The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a proposed rule to restore and expand Obama-era requirements for high-hazard employers with at least 100 employees to submit their injury and illness forms electronically to the agency.
Articles Discussing The Federal Occupational Safety And Health Act And Other Issues Relating To Workplace Safety And Health.
OSHA Expands Scope of Its Severe Violator Enforcement Program to Target Additional Employers
On September 15, 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published Directive Number CPL 02-00-169, a new instruction to its enforcement arm, updating policies and procedures for OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP). The instruction, which took effect immediately, aims to expand the scope of the SVEP and target
OSHA Seeks to Clarify the “P” in PPE, Issues NPRM on ‘Fit’ for Construction Workers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is moving forward with plans to update its standards to “clarify the requirements for the fit” of personal protective equipment (PPE) that must be provided to construction workers. On September 7, 2022, OSHA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to the Office
When Is ‘Too Hot’ Actually Too Hot to Work? OSHA Cites Contractor After Florida Farm Worker Fatality
On August 12, 20222, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a citation to a farm labor contractor alleging violations for exposing workers to high ambient outdoor heat following the death of a worker on a strawberry farm in Florida. The citation serves as warning for employers, particularly those
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – IRS Issues Notice 2022-33
On August 3, 2022, retirement plan sponsors welcomed IRS Notice 2022-33 (“Notice”), which extends the deadline for adopting amendments to comply with the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (“SECURE Act”), Section 104 of the Bipartisan American Miners Act (“Miners Act”), and certain provisions of the
Proposal to Quadruple OSHA Fines Appears to be Off the Table Despite Support from Some Lawmakers
Employers can breathe a sigh of relief for now as it appears that Senate Democrats are no longer pursuing a massive increase to OSHA’s penalties for safety violations. Currently, the maximum fine OSHA can assess against an employer per alleged repeat, willful, or failure-to-abate violations is $145,027. The penalty amount
MSHA’s New Enforcement Initiative Focusing on Respirable Crystalline Silica Lacks Details for Operators
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) recently announced that it is implementing a silica enforcement initiative focused on reducing exposures to respirable crystalline silica.
White House Pushes OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Initiative
As thermometers hit their peak, the White House is touting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) heat illness prevention efforts to “protect millions of workers from heat illness and injury.”
Undocumented Construction Worker Awarded $650,000 for Whistleblower Retaliation
In June, a Massachusetts jury awarded an undocumented employee of Tara Construction Inc. a total of $650,000 for enduring retaliation at the hands of chief executive officer Pedro Pirez. The employee of the construction company suffered a serious injury on the job that was later reported to the Occupational Safety
MSHA’s Enhanced Enforcement Program on Driver Safety Raises Questions for Mine Operators
On the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) website, there is a notice about an enhanced enforcement program focused on mine operators’ responsibilities that aims to reduce accidents, injuries, and fatalities for contract and customer truck drivers, as well as managers and supervisors performing mining work.
How to Beat the Heat, Or At Least an OSHA Citation
Heat is nothing new for the construction industry, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new National Emphasis Program (NEP) on heat hazards for indoor and outdoor work environments certainly is.
Eleventh Circuit Limits Reach of OSHA’s ‘HazWoper’ Standard
On June 15, 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a decision limiting the reach of the emergency response provisions of 29 C.F.R. § 1910.120, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard—the so-called “HazWoper” (or “HAZWOPER”) standard.
OSHA Reminds Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas Employers to Protect Workers From Heat-Related Illness
High temperatures in the Southwestern United States have and continue to break records. In Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, the heat index could reach triple digits and in some cases exceed 110°F. These elevated temperatures pose a serious risk to employees exposed to heat due to the nature of their
OSHA Turns Up the Heat: Enforcement of Indoor and Outdoor Heat-Related Workplace Hazards Impacts Over 70 Industries
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a new indoor and outdoor heat enforcement initiative impacting over 70 high risk industries. With the goal of mitigating employee exposure to heat hazards in the workplace, the agency intends to ramp up its efforts by increasing inspections and enforcement activity across the targeted industries.
OSHA Launches National Emphasis Program to Expand on Heat Illness Prevention Campaign
With summer fast approaching, OSHA has ramped up investigations into heat-related injuries in the workplace. In furtherance of President Biden’s heat illness initiative, on October 27, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking regarding a future standard requiring employers to prevent heat-related
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