The answer is both. The “thinking process” is not a one-size-fits-all tool. The same can be said for the use of A3’s. Decisions are based on cause-and-effect relationships and subject matter expert knowledge, and commonly there is more than one right answer. A3 is a continuous improvement, problem-solving tool that allows a team to identify an issue, take steps to resolve it, and document the entirety of the process on one, easy to read page. The A3 leads a person through the process of understanding, sets the root for an acceptable outcome (the goal), and establishes the tasks to get there. The A3 thinking process is highly flexible, and I could probably think any problem fitting onto an A3

Baron Environmental Associates likes to keep up-to-date on current enforcements that render the highest penalties within the region we serve: Service Station, Newark, NJ – USTs - $142,000 Peconic Recycling, NY – Serious Injury - $119,000 ACF Industries, PA – Serious Injury - $87,000 Other recent agency action includes: OSHA Penalties Date, Company, State, Penalty, Program 12/15, Coca Cola, NJ, $61,600, Exits – repeat 12/18, RESCO Products, PA, $40,600, Site specific targeting 12/21, ACF Industries, PA, $87,000, Serious injury 1/11, Peconic Recycling, NY, $119,000, Serious injury 1/12, Amazon Fulfillment , NJ, $7,000, Records 1/21, Seitz Tech, PA, $55,400, Follow up inspection 1/26, Lake Comp

Winter is coming to a close, but before Spring officially arrives, we would like to treat you to some of our favorite recipes! Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast Ingredients cooking spray 1 (3 pound) boneless pork roast 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup honey 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons dried basil 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 cup cold water Directions Prepare slow cooker crock with cooking spray. Lay pork roast into crock. Whisk Parmesan cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil, and salt together in a small bowl; pour over the pork roast. Cook until roast is cooked completely through, 6 to

Recently NJDEP has begun conducting large numbers of inspections at facilities that have stormwater no-exposure certificates. In the past, as long as a facility submitted their certification paperwork every five years, they were extremely unlikely to be inspected as long as there were no citizen complaints. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2015, Baron observed that DEP was conducting inspections at many of these facilities. The pace of inspections has increased in 2016 especially in the Northern Region which comprises the counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Passaic, Sussex and Warren. Baron recommends that all facilities that are covered by no-exposure certif

An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is a written program required by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38 that contains step-by-step procedures to follow in emergency situations. Creating and implementing an effective emergency action plan can be the difference between life and death at your facility. Companies that plan and prepare for emergencies make a substantial difference in preventing employee injuries and structural damage to their facility. An effective EAP consists of the following: Means of reporting all emergencies in your facility for fast response and action. Emergency contact information for first responders (police, fire and first aid squads) that are in close proximity to your facility if additi

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. Although it has no detectable odor, CO is often mixed with other gases that do have an odor. You can inhale carbon monoxide right along with gases that you can smell and not even know that CO is present. Employees may be exposed to harmful levels of CO in boiler rooms, breweries, warehouses, petroleum refineries, pulp and paper production, and steel production; around docks, blast furnaces, etc., or in one of the following occupations: welder, garage mechanic, organic chemical synthesizer, metal oxide reducer, diesel engine operator, forklift operator to name a few. If an employee suspects CO poisoning, promptly tak

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has recently made available a new Cancer Risk Screening Worksheet for Nonroad Diesel Engines. This tool, made available by the Air Quality Permitting Program, calculates the estimated incremental cancer risk associated with nonroad diesel engines. The Cancer Risk Screening Worksheet has inputs for the engine’s stack height, the engine’s horsepower, the discharge direction of the stack, the engine’s tier or year of manufacture, the engine’s operating hours, and the engine’s distance to the property line. Using this input information, the worksheet determines the Diesel Particulate Matter emission factor. The worksheet then uses