisfy its function, an SDS needs to satisfy a range of requirements: from accurate, GHS-compliant hazard communication, to clearly understandable content and language, and the correct ...

As we move closer and closer to the GHS transition date in Canada, there is an understandable level of scrutiny being placed on SDS Authoring in North America. Many companies will certainly be going through the self-assessment process. Are we still in compliance? How does this affect us? Are there ...

It has officially been announced that the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) present in the global atmosphere had reached the key level of 400 parts per million. This is a milestone. The 400 parts per million stat has long been considered a key ‘tipping point’ in CO2 levels. Scientists at the Scripps ...

In our last blog article in this series, we examined how the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) may present difficulties for American companies, especially in terms of SDS use. For this piece, we’ll take an informed look at the various deadlines that will ...

In our last blog article in this series, we looked at how the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is being embraced by Canada. We offered a broad outline of the situation, and the reasons why the system is now being implemented. For this piece, we’ll take ...

Nora Lopez is the recently-retired TRI Coordinator for Region 2. She has decades of years of experience overseeing TRI reporting, auditing, and trouble-shooting with the Environmental Protection Agency. ERA Environmental Management Solutions has partnered with Nora for TRI Month to deliver expert ...

Why start TRI Month talking about waste reporting? Because waste is the most overlooked of all the emissions media. Most EH&S professionals are more worried about their air emissions reporting, then water releases (in that order) – and consequently, waste tracking and credits are where we see ...

ERA Incident Management Software is setting the benchmark for the new age of incident reporting Incident management and reporting is one of the most important elements of a successful business. Here's how to make sure you're using the right tool to for the job.

At this moment, many enterprises are not in compliance in with the OSHA adoption of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) which mandates that MSDSs must be replaced with the new Safety Data Sheets (SDS). This change in chemical hazard communication marked a significant change in on-site safety and ...

Having a Tank Emissions Software that encompasses emissions from your facility's specific tank types and tank events is an underestimated advantage for environmental reporting. It makes performing AP-42 calculations infinitely easier. Having tank emissions software also helps you to standardize ...

For nearly 3 decades, ERA has been a thought leader in how any oil & gas facility can design, develop, and implement a system for managing and improving compliance tasks. The critical factors in developing oil and gas compliance management are knowing when your events are due and who to assign ...

Improving your environmental audits is an essential aspect of operations for manufacturers and other industries. There are various ways that you can achieve the ultimate audit. In this blog, ERA would like to show you a few environmental audit best practices and how you can use them to build a ...

ERA Environmental's petrochemical specialists were at the Oil & Gas Environmental Conference. We gave two talks: one about evaluating your Tank Emission Software and another about data management and planning for the oil & gas industry.

The ECHA (European Chemical Association) regulation known as REACH is designed to prohibit the presence of chemicals known to harm human health and the environment in products manufactured in or imported into the EU.

The European Union chemical regulation known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) is keeping many exporters to the EU on their toes. REACH prohibits certain chemicals known as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) from being present in finished ...

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) is a regulation enacted to protect human health and the environment from chemicals contained in manufactured goods that are either produced in the European Union or imported to the EU.

The foundation of REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) is knowing which chemicals are present in your facility and in your final products.

Quad O – otherwise known as CFR 40 part 60 Subpart OOOO — is one of the most broad-reaching regulations in the Oil & Gas industry, covering storage tanks, compressors, sweetening units, leak detection and repair (LDAR) and many other common VOC sources used in onshore production.

Your processes create a constant stream of data: for example, a single petrochemical site can generate literally millions of data points that all need to get processed and analyzed. Sometimes this can feel like an avalanche of data that is resource-intensive and impossible to keep up with.

The next deadline for OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is on the horizon. Designed to fully align the U.S. chemical industry with the United Nation’s Globally Harmonized System (GHS), this Final Rule comes fully into effect on June 1, 2015. That’s when chemical manufacturers must be ...

For most EH&S Managers in the Oil & Gas and Chemical industries, the thought of going through a regulatory audit is an unwelcome one - it means more work spent on paperwork and less time on improvements and actual compliance. Since audits from the EPA and other regulatory bodies are ...

Most businesses that store or blend liquids on site in tanks will eventually find themselves missing chemical component and chemical property data, leaving you guessing exactly what is in your tanks and what types of emissions you should expect.

ERA Environmental Management Solutions celebrated on November 26 as co-founder and CEO Sarah Sajedi was named a national finalist and runner up for the highly competitive TELUS Trailblazer award at this year's RBC & Women of Influence Women Entrepreneur Awards.

As a decision maker for your business, you're skilled at taking a systems approach to business and seeing things holistically. You see how different departments are all connected and, more importantly, how they all affect your bottom line. Surprisingly, many executives overlook the Environmental, ...

The success of your compliance management style is measured along two lines: Is compliance demonstrated on time? Are your management practices producing results within or under budget? Regardless of whether you are an EHS Manager in charge of overseeing an entire EHS department, or a compliance ...

Is your Environmental, Health & Safety department showing signs of distress? Despite your best efforts, compliance management could be creating inefficiencies in your EHS department, resulting in missed deadlines, increased fines, and headaches for everyone on your team. We don't want that to ...

Updated February 2025 If the cost of managing your air emissions is starting to affect your bottom line, or if your equipment is so out of date that upgrading it would put your EHS Department in the red, it could be time to consider applying for one of the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan program ...

The Ground Level Concentration Max (GLCMax) calculation is among the most important emission calculations that Texas manufacturers using tanks in their operations should know inside and out. Not only is it important for regulatory compliance with Effects Screening Levels (ESL), but it is also a ...

Data collection is the fundamental backbone of all environmental, health & safety management for the oil & gas and chemical industries. Any business that uses tanks as part of their processes should focus on collecting the very best possible data about their sources and use that data ...

One of the most common topics ERA’s environmental research team is asked to explain is the ins and outs of tank emissions management reporting. So much so that ERA’s head consultant recently gave a presentation on it at a national conference. It covered working and standing loss emissions from ...

When you rely on tanks to store, mix, or transport products and materials, you know just how complex it can be to measure and manage air emissions from any loading process. Every small detail about how you run your operations can affect the quantity of emissions you need to report and your permit ...

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recently issued a new General Permit for the Oil & Gas industry, also known as the GP07. GP07 is a new, more flexible loadout permit specifically for hydrocarbon liquid loadout operations and their related Volatile Organic Compounds ...

*Updated April 2025*

Every industry faces its own unique challenges when it comes to regulatory compliance, based on the types of activities, products, and materials used on site. Those industries using more heavily regulated types of materials or equipment face more strenuous reporting requirements.

In business there are risks you take and are risks you avoid at all costs. Forward-thinking businesses realize they need to constantly evolve to survive in a changing environment. The only way to innovate, and therefore succeed in the long-term, is to effectively and proactively manage risk. ...

Understanding the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is an attempt to standardize the classification of labels and packaging across borders. As such, the new Globally Harmonized System guidelines for Classification and Packaging impact the classification of the ...

This article is a companion piece to our GHS Hazard Classification compendium. It presents a case study on sulfur, emphasizing the importance of having multiple, reliable sources of chemical information to author your SDSs.

This article is part of ERA’s three part series on GHS Hazard Classification. Part two highlights the importance of using multiple, reliable sources of chemical information to author your SDSs. When it comes to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), having information is power. Information is what ...

Under the new Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of SDS and Label authoring, chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors are required to update the way they classify and communicate the hazards of their products. This article will give you a crash course in how the GHS handles Hazard ...

The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) aims to improve hazard communication to employees around the globe by focusing on current health and safety standards. To achieve this, it has focused on increasing the clarity and comprehension of safety information provided to workers and chemical users. This ...

Using the right pictograms on your Globally Harmonized System (GHS) labels makes a significant difference in effectively communicating material hazards and improves the safety of your workers and customers.

OSHA’s adoption of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) via HazCom 2012 is bringing some significant changes to the long-standing MSDS that American manufacturers are used to.

The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) has gained huge mindshare amongst many facility, safety & environmental managers in the last 12 months. Since the North American Occupational Health & Safety regulators have committed to adopting the Globally Harmonized ...

If you assign an employee a new portfolio, do they have to spend the first week figuring out how the record management and data collection systems work, or are they able to get right to the most important tasks? What is the correct approach to environmental management business management?

The Oil and Gas Industry is particularly vulnerable to the market forces of consumer and public perception of oil & gas industry impacts. The impact of oil spills on company reputation, along with other events such as pipeline leaks, malfunctioning control equipment, transportation problems, or ...

For some industries with more complex supply chains, like the automotive or aerospace industries, the European Union’s REACH regulation is creating challenges that extend far beyond the matter of compliance reporting. The sheer scale of implementing a single change through their entire supply chain ...

ERA Environmental Management Solutions is proud to announce that Sarah Sajedi, CEO, co-founder, and Director of Research and Development, has been awarded the Silver Stevie Award for Woman of the Year in Technology Leadership. Sarah accepted her award last Friday, November 8th at the award's ...

This is the fifth and final installment of ERA's "Pitch Perfect Technique" series on the psychology behind getting executive buy in for your EH&S projects. If you missed out any part of the series, you can read them now by clicking these links: part one, part two, part three, part four.

This article is part 4 of our 5-part "Pitch Perfect Technique" series on the psychology of getting executive buy in for your EH&S projects. If you missed any part of the series, you can click these links to read part one, part two, or part three.

This article is part 3 of our 5-part "Pitch Perfect" series on the psychology of getting executive buy in for your EH&S projects. You can read part 1 and part 2 here.

This article is part 2 of our 5-part "Pitch Perfect" series on the psychology of getting executive buy in for your EH&S projects. You can read part 1 here.

ERA's CEO and co-founder Sarah Sajedi has been honored with the Sara Kirke award recognizing her achievements in creating an innovative world-class technology product and for being a role model for women entrepreneurs across Canada.

Let’s say you’re looking to get your environmental or EH&S project approved… What are the biggest obstacles stopping you securing the finances, resources, time, and authority needed to drive your project forward -- and away from being stuck in the limbo of corporate decision making for the next ...

Conflict minerals have long been a central point of focus in sustainability supply chain planning and manufacturing. However, the increased adoption of electric vehicles and other technologies that rely on these resources has brought about additional challenges. There are a variety of regulations ...

This article is part of ERA’s three part series, Sustainability: Going Beyond Compliance. Part three explains essential components of a successful sustainability plan and how you can put it into action.

This article is part of ERA’s three part series, Sustainability: Going Beyond Compliance. Part two outlines the nine guiding principles for sustainable manufacturing.

This article is part of ERA’s three part series, Sustainability: Going Beyond Compliance. Part one develops a definition of sustainability and what it means for your business.

Updated March 2025

There’s a debate taking place at this very moment among some of the world’s largest and most influential manufacturers about the most effective way to measure and track corporate sustainability programs. Many major corporations know that corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability ...

When it comes to Title V Air Permits, writing your permit is often just as difficult and confusing as doing the work of air emission compliance. This article is will help walk you through some of the most complex aspects of creating your Title V Air Permit.

There are a few times in the year when your air emissions compliance is most at risk, since they can be the most difficult to control and anticipate: these are your maintenance, startup, and shutdown (MSS) events. They are the three most common types of events you’ll experience that just do not fit ...

If you’re an EH&S Manager and you have a big sustainability project looming on the horizon, ERA has important advice for you: start planning now! Managers and practitioners alike often underestimate how long it takes to design a functioning long-term plan. To quicken the process, they come up ...

Today we are celebrating Sarah Sajedi being a finalist for the 2012 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards in the Sustainability Category by sharing this video interview Sarah filmed for the event.

The U.S. OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) has committed itself to updating the way that all workplace chemicals manufactured in the U.S. get labeled so that they conform with the new Globally Harmonized System (GHS) standards. This could mean some big changes are on the way if ...

Updated March 2025

We thought a great way to end the week would be to share this short clip featuring Mike Lynch from the wildly successful NASCAR Green sharing some insight into his approach to green projects and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We think he's got some encouraging words that environmental ...

When it comes to Title V Air Permits, writing your permit is often just as difficult and complex as actually complying with it. The language, limits, and conditions all need to be thoughtfully written, otherwise your permit could be rejected by the EPA or make your annual compliance reporting a ...

Today we're sharing two important weekend reads that have just been shared over on the Environmental Leader website. The first one is GM's downloadable guide "The Business Case for Zero Waste", and the second one is the 2012 Cone Communications Coroprate Social Return Trend Tracker report which ...

When it comes to environmental compliance, managers typically fall into one of two camps: Spreadsheet specialists and environmental experts. Which side do you fall on?