Covered employers had until July 1 to electronically file their 2017 OSHA Form 300A accident and illness reports. Covered employers include those with 250 or more employees with Standard Industrial Codes that require...more
When faced with the potential for workplace safety violations and penalties from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, most responsible employers take steps to address any outstanding safety issues. Last month in...more
In 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced new respiratory silica exposure levels that lowered the action level for exposure to 25 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The maximum permissible exposure...more
Employers found to have committed repeat or willful violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards are subject to citation penalties of 10 times those for ordinary violations, and in some cases...more
4/11/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Appeals ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
OSHA ,
Personal Knowledge ,
Reaffirmation ,
Reckless Disregard ,
Supervisors ,
Willful Violations ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety ,
Wrongful Death
Construction contractors are familiar with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Multi-Employer Worksite rule. Under this rule, a general contractor (GC) can be held liable for safety violations committed by...more
Health care was among the occupations that saw the largest declines in fatal work injuries in the most recent year federal data is available, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It recently released statistics...more
Last year, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced new rules that will require employers to electronically submit annual OSHA 300A employee illness and injury information. While employers are...more
Late last month, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a proposed delay for implementation of its new injury and illness reporting requirements until December 1. The rule originally was...more
On January 1, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new recordkeeping and reporting rule took effect. The main impact of this rule requires employers to electronically file annual injury and...more
On December 7, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input for a possible future safety standard intended to reduce employee exposure to...more
Over the past decade, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has reported a steady decline in the number of reported workplace injuries and illnesses in the U.S. Initially, the agency attributed this drop to...more
Under the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces executive order (E.O. 13,673), beginning in October 2017 federal contractors will have to begin disclosing a range of labor law violations when bidding for new federal work. These...more
In response to employer complaints and a new federal lawsuit, on July 13, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a delay in enforcement of the non-retaliation portions of its new injury and...more
7/26/2016
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Final Rules ,
Incentives ,
OSHA ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Time Extensions ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
On Wednesday, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued final regulations changing the way businesses report injury and illness experience. The new rules take effect January 1, 2017, and will for the...more
The Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, commonly known as HB2, continues to generate controversy and confusion. The new law has caused many employers to reexamine their policies with regard to restroom use by employees...more
OSHA inspections are usually site-specific, meaning that the agency’s authority to issue penalties and to seek abatement of workplace hazards applies to the workplace actually inspected. Last month, a federal Administrative...more
Last month, after considerable delay, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration started a new web page that allows employers to make online reports of employee injuries and illnesses. The online resource was...more
The recent federal budget compromise contains a potentially nasty surprise for some employers. The new law allows the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, among other federal agencies, to increase civil penalties...more
Earlier this month, in a rare en banc decision, the full Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals held eight to four that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration exceeded its authority by interpreting a safety...more
Last month, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued its annual list of the ten most cited safety standards for the fiscal year that ended September 30. The list was unchanged from the prior year, and...more
Once the Occupational Safety and Health Administration opens an investigation of an employer, it has six months to complete the investigation and issue citations. In 2012, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that...more
On June 1, new OSHA rules took effect for all employers, changing requirements for chemical manufacturers and importers who prepare and distribute Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Under these rules, the SDS (previously called...more
Earlier this year, EmployNews reported on an EEOC decision indicating that employers must allow transgendered employees to use restrooms based on their gender identity regardless of co-worker complaints. In April, OFCCP...more
Last week, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a willful OSHA citation against an employer that delayed calling for emergency services for 90 minutes after an employee became trapped in a permit-required confined...more
As reported in EmployNews, last year the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration adopted new rules requiring employers to report within 24 hours every in-patient hospitalization resulting from a work-related...more