U.S. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) first introduced the “Nullify the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act” or “NOSHA Act” in November 2021, legislation aimed at abolishing the Occupational Safety and Health...more
On October 25, 2021, a customer named Jacob Bergquist, with a history of violating the Boise Towne Square Mall’s firearms ban, opened fire at the mall. The shooting in the Idaho mall led to the deaths of a Professional...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), like many federal agencies, has finite resources for carrying out its essential functions. It simply isn’t feasible, nor efficient or effective, for OSHA regulators to...more
Kenric Steel, LLC, a New Jersey based steel fabrication company, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey alleging that the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), an independent federal...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) introduced a new walkaround rule this year to clarify that, like employers, employees have the right to designate a non-employee third party to be their representative...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is preparing to release a proposed standard on workplace violence prevention in healthcare settings in December 2024....more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unveiled its long-anticipated proposed heat illness prevention rule, which would require employers to monitor excessive heat in the workplace and develop and implement...more
On March 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule (Final Rule) amending regulations for workplace investigations. It clarifies that employees may...more
On March 29, 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) published its final rule allowing employees to authorize a representative to accompany an OSHA compliance officer during inspections of their workplace. The rule will be...more
The Department of Labor recently published the Solicitor of Labor’s (SOL) 2023 Enforcement Report, which provides insight into the Department’s initiatives and enforcement priorities for 2024. ...more
In her 2023 Enforcement Report, Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda revealed enhanced coordination with OSHA to hold employers and supervisors accountable for repeat and willful violations, especially those that lead to worker...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend its regulations to allow employee-authorized third-party representatives to accompany Occupational Safety and Health Administration...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
OSHA's emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring healthcare employers to adhere to numerous regulatory requirements addressing COVID-19 was largely withdrawn in December 2021. On June 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor...more
If you weren’t already concerned about the rate of inflation, its effect has produced another blow in the OSHA world. Under the terms of the 2015 Inflation Adjustment Act, the U.S. Department of Labor has once again made the...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) regarding COVID-19 vaccination, testing and facial coverings applies to “all employers with a total of 100 or more employees” during...more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has offered new COVID-19 guidance indicating that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks or maintain physical distance from others in most settings...more
On January 21, 2021, the Biden Administration issued an Executive Order outlining its objectives with respect to worker health and safety during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Order reflects President Biden’s promises...more
Where should an employer post federally required posters when many or most employees are working remotely? The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) recently released a Wage and Hour field assistance bulletin on December 23...more
With initial rumblings about “reopening the economy,” employers are understandably concerned about what exactly that might look like. Frankly, everyone—including the U.S. workforce—is concerned. For that reason, one of the...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published a final rule that increases civil monetary penalties the DOL assesses and enforces, as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 and the Federal...more