Category: Enforcement and Inspection
As today’s workplace becomes more complex, regulation of that workplace increases. In this section, you’ll find the practical advice you need to understand exactly what OSHA, other federal agencies, and their state counterparts, require of you, and to comply in the ways that best satisfy both your and their needs. Look also for important court decisions, advice on how to handle enforcement actions, and news of upcoming changes in workplace health and safety law.
Free Special Report: What to Expect from an OSHA Inspection
The EPA recently announced a proposed update to its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing, which help federal government purchasers and other buyers use private sector standards and ecolabels to buy products that are more sustainable and climate-friendly and contain safer chemical ingredients. This update marks the first time in nearly 10 […]
The EPA announced food producer Hiland Dairy Foods Company LLC of Norfolk, Nebraska, has agreed to pay a $93,107 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act’s (CAA) chemical accident prevention provisions. According to the EPA, the company stores more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, a regulated toxic substance, and […]
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in September ruled against the EPA in United States Sugar Corp. v. EPA, unanimously deciding that the EPA erred in retroactively classifying industrial boilers built before 2020 as new sources of emissions. These boilers are used to create heat, electricity, and other forms of energy by burning materials like […]
On October 16, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the release of new inspection guidance for animal slaughtering and processing facilities. Previous guidance only applied to poultry establishments. The updated “Inspection Guidance for Animal Slaughtering and Processing Establishments” is intended to reduce injuries and illnesses resulting from occupational hazards in the meat processing […]
On September 4, 2024, the EPA announced it issued draft Class VI permits to Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC for three proposed wells to be dug for the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Ector County, Texas. These are the first draft permits the EPA has issued in Texas for Class VI wells under […]
A federal administrative law judge (ALJ) ordered Class I railroad freight company CSX Transportation Inc. to reinstate two railroad workers who were wrongfully terminated for reporting safety concerns and pay the workers a total of $453,510, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced October 11. The decision out of the Department of Labor’s Office […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been developing three industry-specific rulemakings that could significantly impact healthcare industry compliance. By the end of the year, the industry could see one new final regulation and two proposed rules. The agency plans to issue a permanent standard sometime in December for exposures to COVID-19 in healthcare […]
Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc., a Fremont, Nebraska, farm cooperative, faces $36,873 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for exposing workers in a palletizing area to ergonomic stressors likely to cause musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, the agency announced October 8. Investigators found that the company required workers to manually lift boxes weighing up to […]
After calling for more accessible public emissions records from Colorado, the EPA abruptly changed course and “proposed to rescind its previous directive that required the State of Colorado to collect and maintain critical air pollution data from the oil and gas industry,” states a Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) press release. “A coalition of […]
The EPA recently announced that food producer Hiland Dairy Foods Company LLC of Norfolk, Nebraska, agreed to pay a $93,107 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act’s (CAA) chemical accident prevention provisions. Reducing risks from accidental releases of hazardous substances at industrial and chemical facilities is a top priority for […]