OSHA’s hazard communication standard (HCS) is the principal federal requirement governing labels and safety data sheets (SDSs) for hazardous chemicals used in the workplace in the United States. OSHA has proposed to update...more
On January 29, 2021, OSHA released new COVID-19 guidance in accordance with the January 21, 2021 Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety. The new guidance, entitled “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating...more
On November 19, 2020, the California Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board (“Board”) adopted a sweeping emergency COVID-19 regulation, which applies to all employees and places of employment in the state except for 1)...more
Michigan’s emergency COVID-19 worker safety rules took effect on October 14, 2020. The rules apply to all employers covered under Michigan’s occupational safety and health act. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health...more
Oregon has joined Michigan and Virginia in adopting an emergency temporary rule for COVID-19. On November 6, 2020, Oregon Occupational Safety & Health (Oregon OSHA), a division of the Department of Consumer & Business...more
On October 27, 2020, the Tenth Circuit upheld a series of OSHA citations that were issued to an oil refining company following a fatal boiler explosion. In doing so, the Tenth Circuit upheld OSHA interpretations that...more
In early September, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (“Cal/OSHA”) announced that it cited 11 employers for not protecting employees from COVID-19 exposure. The inspections were conducted in industries...more
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule revising its procedures for accessing employee medical records, with specific requirements for safeguarding electronic medical records that are...more
Guidance issued by the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) sets forward strict obligations for recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses for...more
Key Points:
• OSHA updated its guidance on inspections related to COVID-19 and on recordkeeping for COVID-19 cases on May 19.
• OSHA has extensive guidance on other aspects of protecting employees from the novel...more
As the number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) illness cases continue to grow in the United States, employers should be aware of their legal obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (“OSH Act”) and key...more
If your facility has a significant accidental release of a hazardous chemical, your team will need to respond immediately, particularly if the release threatens the public, workers, or the environment. But don’t forget to...more
California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted a new safety rule on January 16, 2020, requiring employers to provide employees with access to their written Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP) within...more
Nearly three years after adopting extensive amendments to its rules on accidental release prevention under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a final rule rescinding nearly all of the...more
For employers wishing to train employees using computer-based, online programs, OSHA recently reiterated that safety and health training must still include interactive and hands-on opportunities for employees. This may...more
Beginning this month, OSHA will be using a new system to weigh and measure enforcement activity in order for the Agency to (1) more accurately allocate resources required to perform enforcement related activities, and (2)...more
At the end of August, California Governor Newsom signed AB 1804, a law that alters the method by which employers are to report serious occupational injuries, illnesses, and deaths to the California Division of Occupational...more
In late July, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted an emergency regulation to protect workers from health hazards arising from wildfire smoke. The regulation became effective July 30, 2019,...more
California wildfires have become more frequent and more intense. These wildfires and the smoke they generate pose risks to worker safety. In response to the poor air quality California experienced during last year’s fires and...more
OSHA has finalized a rule that rescinds the requirement for establishments with 250 or more employees to electronically submit their OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and Form 301 (Injury and Illness...more
The Fifth Circuit has now joined the seven other Courts of Appeals that have rejected challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) Multi-Employer Citation Policy. In Acosta v. Hensel Phelps...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) made important announcements this month regarding the electronic submission of injury and illness data. The first of these announcements took a big step back from...more
Introduction -
In a recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) effort to widely broaden the scope of an inspection based on past...more
OSHA recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to rescind the requirement for establishments with 250 or more employees to electronically submit their OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and...more
OSHA has clarified its January 9, 2017 occupational health standard on beryllium. On May 4, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published clarifying amendments in a direct final rule (DFR) for general...more