OSHA - General

Ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders are the subject of a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that portends an even greater focus by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the warehousing and distribution center sector.

On October 15, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new enforcement memorandum related to the animal slaughtering and meat processing industries. This is an expansion of an October 2015 enforcement memorandum directed to the same industries. The new memorandum expa

On October 15, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor released expanded guidance for OSHA inspections of employers in the animal slaughtering and processing industry. This guidance supersedes previous guidance issued in 2015, which had been limited to poultry processing establishments.

This is the tenth installment in a series of articles intended to provide the reader with a very high-level overview of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and how both influence workplaces in the United States. By the tim

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision overturned the decades-old Chevron doctrine of judicial deference to a federal agency’s interpretation of an ambiguous statute.

On September 17, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a statement concerning the proposed revisions to the Fire Brigades Standard (to become the “Emergency Response Standard”). The statement reflects an adjustment of OSHA’s position related to volunteer emergency res

Jane Heidingsfelder, a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group, authored the article "OSHA Walkaround Rule Raises Unionization and Constitutional Concerns for Employers" published by the…

Jamie Spataro discusses what’s next for OSHA rulemaking and interpretive authority after SCOTUS overturned “Chevron deference.” Industry Today View (Subscription required)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Walkaround Rule has sparked a legal showdown between business associations and OSHA in a U.S. District Court in Texas. The agency’s rulemaking powers and businesses’ civil liberties are at stake.

Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) made nearly a decade of serious event reporting data—from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2023—publicly available for review and study via OSHA’s new Severe Injury Report (SIR) dashboard. Given the creation of this dashboard, i

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule on reducing workplace risks related to extreme heat has recently begun raising concerns that the attempt to mandate paid breaks may go beyond OSHA's congressionally authorized authority, as well as beyond promoting the safety o

This is the ninth installment in a series of articles intended to provide the reader with a very high-level overview of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and how both influence workplaces in the United States.

This is the eighth installment in a series of articles intended to provide the reader with a very high-level overview of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and how both influence workplaces in the United States. By the ti

On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce , overturned its four-decade long Chevron doctrine announced by the Court in its landmark decision of Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc .

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is preparing to release a proposed standard on workplace violence prevention in healthcare settings in December 2024

On July 2, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a proposed rule on “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.” The rule would apply to all employers and be triggered when employees are exposed to temperatures of 80ºF for more than fift

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unveiled its long-anticipated proposed heat illness prevention rule, which would require employers to monitor excessive heat in the workplace and develop and implement plans to address it. However, anticipated legal challenges could provide a

The Department of Labor released its long-awaited proposed rule to protect indoor and outdoor workers from hazards associated with extreme heat. As expected, it focuses on water, rest shade, acclimatization, and training.