On January 13, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued a stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) COVID vaccine-or-test rule for large employers. Although the OSHA rule is effectively off the...more
2/3/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Today, the Supreme Court blocked the Biden Administration’s vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers, known as the Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”), which we wrote about here. The Court held that the federal agency...more
1/14/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Biden v Missouri ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
National Federation of Independent Business v Department of Labor and OSHA ,
OSHA ,
Popular ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
In a decision released late in the day on Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit lifted a stay against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) rule requiring employers with 100+...more
12/21/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Last week, Governor Kate Brown announced that the State of Oregon would require that all health care workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they could prove they were entitled to a religious or medical...more
8/27/2021
/ Best Practices ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Home Healthcare Workers ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Oregon ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
As we previously wrote about, the State of Oregon and Multnomah County are each imposing new indoor mask requirements beginning today, August 13, 2021, in response to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic driven by the Delta...more
Yesterday, the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OR OSHA”) issued a temporary rule to address employees’ exposure to the hazards posed by temperatures in excess of 80 degrees....more
Effective today, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OR-OSHA”) repealed the COVID-19 workplace safety rules that obligated most employers to require employees and visitors to wear face coverings and...more
7/1/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Brown ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Kate Brown ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Late last week, Governor Kate Brown announced that the State of Oregon would largely remove its mask and social-distancing requirements once 70 percent of adult Oregonians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19...more
6/10/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Risk Management ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On May 18, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) published new COVID-19 guidance: “Interim Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals” and “Statewide Reopening Guidance – Masks, Face Coverings, Face Shields.” Today, the...more
5/20/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Oregon ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations
Effective May 4, 2021, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OR OSHA”) published its final rule requiring Oregon employers to continue to implement safety measures to protect against the spread of...more
5/10/2021
/ Best Practices ,
Compliance ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
With very limited exceptions, Oregon employers must adopt the following safety protocols:
Physical Distancing. Employers must ensure that their workplaces allow at least six feet of distance between employees, unless such...more
In the wake of an onslaught of employee complaints about social distancing in the workplace, the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OR-OSHA”) announced that it would begin workplace inspections in order to...more
4/1/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Brown ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
OSHA ,
Public Health ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Investigations ,
Workplace Safety
OSHA Seeks to Reverse Beryllium Rule For Certain Industries
Beryllium, a lightweight metal, presents hazards in the workplace. It is has been linked to lung cancer and Chronic Beryllium Disease, a debilitating lung disease...more
Following are a couple of significant new OSHA developments for all safety professionals to be aware of, relating to limitations for OSHA citations and validity of OSHA interpretation letters....more
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced late last week that it was rescinding its 2013 “Fairfax” memorandum, which allowed union representatives to participate in workplace safety...more