OSHA Pitfalls to Avoid in 2021
As part of the backlash against employer-mandated COVID-19 vaccinations, Montana amended its antidiscrimination law to add vaccination status as a protected category. This means that employers are prohibited from inquiring or...more
Many employers have a false notion that OSHA cannot issue a citation if there is no specific standard violated. The reality is, however, that OSHA has a catchall/gap filler provision that allows it to cite an employer...more
Tropical Storm Helene is projected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a major hurricane later this week, and evacuations are already underway in parts of the state. Employers are likely to face inevitable workplace safety risks...more
There is no federal workplace violence prevention standard, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations do not expressly address workplace violence. Yet, when a convenience store employee was shot during a...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is preparing to release a proposed standard on workplace violence prevention in healthcare settings in December 2024....more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to focus on preventing workplace violence in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings, where employees are five...more
As record-high temperatures enveloped most of the U.S. earlier this month, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a proposed rule for comprehensive heat injury and illness prevention....more
After years of development, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued proposed regulations last week intended to address employee exposure to dangerous heat and humidity while at work. Affected...more
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...more
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...more
OSHA has been working a proposed standard for indoor and outdoor heat illness since 2021. This month the proposed standard has been sent to the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review. ...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans to propose a new rule requiring employers to protect employees exposed to high temperatures at work. This federal government regulation is the first of its kind to...more
For several years, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been working on a safety standard intended to address worker exposure to heat stress and related medical issues. With summer temperatures...more
Executive Summary: This is Part 4 of a series of Alerts exploring different facets of the ongoing opioid addiction crisis afflicting our country. Our initial Alert on June 12, 2023 outlined the big-picture issues associated...more
This series of articles is intended to provide the reader with a very high-level overview of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and how both influence...more
Although this is the OSHA webinar series, in this webinar, we’ll be analyzing the intersection of EPA’s new Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) chemical exposure limits and OSHA enforcement of workplace chemical exposure....more
Workplace violence has been a focus for both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) for several years, as it continues to be one of the leading...more
Workplace violence is an issue that impacts employees and employers alike. While OSHA uses the General Duty Clause to address such issues, some states are enacting their own laws about it. As we reported a few weeks ago,...more
On March 1, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed its final “Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Programs Under the Clean Air Act; Safer Communities by Chemical Accident...more
On January 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“Department”) Office of Solicitor (“SOL”) published its FY2023 Enforcement Report (“Enforcement Report”). The report provides an insight into the Department’s labor and...more
Those in your workplace who use air fresheners are likely confident they are doing everyone a favor – but could an office air freshener actually lead to an OSHA citation against your organization? Read on to find the...more
In the last several years, most regions of the United States have experienced periods of severe winter weather with frigid temperatures and bone-chilling winds. Winter weather carries a variety of hazards, from cold-stress...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has recently highlighted tractor operator safety by increasing use of rollbars or cage frames....more
“Excessive.” “Feels Like.” “Heat Dome.” All of these words and phrases come up in almost every conversation these days. With another summer of record heat upon us, OSHA continues to move forward with a proposed heat standard....more
The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Nevada OSHA) seeks to implement a new regulation aimed at preventing heat-related illnesses and ensuring the well-being of workers in the state. While this regulation...more