Insight & Commentary on Occupational Safety & Health Issues
In the wake of the devastating West Texas fertilizer plant explosion in April, the federal government is moving to improve chemical facility safety and security. We anticipate a number of significant government proposals and actions over the next year.
The Presidential Executive Order of August 1, 2013, “Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security,&rdquo…
OSHA recently issued its long-awaited regulatory agenda. The agenda is designed to provide stakeholders with notice of what major regulatory initiatives the agency is planning and the projected timetables for those initiatives.
OSHA’s agenda is the first issued in several months by the agency and provides a glimpse into the regulatory priorities – in…
As Hurricane Sandy bears down on the East Coast, we wanted to highlight some key sources of information for hurricane preparedness and response:
Employers affected by the storm should review their emergency preparedness plans and these sources of information to ensure their employees are fully protected.
OSHA has recently announced two new “initiatives” aimed at improving compliance in traditional "summer-time" areas of concern for the agency: heat illness and falls.
Heat Illness
Since 2009, OSHA has placed a priority on the prevention of heat illness, especially in the hot summer months. The most recent campaign is intended to raise the awareness among workers and…
In a recent memorandum to Regional Administrators and Whistleblower Program Managers, Richard Fairfax, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA, has provided "guidance to both field compliance officers and whistleblower investigative staff on several employer practices that can discourage employee reports of injuries and violate section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH…
As the winter storm season approaches, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has focused on protecting workers from hazards during winter storm response and recovery operations. OSHA’s new webpage, entitled “Winter Storms,” provides employers with information on preparing for winter storms and identifying and controlling hazards associated with winter storm conditions.
A number of hazards…
Click here to access the Summer 2011 edition of the Workplace Safety and Health Reporter. The Reporter highlights recent safety and health developments across the country. We hope you find the newsletter informative.
Click here to access Jackson Lewis’s new newsletter: the Workplace Safety and Health Reporter. The Reporter highlights recent safety and health developments across the country and will be published quarterly. We hope you find the newsletter informative.
OSHA is launching a nationwide outreach campaign "to raise awareness among workers and employers about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather." In furtherance of this campaign, OSHA has developed a webpage devoted exclusively to work-related heat illness.
The website provides links to educational resources to inform employers and employees about heat illness and…
OSHA has just released a hazard alert to hair salon owners warning of potential formaldehyde exposure from working with some hair smoothing and straightening products. In a press release announcing the hazard alert, OSHA states:
Federal OSHA has found formaldehyde in the air when stylists used hair smoothing products, some of which do not have formaldehyde
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