Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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.
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Except when required during outbreaks, California workers no longer need to wear face coverings outside, and fully vaccinated workers do not need to wear them indoors. However, workers are explicitly allowed to wear a face covering without fear of retaliation from employers. California workplaces have new emergency temporary standards (ETSs) for exposures to COVID-19. The […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published its long-awaited emergency temporary standard (ETS) and accompanying guidance, “Protecting Workers,” on June 10, 2021. The ETS applies to covered healthcare employers, while the guidance articulates best practices for all employers in providing a “safe and healthful workplace.” Like the emergency rules issued by the Michigan Occupational Safety and […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Region V office in Chicago recently established a regional emphasis program (REP) of targeted outreach and enforcement of the agency’s occupational noise exposure standard (29 CFR 1910.95) in Midwest manufacturing facilities. OSHA Region V includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. “Earning a living […]
A Wisconsin milling facility is facing a proposed $676,808 in penalties for health and safety violations following a fatal grain engulfment accident; it took emergency services 9 hours to recover the body of the 52-year-old manager. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Didion Milling, Inc., of Cambria, Wisconsin, with 4 willful and 10 […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued nine notices of unsafe and unhealthful working conditions to the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare system (VACT) for one willful, three repeat, and five serious “violations” after two workers were fatally injured by a hot steam release. OSHA does not cite and penalize other federal agencies, but if […]
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited Foster Poultry Farms, Inc., of Livingston and four staffing agencies for not protecting workers from COVID-19. The agency proposed that Foster Farms pay fines totaling $181,500.
In a report dated May 12, 2021, the EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) concluded that the Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training (OCEFT) and its National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) continue to struggle with safety concerns and staffing constraints, which may jeopardize the offices’ ability to achieve their mission of holding criminal polluters […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unveiled a preliminary list of its top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year (FY) 2020 earlier this year. Check out our Safety Stand Down Week infographic below to learn details about what was on the latest list so your organization can avoid becoming the […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited six contractors building luxury single-family homes at a site in Medford, New Jersey, for fall protection and other violations and proposed penalties of nearly $250,000. The agency conducted multiple inspections, including three as part of its Regional Emphasis Program (REP) on Falls in Construction (Directive no. 2019-1, […]
A Department of Labor (DOL) administrative law judge, Dennis Phillips, found hospital management companies UHS of Delaware Inc. and Premier Behavioral Health Solutions of Florida Inc. exposed workers to workplace violence and showed bad faith by allowing the destruction of surveillance videos showing instances of workplace violence at a Bradenton, Florida, psychiatric facility. Phillips assessed […]