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

Food manufacturing machinery, dough rolling

Amputation Leads to Cal/OSHA Citation of Joint Employers

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited a food manufacturer and staffing agency, seeking over $300,000 in penalties, for lockout/tagout and other violations after a temporary worker lost two fingers cleaning dough-rolling machinery.

Boiler guage

OSHRC Says PSM Rule Covers Connected Vessels

The Process Safety Management (PSM) standard applies to equipment like boilers that don’t involve highly hazardous chemicals if the equipment is interconnected with or located near equipment that does, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission recently decided.

OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Is OSHA Enforcement Really Declining?

The National Employment Law Project claimed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforcement activity has declined in the past two years. The report, “Workplace Safety Enforcement Continues to Decline in Trump Administration,” points to a low number of OSHA inspectors as the primary cause. The full picture, however, is likely more complicated.

Tunnel construction safety

Contractors Cited by Cal/OSHA for San Francisco Tunnel Fatality

California’s Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited two contractors for multiple serious safety violations after a worker was fatally struck by a steel beam last August while working on a light rail tunnel project in San Francisco. The agency is seeking $65,300 in penalties.