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Employers may soon find OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) asking for additional information during the course of an OSHA inspection. On July 31, 2014, the President signed Executive Order 13673 (Order): Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces. The purpose of the Order is to ensure that employers who contract with the federal government…

OSHA issued a memorandum to Regional Administrators on April 22, 2015 to provide further guidance on evaluating the combustion hazards associated with dust accumulation. Currently, it is possible to infer from OSHA’s Directive, CPL 03-00-008, Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (Reissued), that any dust accumulation of 1/32nd inch or more presents a deflagration or…

The safety data sheet and label format requirements under OSHA’s revised Hazardous Communication Standard officially went into effect on June 1, 2015.  Employers are encouraged to review their safety data sheets and labels to ensure that the meet the new requirements and align with the UN Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.  …

On May 21, 2015 the spring semiannual regulatory agenda for federal agencies was published. This Regulatory Agenda provides a complete list of all regulatory actions that are under active consideration for promulgation, proposal, or review and covers regulatory actions for over 60 federal departments, agencies, and commissions.

The regulatory agenda for the Department of Labor…

Effective August 3, 2015, the construction industry will have its own dedicated Confined Spaces Standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA) similar to already well-established standards which cover general industry. The new standard covers all construction employers whose employees may be subject to confined space hazards, with the exception of specialized construction activities (excavations, underground construction,…

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and OSHA has taken the opportunity to post a blog on the subject in which it reminds employers that “traffic accidents are the number one workplace killer.” OSHA does not require employers to have any type of a cell phone policy in place but in its “Distracted Driving: No…

In the Federal Register Volume 80, Number 72, dated Wednesday, April 15th, OSHA published a Request for Information (RFI) on Communication Tower Safety. The public comment period is open for 60 days and written comments must be submitted by June 15, 2015. Submissions must be identified by referencing Docket No. OSHA-2014-0018.

In its…

In February Jackson Lewis published an article about Cal-OSHA’s proposed changes to its Heat Illness Prevention standard which were approved by a vote of 5-1 by the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. On April 8, California announced that the changes will become effective on May 1, 2015. The changes effect potable water, shade…

OSHA released an update to its Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. The publication includes industry best practices and provides some insight on how to reduce the risk of violence in various healthcare and social service settings.  To protect against violence, OSHA recommends that healthcare providers develop an effective workplace violence prevention program that includes:  (1) Management commitment and employee participation; (2) Worksite analysis/Tracking and Trending; (3) Hazard prevention and control; (4) Safety and health training; and (5) Recordkeeping and program evaluation.  In the Guidelines, OSHA provides several detailed charts to assist employers in navigating and implementing these program elements.

In the Guidelines, OSHA indicates that healthcare and social service workers face a significant risk of job-related violence.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 27 out of the 100 fatalities in the healthcare and social service industries in 2013 were due to assaults and violent acts.  In addition, 70-74% of all workplace assaults occurred in the healthcare and social service industries and assaults comprised 10-11% of workplace injuries involving days away from work for healthcare workers.

Work-related assaults and other incident of workplace violence primarily result from violent behavior from patients, clients and residents in healthcare and social service settings.  Working directly with people who have a history of violence or who have abused drugs or alcohol increase the risk that an employee can be subject to workplace violence.  Working with the public or with relatives of patients and residents also increases the risk of violence.  Other factors that employers should consider in assessing whether their employees are at risk for workplace violence include:

  • Working with volatile, unstable people
  • Transporting patients, residents or clients
  • Working alone in a facility or in a patient’s home
  • Lack of emergency communication
  • Working late at night or early morning hours
  • Working in poor lit corridors, rooms, parking lots and other areas
  • Working in areas with high crime rates
  • Availability of firearms and weapons
  • Long waits for care and services
  • Overcrowded or uncomfortable waiting rooms

Hospitals, Residential Treatment, Non-residential Treatment, Community Care, and Field work settings may have a number of these risk factors that would warrant the need to create a written violence prevention program with the five program elements.Continue Reading OSHA Issues New Guidelines on Workplace Violence Prevention for Healthcare

In a memorandum dated February 11, 2015, Tom Galassi, Director of Directorate of Enforcement Programs, announced that the Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) has been expanded to include upstream oil and gas hazards as High-Emphasis Hazards. Interestingly, the memo was not posted on OSHA’s website until late March after being in effect for over a…