California employers must now conduct an assessment of their workplaces for hazards that may require the use of certain personal protective equipment (PPE) and train employees in the use, care, and limitations of required PPE. The PPE included in the scope of the new rules are eye and face protection, foot protection, head protection, and hand
OSHA Rulemaking
OSHA to Hold Teleconferences on MSD Column Rule
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
OSHA announced today that it will be holding a series of three teleconferences, in partnership with the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, on OSHA’s proposed musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) column rule. The teleconferences are designed to provide small businesses the opportunity to weigh-in on "their experiences in recording work-related MSDs and how they believe the proposed rule would…
OSHA’s Crystalline Silica Rule At OMB For Review
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
OSHA is a step closer to publishing a proposed rule regulating crystalline silica exposure in general industry, construction, and maritime. OSHA’s proposal has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under Executive Order 12866. This is the final internal review before the proposal gets published in the Federal Register and signals that…
OSHA Temporarily Withdraws MSD Column Rule From OMB Review
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
The Department of Labor has just announced that OSHA is temporarily withdrawing from review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) its proposed rule to restore a column for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) on employer injury and illness logs.
The rule, originally proposed last year, would have required employers to “check a box” in a separate column on the…
OSHA Releases Fall Regulatory Agenda
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
On December 20, 2010, OSHA released its fall regulatory agenda, which sets forth the Agency’s current rulemaking priorities. Over the last several months OSHA has been emphasizing the need to push forward on several regulatory inititatives. OSHA rulemaking, however, can be painstakingly slow, and OSHA’s fall regulatory agenda reflects that.
Of particular note, the issuance of…
OMB Extends Review of OSHA’s MSD Column Rule
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
In a surprise and rare move, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has extended its review of OSHA’s Occupational Injury Recording and Reporting Requirements Rule — Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) Column. The rule, originally proposed this year, would require employers to “check a box” in a separate column on the OSHA 300 log – an…
OSHA Looking to Change Popular On-Site Consultation Program
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
OSHA has proposed to make significant changes to its On-site Consultation program. This popular program, in OSHA’s own words, "provides well-trained professional safety and health personnel, at no cost and upon request of an employer, to conduct worksite visits to identify occupational hazards and provide advice on compliance with OSHA regulations and standards." Consultation services are provided through cooperative agreements…
Special Report on OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
Now that OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction final rule has been "officially" published in the Federal Register, employers must start the painstaking task of crawling through all of the new requirements and making sure their policies and procedures are fully compliant. The vast majority of the rule’s new requirements take effect on November 8, 2010, so that…
OSHA’s Regulatory Agenda Picking Up Steam
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
After issuing a flurry of new enforcement initiatives earlier in the year, such as the Severe Violator Enforcement Program and its memorandum administratively increasing civil penalties, OSHA seems to have shifted its focus a little back toward its regulatory program. OSHA rulemaking often proceeds at a glacial pace, but in the last few months the Agency has issued two…
OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks Final Rule Issued
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in OSHA Rulemaking
OSHA’s final rule on Cranes and Derricks in Construction has been issued. Click here to view the document. As we review the document further, we will provide additional information on the new requirements.