Relevant EHS Standards and Regulations

Question 1

What are regulations?

Answer 1

· “A rule of order having the force of law”
· Are issued by various government departments and agencies

Question 2

What are standards?

Answer 2

· …established generally by private sector bodies and that are available
for use by any person or organization, private or government. The term includes what are commonly referred to as ‘industry standards’ as well as ‘consensus standards’

Question 3

Department of Transportation (DOT)

Answer 3

· Mission: Serve the US by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system…

· Founded: 1966

(FAA, FMCSA, FRA, MARAD, NHTSA. RITA)

Question 4

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Answer 4

Mission: Our continuing mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world

Founded: 1967

Question 5

Federal Motor Carrier Safety (FMSCA)

Answer 5

Mission: To reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses

Founded: 2000

Question 6

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

Answer 6

Mission: To enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods for a strong America now and in the future

Founded: 1966

Question 7

Maritime Administration (MARAD)

Answer 7

Mission: To promote the development and maintenance of an adequate, well balanced U. S. merchant marine… (waterborne commerce)

Founded: 1950

Functions:
- develop, promote, and operate US maritime service and US Merchant marine
-develop service & route for foreign commerce
-Conduct r&d in the maritime field
-regulate U.S.document transfer

Question 8

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Answer 8

Mission: Save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic cost due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity

Founded: 1920

Question 9

Research and Innovative Technology Admin. (RITA)

Answer 9

Mission: To advance transportation science, technology, and analysis, and to improve the coordination of transportation research within the Department and throughout the transportation community

Founded: 2005

Question 10

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Answer 10

Mission: to protect human health and the environment

Founded: 1970

Question 11

What 3 groups can Environmental Laws (EPA Regulations) be broken into?

Answer 11

Can be broken into 3 groups at the federal level:
1. Air pollution
2. Water Pollution
3. Solid waste disposal

Question 12

Why do standards matter?

Answer 12

· An integral part of existence - gives little or no thought to everyday products and services
· Standards for almost everything
· Critical to establishing and maintaining a business and a strong economy

Question 13

What are workplace regulations?

Answer 13

· provide safety and health of workers
· provide economic benefit to employers

Question 14

What are product standards?

Answer 14

· establish a performance baseline for safety equipment ex: hard hats, safety shoes
· establish a common language for manufacturers, employers, & users

Question 15

What are benefits of the environment, safety, and international standards?

Answer 15

· Environment
-reduced cost related to wast and clean-up
· Safety
-Reduced insurance, reduced liabilities
· International Standards
-serve the needs of a global market

Question 16

International Standard Organization (ISO)

Answer 16

· A non-government organization and network of the national standards institutes of countries
·157 countries

Purpose: To facilitate the internationalization & unification of standards and related

Founded: 1947

Question 17

How were standards developed? (principles and phases of ISO)

Answer 17

· Principles used to develop standards.
- consensus (everyone has to agree)
- Industry-wide
- voluntary

· Phases of ISO standards development:
- scope of standards
- Identification of responsibility countries - formal approval

Question 18

What are the two types of ISO 1400 series of standards?

Answer 18

1. A specification standard contains only specific criteria that can be audited internally or externally by a 3rd party
2. A guidance standard explains how to develop and implement EMS and principles
   -Guidance standards are descriptive standards that also explain how to coordinate among various QM (quality management) systems

Question 19

What is a guide? (ISO 1400 series of standards)

Answer 19

A guide is a tool to assist organizations in improvement of environmental management

Question 20

What is a technical report? (ISO 1400 series of standards)

Answer 20

Technical reports are written when a technical committee of ISO cannot reach consensus on an issue

Question 21

What is the 140001 standard?

Answer 21

ISO 14001 protects the environment and companies whose processes/products may affect it.

Question 22

What is the Environmental Management System (EMS)?

Answer 22

The structure for implementing its environmental policy

Question 23

What is an EMS audit?

Answer 23

The process used to verify that an EMS actually does what an organization says it will do

Question 24

What is the environmental aspect?

Answer 24

Any aspect of an organization’s processes, products or service that will potentially affect the environment

Question 25

What is continual improvement?

Answer 25

In the global marketplace, good enough is never good enough

Question 26

What is plan-do-check-adjust model?

Answer 26

from W. Edwards deming in the area of quality management

Question 27

American National Standard Institute (ANSI)

Answer 27

The official U. S. member of the ISO and other related international and regional standardization bodies

Mission: To enhance the global competitiveness of U. S. business and the American quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards, and conformity assessment systems and ensuring their integrity

Founded: 1918

Question 28

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Answer 28

Mission: To reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by developing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

· Creates and maintains private, copyrighted standards and codes for usage and adoption by local government. Ex: building codes, rescue response

Founded: 1896

Question 29

NIOSH

Answer 29

Part of the U. S. centers for disease control and prevention, in the U. S. department of health and human services. It is mandated
to assure “every man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources”. Employees’ backgrounds range from epidemiology, medicine nursing, industrial hygiene, safety, psychology, chemistry, statistics, economics, and more branches of engineering. Works closely with OSHA &
MSHA.

Mission: To develop new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and to transmit that knowledge into practice

Founded: 1970