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Executive Order (EO) 13924, issued in response to COVID-19 by President Donald Trump on May 19, 2020, authorized federal agencies to provide regulatory relief to support recovery of the economy. Trump characterized this order as giving agencies “tremendous power” to cut regulations seen to hinder economic recovery.
There has always been a tendency for organizations to silo into discrete units, which can make it difficult to address many of the day-to-day problems that arise through normal business. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues disrupting how company’s look and operate, it is more important than ever to have open channels of communication within […]
No one is immune from the pandemic, but there are parts of our society that are experiencing greater loss and impact than others. One of the most dangerous effects is also one that is the hardest to identify—that of ideation, often fueled by feelings of injustice, a lack of control, and extreme depression and anxiety.
The EPA made history on June 18, 2020, when it granted a petition to add bromopropane to its list of hazardous air pollutants.
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the nature of work in many industries and brought renewed attention to the importance of workplace safety, but OSHA continues to carry out inspections and issue citations to employers that expose workers to hazardous conditions. We’ve summarized some of the key enforcement cases from the past few months for a […]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, employers have struggled to understand the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) position on cloth face coverings and surgical masks, specifically whether the agency requires or recommends their use and whether they constitute personal protective equipment (PPE).
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently collected safety and health information on cleaners and disinfectants that employers can use in their hazard communication programs. The NIOSH material includes a table of health hazards and protective measures for chemicals used as disinfectants.
In a petition filed in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 19, 2020, 23 advocacy groups represented by Earthjustice sued the EPA and asked the court to overturn the current administration’s updated benefit-cost analysis (BCA) for limits on coal-fired power plants’ mercury emissions. The existing Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) regulations took […]
A Virginia Department of Labor and Industry board decided June 24 to continue developing what could become the nation’s first emergency standard for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
On June 24, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced the adoption of new workplace safety standards to protect agricultural employees who work at night. The new standards to protect agricultural workers who harvest, operate vehicles, and perform other work between sunset and sunrise are the first lighting standards in the nation.