http://www.elinfonet.com/fedindex/16 Articles discussing the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:12:11 EST en-us http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7478 Article: 7478 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) It is anticipated that American businesses will see tougher inspections and higher fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") and the Mine Safety and Health Administration ("MSHA") under President-elect Obama. All signs point to a markedly different relationship between the Department of Labor and employers on workplace safety issues. http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7420 Article: 7420 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) Regardless of the outcome of the November Presidential election, an emboldened Congress will demand passage of numerous workplace-safety laws already introduced, including the radical Protecting American Workers Act. Observers also expect a shift in OSHA efforts from some cooperative programs to a more punitive and politicized enforcement effort, coupled with the departure of many evenhanded career professionals from OSHA and other agencies. Next to preparation for the possible passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (see Cute Titles for Bad Laws in May, 2008 Labor Letter) no area should receive more employer attention as 2008 comes to an end. http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7378 Article: 7378 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) Employers must pay employees for all time and travel expenses incurred during non-work hours in receiving required medical attention following an on-the-job exposure to bloodborne pathogens, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held on September 4, 2008. http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7376 Article: 7376 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) All construction companies who use cranes and derricks in their work will face major changes to their operations under a rule just proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA’s proposed rule for Cranes and Derricks in Construction, published in the Federal Register on October 9, would significantly revise OSHA’s existing requirements for crane use, now over 35 years old. The proposal would apply to virtually all cranes used at construction sites. http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7361 Article: 7361 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) All mine operators should be aware of tougher penalties for violations of safety rules imposed by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Act (“MINER Act”). The MINER Act amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (“the Mine Act”) and is the biggest amendment in the Mine Act’s thirty year history. http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7348 Article: 7348 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) Employers must record on their Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordkeeping logs injuries to employees incurred while they are entering and exiting their personal vehicles on company parking lots. http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7334 Article: 7334 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) OSHA has recently issued an interpretation letter regarding injury and illness reporting when employees are working from home following treatment for an occupational injury. The language that follows is lifted verbatim from the OSHA interpretive guidance letter. http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7276 Article: 7276 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has rescinded its controversial June 25, 2008, compliance directive on tree trimming and tree removal operations. That directive instructed OSHA compliance officers as to when tree trimming and tree removal operations are “logging” and covered by OSHA’s comprehensive logging standard (29 CFR 1910.266), and, conversely, when the operations do not fall within the scope of the logging standard. Under the rescinded directive, employers were required to follow the logging standard whenever they removed a tree trunk in segments greater than six feet in length or whenever they removed trees by the use of mechanical equipment such as bulldozers. http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7274 Article: 7274 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) Citing significant and serious hazards in tree care operations and in response to a rulemaking petition submitted by the Tree Care Industry Association, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it will issue new mandatory safety rules specific to the tree care industry. On September 18, OSHA began the rulemaking process by publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to obtain initial comments from employers and other members of the public on safety practices and hazards in the industry (see below). http://www.elinfonet.com/newscount.php?popID=7264 Article: 7264 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST elin@elinfonet.com (Employment Law Information Network) The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued an interesting and, what may be considered by some employers, a costly decision regarding the payment of wages to employees who seek evaluation and treatment pursuant to the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (BPS), 29 C.F.R. § 1910.1030. In Secretary of Labor v. Beverly Healthcare-Hillview, the Third Circuit held that an employer must pay for the travel expenses of and non-work time spent by its employees obtaining treatment pursuant to the BPS. No. 06-4810, (3rd Cir. Sept. 4, 2008).