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OSHA Continues Work on Six Economically Significant Rulemakings

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues its work on six economically significant rulemakings, according to an August 16 Department of Labor (DOL) notice (89 Fed. Reg. 66838). The notice outlines all the DOL’s rulemakings with a significant economic impact on a large number of small entities. All six of OSHA’s economically significant rulemakings […]

OSHA Cites Circle K After Florida Cashier Shot

Convenience store chain Circle K faces a $16,131 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine after a store cashier in Orlando, Florida, suffered a serious gunshot injury, the agency announced August 14. OSHA inspectors learned that two unidentified men entered the Circle K location on Silver Star Road shortly after 1 a.m. on January 19, 2024; […]

Republicans’ Letter Warns EPA Proposed Clean Power Plan 2.0 Threatens Electric Grid

Twenty-six Republicans, led by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA), recently sent a letter to the EPA expressing concern that the Clean Power Plan (CPP) 2.0 is likely to threaten the reliability of the PJM Interconnection grid, which serves 65 million customers across Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, […]

Back to Basics: The Endless EV Debate

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine the debate over electric vehicles. The federal deadline regarding reduced transportation emissions that’s expected to increase electric vehicle (EV) sales continues to creep closer. The pending changes to vehicle emissions limits […]

Federal Court Rules Doctor Illegally Fired Whistleblower

A federal court ruled an Amsterdam, New York, eye doctor illegally fired an employee who reported a lack of COVID-19 protections to state health officials, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced August 12. An OSHA whistleblower investigation found that the doctor and his practice retaliated against an employee for filing complaints with the […]

EPA to Address PFAS in Plastic Containers

The EPA recently granted a petition from the Center for Environmental Health, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Clean Cape Fear, Clean Water Action, Delaware Riverkeeper, and Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) formed during the fluorination of plastic containers—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), […]

Parker Details OSHA’s Safety Initiatives at ASSP Conference

While it continues to work on new standards on heat stress and infectious disease, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is emphasizing its willingness to work with businesses to improve worker protection. Speaking last week at the American Society of Safety Professionals’ (ASSP) Safety 2024 conference, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and […]

Adidas Facing $396K in New OSHA Fines

Athletic apparel and shoemaker Adidas America Inc. faces $396,377 in new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for failing to correct fall hazards at its Chester, New York, warehouse, which was originally cited in March 2022, the agency announced August 9. OSHA also issued the employer a Failure to Abate notice on top of […]

Oklahoma Contractor Cited in Fatal Trench Collapse

Jerlow Construction Co., an Edmond, Oklahoma, contractor, faces $85,173 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines after a 61-year-old pipe layer suffered fatal injuries when a 9-foot-deep trench collapsed at a residential worksite near Shawnee, OSHA announced August 6. The employer has a history of workplace safety violations dating back to 2018, including three […]

CSB Calls for Greater Use of Remote Isolation Equipment at Chemical Plants

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) issued a call for greater use of remote isolation equipment at U.S. chemical facilities, the board announced July 25. A new safety study titled “Remote Isolation of Process Equipment” offered recommendations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as […]