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Recently, Jordan Barab, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration spoke at the U.S. Small Business Labor Safety (OSHA/MSHA) Roundtable meeting held in Washington, DC. Mr. Barab provided an update on OSHA’s regulatory agenda and rulemaking activities that would likely have an impact on small businesses. Mr. Barab divided…

The latest issue of our weekly Workplace Safety and Health newsletter is available for viewing and contains the following articles:

Court Holds MSHA Has Jurisdiction over Coal Blending Operation. MSHA’s jurisdiction extends to a Virginia coal blending operation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Richmond, has ruled, rejecting a company’s argument…

In a January 23, 2015 letter to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (“Review Commission” or “OSHRC”), the agency that adjudicates contested OSHA citations, several unions, including the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH), North America’s Building Trades Unions (Building Trades), Change to Win and the United Steel, Paper and…

The latest issue of our weekly Workplace Safety and Health newsletter is available for viewing and contains the following articles:

New High Reached in MSHA Discrimination Complaint Filings. The number of discrimination complaints MSHA has filed on behalf of miners reached a new high last year.

Consider Non-Regulatory Alternatives, Small Business Panel on Infectious Diseases…

OSHA is coming under criticism because of changes it has made to its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).  The details were outlined in a memorandum to Regional Administrators dated November 24, 2014.  However, opponents to the changes are upset because the memorandum was not posted on OSHA’s website and the decision to limit…

Starting January 1, 2015, the process for abatement of California OSHA (“Cal-OSHA”) citations changed.  In short, the new law, A.B. 1634, signed by California Governor Jerry Brown in September 2014, prohibits Cal-OSHA (“the Division”) from making penalty modifications to citations unless the alleged violation has been abated and requires employers to abate citations during the…

While there are no current federal laws that prevent workplace bullying in the private sector, “Healthy Workplace” bills have been introduced in 26 states since 2003.  Tennessee recently became the first state to pass the “Healthy Workplace Act,” a law designed to encourage public sector agencies to create an anti-bullying policy that addresses “abusive conduct” …

The latest issue of our weekly Workplace Safety and Health newsletter is available for viewing and contains the following articles:

Hydraulic Oil Poses Greater Fire Risk than Motor Oil, Judge Says. A judge has upheld four MSHA citations against an operator involving hydraulic oil leaks on mobile equipment, but dismissed four identical violations involving accumulations…

On January 1, 2015, OSHA’s new reporting requirements became effective.  Under the new reporting requirements contained in Section 1904.39 employers are now required to report to OSHA any work-related hospitalization of one or more employee, an amputation, an eye loss or fatality.

In a December 16, 2014 interpretation letter, OSHA responded to a question on…