OSHA - General

It’s that time of year again…when OSHA tells us what is on the horizon for rulemaking activity. Last week 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 prom

Today marks the first day of OSHA’s 5th annual National Stand-Down. The week-long event aims to focus attention on the fact that “Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 370 of the 991 construction fatalities record

In a news release issued today, OSHA notified employers in state plans that they must submit their injury and illness data through OSHA’s portal even if their state has not yet adopted the new requirements of the “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses” regulation. According to OSHA,

During the April 12th U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriation’s Subcommittee Hearing to review the FY2019 Department of Labor Budget Request, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta was questioned on OSHA’s injury and illness record-keeping regulation passed under Obama’s administration, Improve Tracking of

Scott Mugno’s confirmation to head OSHA appears to be one of three key Department of Labor nominees caught up in political arm wrestling. Republicans are blaming Democrats for delaying the process by drawing out debates to the full 30 hours permitted by the Senate Rules. Senate Majority Leader Mitch

With what has now become a regular ritual, lawmakers rushed to pass a $1.3 trillion omnibus bill on the last possible day to avoid a government shutdown. The 2,300-page bill was passed by the House last Thursday by a vote 256-167 with many Democrats joining Republicans to support the bill.

Under OSHA’s Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses regulation, certain employers covered by OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements must annually file either their 300A or their 300A, 300 Log and 301 forms depending on the establishment size and other criteria. For 2017, all employers cover

Under the leadership of new OFCCP Director Ondray Harris, the Agency has issued its first policy directive of 2018. Directive 2018-01, effective February 27, addresses an area of concern discussed at length during the Agency’s listening sessions earlier this year: the need for increased transparency

Members of a key Congressional committee recently made clear that it is looking to nudge the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) into a more cooperative direction. Some industry leaders have observed that, under the Trump administration, OSHA has begun to do just that.

Earlier this month OSHA published a guidance document for the tree care industry, “Solutions for Tree Care Hazards.” The two page publication addresses five major hazards for the tree care industry, including traffic control, chippers, aerial lifts, power lines and drop zones for falling objects.

Employers covered by OSHA’s recordkeeping rule are required to prepare and post the OSHA Form 300A, “Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses,” beginning February 1 and keep the form posted until April 30. The form must be posted at each establishment covered, in a conspicuous place where noti

Starting the year with a bang, the Cal/OSHA Division said it intends to finalize several new standards this year, including on indoor heat illness prevention. It also intends to release new workplace violence prevention for general industries regulations and new regulations to affect the Cannabis in

Not only is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continuing to crack down on employers suspected of retaliating against employees who blow the whistle and will not hesitate to pursue litigation on behalf of employees, OSHA considers lawsuits against whistleblowers to constitute a

Employers covered by the recordkeeping requirements in Section 1904 are reminded that Friday, December 15th is the DEADLINE to electronically submit their 2016 300A. This requirement applies to establishments with 250 or more employees and to establishments in certain high-risk industries with 20 or

Although the Department of Labor under new Labor Secretary Alex Acosta has indicated that it will be scaling back on the broad interpretation of joint employer for purposes of determining enforcement liability, on November 6, 2017, OSHA filed an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circ

On November 21, 2017, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) extended the date by which employers must electronically report injury and illness data through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) (https://www.osha.gov/injuryreporting/index.html) to December 15, 2017.

Today OSHA announced that it will delay the electronic submission requirements for employers covered by the recordkeeping requirements in Section 1904 until December 15, 2017. Last year OSHA finalized its Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses regulation, which established new requirem

On November 9, 2017, OSHA published a Final Rule further extending by one year the employer duty to ensure the competency of crane operators involved in construction work. Previously, this duty was scheduled to terminate on November 10, 2017, but is now extended to November 10, 2018. OSHA is also fu

The Oct. 11, 2017, webinar in our Workplaces that Win certificate series consisted of a safety and health update. During the event, we discussed topics that included:

Late last Friday, the White House issued a press release announcing President Trump’s intention to nominate several more key administration officials, including Scott Mugno as Assistant Secretary of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health.