Category: News

March 22, 2016

OSHA’s Silica Rule Headed For Release After Clearing White House Review

OSHA’s high-priority but controversial final rule seeking to limit workers’ exposure to crystalline silica dust appears to be poised for imminent release after it cleared review by the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB), usually one of the last steps before such regulations…

March 18, 2016

Citing Benefits, OSHA Warns Of Penalties For Avoiding Injury Reporting Rule

OSHA chief David Michaels is touting the benefits of the agency’s stricter injury reporting rule after its first-year of implementation, but is warning that the many businesses that are still avoiding the rule’s requirements could face increased noncompliance penalties once the agency raises its penalty…

March 17, 2016

Obama’s High Court Pick Seen As Deferential To Agencies — But With Limits

Appellate court judge Merrick Garland, President Obama’s pick to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, is widely seen as deferential to OSHA and other agencies — though he has ruled against OSHA in at least one high-profile enforcement action which the agency is…

March 16, 2016

DOJ Takes Steps To Bolster Civil Enforcement For Workplace Violations

The Justice Department (DOJ) is taking a series of steps to bolster its civil enforcement efforts against workplace violations under federal environmental laws, adding to its high-priority effort to step up criminal enforcement against workplace safety violations under the pollution control statutes. “We are strengthening…

March 10, 2016

Lawyers Warn Of Stepped Up OSHA Enforcement, Penalties

Two lawyers are warning employers to expected stepped up enforcement and penalties by federal workplace safety regulators and are urging industry to review their environmental health and safety plans to ensure they comply with relevant regulatory requirements. Lou Ferreira and Cory Haller, attorneys at Stoel…

March 7, 2016

OSHA Plans Conference To Address Temporary Worker Safety

OSHA on Friday announced that it will host a conference in Illinois to address workplace safety and health concerns for temporary worker. The OSHA Safety Day Training Conference will be held on March 18 in Sugar Grove, IL, featuring sessions on industrial hygiene fundamentals, machine…

March 2, 2016

NIOSH Posts New Resources To Prevent Aerial Lift Falls, Injuries

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and OSHA have released new resources to help employers better prevent fall injury and death when aerial lifts are being used. OSHA announced March 1 a new NIOSH webpage devoted to aerial lift safety, including guidance on…

March 2, 2016

OSHA Seeks Comment On Walking, Working Surfaces Information Collection Requirements

OSHA is requesting public comments on information collection requirements contained in its Walking and Working Surfaces Standard for General Industry. A Federal Register notice from OSHA states the agency is looking to determine the desired format and minimize the reporting burden of reporting requirements contained…

February 29, 2016

OSHA Reschedules Hearing On Beryllium Rule

An OSHA hearing originally scheduled for this week on a proposed rule on occupational exposure to the chemical beryllium has been pushed back to March 21, according to the agency. The March hearing will bring together stakeholders to participate in the rulemaking process by providing…

February 25, 2016

Report Examines State-By-State Workplace Safety, Health Risks

A new report by Underwriters Laboratories offers an assessment of workplace safety and health on a state-by-state basis, aiding businesses in identifying issues that can be managed through health and safety frameworks and prevent workplace injury, illness and death. “There is growing recognition among businesses…

February 23, 2016

Attorneys: New OSHA Whistleblower Guidance Favors Employees

The bar has dropped for OSHA investigators to determine whether a workplace retaliation complaint has merit, according to an assessment by occupational safety and health attorneys, leaving employers more vulnerable to whistleblower investigations. Under recently revised whistleblower investigation guidance, OSHA investigators no longer have to…

February 22, 2016

Safety Engineer Group Urges OSHA To Require Workplace Safety, Health Program Adoption

The American Society of Safety Engineers is “disappointed” OSHA has not completed a rulemaking that requires employers to adopt safety and health management programs, but sees updated guidelines on such programs as a positive step forward. According to comments submitted on OSHA’s new voluntary guidelines…