Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast - Episode 38: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) with John Holmes of Maynard Nexsen
While new presidents are typically judged based on their actions in their first 100 days, the current Trump administration has moved at such a rapid speed that we think another recap is needed at the halfway point. Here’s...more
President Donald Trump recently nominated Wayne Palmer to take the reins at MSHA as the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health. Palmer is currently serving as a part of the Trump transition team within the Department...more
Over the last week, the Trump administration has put forward its nominees for Assistant Secretary for both the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Health and Safety Administration (MSHA)....more
As Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer braces for a flurry of questions at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) on her way to a full Senate vote to become President...more
On January 10, 2025, the Department of Labor’s annual penalty adjustments were published in the Federal Register. The 2025 increases are approximately 2.6%. The chart below applies to any penalties assessed after January 15,...more
Our Workplace Safety thought leaders have pulled together their top predictions for the new year so that employers can get a running start to 2025....more
The Supreme Court’s recent landmark ruling that gives employers a powerful tool to fight back against regulatory overreach will have a broad impact on just about every area of workplace law. We’re looking at the specific...more
This week we are attending the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The meeting includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Review Commission, the MSHA Review...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week we are attending the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The meeting includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Review Commission, the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Mine Safety and Health Administration “remains troubled by the fact that our impact inspections continue to discover the same hazards we’ve identified as root causes for fatal accidents and that we know...more
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law, especially since the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace. In order to ensure you stay on top of the latest changes and have an action plan...more
On September 9, 2015, then U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates issued a memo, “Individual Accountability for Corporate Wrongdoing,” that sent shivers down the spines of those in the workplace safety community....more
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced a new initiative to strengthen enforcement of its current respirable crystalline silica standards. Crystalline silica is a...more
On September 8, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced its proposed powered haulage rule for surface mines and surface areas of underground mines. The proposed rule, which...more
The Biden administration has nominated Doug Parker, currently chief of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health ("Cal/OSHA"), as the next head of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health...more
On April 9, 2021, the White House issued a press release announcing its nomination of Douglas Parker (Parker) for the position of Assistant Secretary for the Occupational and Health Administration (OSHA). Parker is currently...more
In brief: A sharp pivot toward employee- and union-friendly executive actions and legislation. Here’s what we mean. Executive Order 13950 - As we’ve reported, President Biden Revokes Executive Order 13950 | Arent Fox,...more
Annually in mid-January, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) adjusts its civil penalty assessments, in accordance with the inflation adjustment provisions of the Federal Civil Penalties...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The DOL has published its 2020 increases to MSHA civil penalties. The DOL has finalized the 2020 inflation adjustments, which will nudge the penalties up 1.764%. 85 Fed. Reg. 2292 (Jan. 15, 2020)....more
It’s that time of year again! OSHA and MSHA penalties were automatically adjusted this month. What will safety and health enforcement cost you in 2020? Read on. For the last few years, Department of Labor (DOL) penalties...more
FBI Eyes How Pennsylvania Approved Pipeline - "The FBI has begun a corruption investigation into how Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration came to issue permits for construction on a multibillion-dollar pipeline project to carry...more
With the departure of Alexander Acosta as Secretary of Labor, the Department immediately got an acting chief who is expected to more closely align with the White House. Meanwhile, the nominee to replace him, Eugene Scalia, is...more
Over the last couple of years, employee incentive programs have been under attack from the Department of Labor. However, OSHA and MSHA have undertaken their efforts against incentive programs in different ways. In the...more
When Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta testified before Congress earlier this month, he emphasized balancing safety agencies’ legal obligations and commitments with President Trump’s commitment to deregulation. Meanwhile,...more
A report at the end of last year by DOL’s Office of Inspector General highlights what OIG considers major challenges for OSHA and MSHA in fulfilling their missions. The report also provides a window into where the workplace...more