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.
Free Special Report: What to Expect from an OSHA Inspection
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued temporary guidance on enforcement of initial and annual fit-testing requirements in the Respiratory Protection standard for Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs). Enforcement discretion is limited to healthcare personnel or other workers engaged in high- or very high-exposure-risk activities.
States with their own workplace safety and health programs continue strong enforcement of both occupational safety and health regulations and their governors’ orders allowing the reopening of businesses. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited five grocery stores, including two that failed to report employee deaths. The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration […]
Will workplace safety and health inspectors show up at your facility if workers contract coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and one of them files a complaint? Yes; in fact, it’s already happened.
In the third quarter (Q3), OSHA issued citations to companies across the United States for violations of trenching standards, confined spaces, fall protection, and more.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited six San Francisco Bay Area employers, including hospitals, a police department, and skilled nursing facilities, for failing to protect their employees from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) cited 19 different businesses with serious “general duty” violations for failing to implement safety and health workplace guidelines, exposing employees to hazards of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Why are there still shortages of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs)? Basically, when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was declared in March, a spike in demand for N95 respirators met a “just-in-time” supply chain. Both industry and government have moved to address shortages. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by an infection of the […]
In response to complaints by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), on August 25, 2020, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) announced it would open a review of the penalties the EPA has assessed against San Francisco due to sewer overflows.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued citations to frozen food manufacturer Overhill Farms Inc. and a temporary employment agency Jobsource North America Inc. for failing to protect hundreds of employees from COVID-19 at two plants in Vernon. The agency proposed penalties of over $200,000 for each employer.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19). The agency proposed a penalty of $13,494 for a single violation, which is the maximum allowed by law.