August 1, 2016, is the effective date for imposition of higher fines by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but violations alleged in inspections occurring as recently as this February may be subject to the increased fees, according to OSHA. To read the full article, written by Nickole Winnett, click here.
OSHA Enforcement
OSHA Releases Final Rule on Respirable Crystalline Silica
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in Articles, OSHA Enforcement
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a pre-publication copy of its final rule, Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica. The rule will be published in the March 25, 2016, Federal Register and will be effective in 90 days. To read the full article, written by Henry Chajet, click here.
OSHA Enforcement Program Targets Midwest Manufacturing Industries
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in Articles, OSHA Enforcement
Manufacturing industries with elevated injury and illness rates in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska face an increased probability of getting a comprehensive safety and health inspection as a result of an initiative launched by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on January 25. To read the full article, written by Tressi Cordaro, click here.
OSHA publishes New Whistleblower Investigations Manual
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Posted in OSHA Enforcement, OSHA Guidance
On January 28, 2016, OSHA released an updated Whistleblower Investigations Manual (OSHA Instruction CPL 02-03-005) to replace the manual dated April 21, 2015. The new manual makes three significant changes:
- The sections on Investigative Records and Statistics have been deleted. Investigative Records is covered in the new Chapter 23, “Information Disclosure.”
- Chapter 3, “Conduct of
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OSHA Launches the Serious Event Reporting Online Form
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Posted in OSHA Enforcement, OSHA Guidance
On January 1, 2015, the new injury and illness reporting requirements went into effect requiring employers to report to OSHA fatalities as a result of a work-related incident within 8 hours, and in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, or loss of an eye as a result of a work-related incident within 24 hours. The new reporting requirement allowed…
Feds Launch Initiative to Toughen Penalties for Worker Safety Violations
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in Articles, OSHA Enforcement
In a new enforcement effort involving the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the federal government is launching an initiative aimed at putting more bite into penalties for alleged worker safety violations. To read the full article, written by Avi Meyerstein, click here.
OSHA Gets Authorization to Boost Penalty Amounts
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in Articles, OSHA Enforcement
As expected, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is pleased that agency fines will be going up as much as 82 percent next year, even though the authorization from Congress in a budget bill was unexpected. To read the full article, written by Avi Meyerstein, click here.
OSHA’s Withdrawal of Slips, Trips and Falls Rule May Harm Defenses to Citations
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in OSHA Enforcement, OSHA Rulemaking
OSHA first proposed a rule on Slips, Trips and Falls in 1990. Since that time, many employers have taken advantage of this proposed rule in making certain arguments related to Citations issued under Subpart D, the Walking-Working Surfaces regulations. If you never used this argument, you may be wondering how a proposed rule could help…
OSHA Launches Preventing Workplace Violence in Healthcare Webpage
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Posted in OSHA Enforcement, OSHA Guidance
OSHA launched a new Preventing Workplace Violence in Healthcare webpage this week. It contains several new tools and resources to help healthcare facilities combat workplace violence, including:
- An executive summary for hospital administrators and others who want to learn more about the prevalence of workplace violence in healthcare, associated costs, key risk factors, and what
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Who is Responsible for Recording Injuries and Illnesses of Temporary Workers?
By Tressi L. Cordaro on
Posted in OSHA Enforcement, OSHA Letter of Interpretation
OSHA is being criticized for a recent interpretation letter clarifying who is responsible for recording illnesses and injuries in what the agency considers a “joint employer relationship” where supervision is shared between a host employer and a staffing agency. In deciding whether the host employer or the staffing agency is responsible for recording injuries and…