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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Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., the operator of discount retailers Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores, has entered into a settlement agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency announced August 23. OSHA has frequently cited Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores, as well as competitor Dollar General, for safety violations, most often […]
Rite Aid Corp. agreed to implement a program to protect employees, including front-end customer service staff, against bloodborne pathogen (BBP) hazards at its approximately 370 New Jersey and New York stores, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced August 21. The agreement follows an agency investigation opened in April 2022 after a retail employee […]
OSHA issued updated inspection procedures for the hazard communication standard in 2015. Here’s what you need to know about HAZCOM inspections.
A steam explosion at a Bedford, Ohio, foundry caused a maintenance supervisor’s death and injuries to 15 other employees, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) concluded, citing I. Schumann & Co. LLC for failing to protect workers from the hazard of steam explosions. The agency cited the company for six serious violations, proposing penalties […]
On August 3, 2023, the EPA announced Robert Yundt Homes, LLC, and Robert Yundt, a homebuilder based in Alaska, were assessed fines of $107,000 for alleged Clean Water Act (CWA) violations as part of a proposed consent decree. “From 2019 through 2021, Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Yundt are accused of using heavy earthmoving […]
Norfolk Southern Corp. has entered into a settlement agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Teamsters’ railway union to address health and safety concerns at a train derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio. A Norfolk Southern train derailed on February 2, 2023, causing a 49-railcar pileup, including 11 tank cars of […]
An Amazon warehouse in Logan Township, New Jersey, required employees to perform tasks leading to bodily stress that had caused or was likely to cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced August 3. OSHA cited Amazon for ergonomic hazards, proposing penalties totaling $15,625, and issued a Hazard Alert Letter regarding […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced August 2 that a Houston steel erection company is facing $266,416 in proposed penalties for fall protection violations. Sonny Steel Erectors Inc. has a history of serious and repeat violations dating back more than a decade, according to the agency. However, the employer again failed to correct […]
Under the Biden administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued five National Emphasis Programs (NEPs) since 2021. Because OSHA doesn’t have the personnel to inspect every workplace in America, NEPs, along with Local and Regional Emphasis Programs (LEPs, REPs), enable the agency to focus its enforcement resources. Starting in July 2021, the […]
On July 21, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it cited Petco’s North Andover, Massachusetts, pet supply store for routinely exposing employees to live and dead rodents, as well as their droppings and urine. Agency inspectors also found that the North Andover store exposed employees to electrical hazards by blocking access to electrical […]