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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A federal jury found that a Massachusetts employer and his company retaliated against an employee who reported an on-the-job injury, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced on June 22. The jury awarded $650,000 in damages—$600,000 in punitive damages and $50,000 in compensatory damages—in the case. The DOL filed a lawsuit in February 2019 against Tara […]
A leaked EPA list reveals more than 160 unlined coal ash ponds across the United States are under investigation for closure. Coal combustion residuals (CCR), or coal ash, which is a byproduct of power plants that burn coal, contain contaminants like arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. According to EPA estimates, more than 140 million tons of […]
On June 22, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a settlement agreement in the case of a fatal fall on June 1, 2020. Industrial Insulation and Coatings LLC of Girard, Ohio, reached a settlement agreement with the agency to resolve litigation before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. In June 2020, OSHA […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a pair of six-figure penalties issued to two employers for fall violations, including citations for a fatal fall. On June 21, the agency revealed it cited a Strasburg, Pennsylvania, framing contractor for two willful and five serious violations, exposing workers to falls as high as 14 feet while […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) June 9 announced it cited a Swainsboro, Georgia, pillow manufacturer for seven repeat and four serious violations and proposed $190,758 in penalties. The agency announced six-figure fines for two other employers, as well. Place Vendome Holding Co. Inc., operating as R&F Marketing, has a history of safety and […]
On June 3, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced citations for two Dollar General stores for endangering employee safety by blocking and locking emergency exits. The agency cited the company for workplace safety violations nationwide. OSHA cited Dolgencorp, LLC, doing business as Dollar General Store, for four willful violations at its Baldwin, Wisconsin, […]
Early in March 2022, the EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the return of the use of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) as part of the available resources that can be utilized in enforcement actions. “An SEP is an enforcement tool that EPA used for more than 30 years until the previous administration brought […]
Four JBS Foods USA subsidiaries and affiliates reached an agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to settle COVID-19 citations at two JBS facilities. The four JBS units agreed to assemble a team of company and third-party experts to develop and implement an infectious disease preparedness plan for seven of its meat processing […]
On May 19, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced a combined $1,753,375 in fines for the Valero Refinery of Benicia and 3 of its contractors following an investigation into the confined space death of a 35-year-old worker. On November 12, 2021, a worker lost consciousness after descending into a regenerator overflow […]
As a result of a legal agreement reached on May 3, 2022, with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), the EPA has nine months to analyze the toxic impact of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC, also commonly referred to as vinyl, is widely used for many functions, and there are currently 7 billion pounds of the […]