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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited the U.S. subsidiary of a multinational electrical equipment maker for violations of confined space entry, respiratory protection, and other standards, seeking $119,757 in proposed penalties.
On March 12, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a National Emphasis Program (NEP), focusing enforcement on companies at which large numbers of workers face serious risk of COVID-19 infections. The NEP also prioritizes whistleblower protection enforcement for workers who face retaliation for reporting unsafe or unhealthy workplace conditions.
Reduced Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic left U.S. workers’ safety at increased risk, the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded in its audit of the agency.
On February 12, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited an Oak Grove, Missouri, plumbing contractor for two repeated and two serious violations of the agency’s trenching standards. The agency proposed penalties totaling $299,590 for Arrow Plumbing LLC.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Trinity Rail and Maintenance Services Inc. for 11 serious and 2 willful violations after 2 workers sent into a natural gasoline tank car died from inhaling toxic fumes. The agency is seeking $419,347 in proposed penalties.
On January 15, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission vacated an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citation in a fatal attempted robbery of a Pennsylvania Turnpike toll collection van. The cited employer disputed the agency’s citation for a serious violation of the personal protective equipment (PPE) standard (29 CFR 1910.132(a)). An armed guard […]
In conducting COVID-19-related inspections, OSHA has frequently cited employers for violating certain standards. In the fourth quarter (Q4), OSHA cited 176 employers for COVID-19-related violations, including failure to protect employees from exposure to COVID-19 and not following respiratory protection standards. These penalties resulted in $2,936,089 in fines, ranging from $1,000 to nearly $33,000.
On December 14, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated its inspection policy for workplaces with the highest reported injury and illness rates. The Site-Specific Targeting (SST) inspection plan does not include construction industry worksites.
Whistleblower charges alleging workplace safety retaliation have surged dramatically during COVID-19. Approximately 30 percent more charges have been filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) over the same period last year, according to a recent audit from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General.
What should you expect from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the incoming president, Joseph R. Biden Jr.? Will it be a “2.0” version of the agency as it existed under President Barack Obama? How much will the events of the past 4 years alter its priorities?