Believe it or not it’s nearly mid-June already. The long hours of daylight and warm weather this time of year often lead workplaces to tackle those outdoor projects that may have been lagging all winter.  If your site plans such work, be sure to do your homework first—secure necessary permits, plan your safety, especially fall protection if the work is above ground level, and make sure you have a heat mitigation program in place—roofs and outdoor areas can get hot and work there can lead employees into illness unless care is taken.  As HSE professionals it’s up to us to help protect our fellow employees by implementing safe work programs.  So, let’s do it!  The week was kind of quiet news-wise in the regulatory world; perhaps it’s the start of the summer “lull.”  We’ll see!  Here’s the latest:

Battery Supply Chain News

Domestic supply chain for advanced batteries was one area of focus by the Biden Administration that resulted in the Department of Energy (DOE) releasing the National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries 2021- 2030, which outlines a strategy to guide federal investments in the development of domestic lithium-battery manufacturing and recycling supply chains. The National Blueprint was developed by the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB). See the blueprint here.

FRA

The agency published a notice related to how railroads can update their Positive Train Control or PTC plans.  PTC is a system that allows for safer operation of the nation’s trains and is specifically required for hazardous materials routings. See the notice here.

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