The federal government recently issued a final rule permitting third parties – including union representatives – to accompany inspectors during facility walkarounds, raising many questions and concerns for employers from both...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) just finalized a rule that will allow workers to designate a union representative to accompany an OSHA inspector during a facility walkaround — regardless of whether...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is close to finalizing a rule that will allow workers to designate a union representative to accompany an OSHA inspector during a facility walkaround — regardless of...more
Even the most experienced employers are sure to have questions from time to time about the nation’s workplace safety agency – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). That’s where we come in. The Fisher...more
2/15/2024
/ Appeals ,
Citations ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Discovery ,
Electronic Records ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
New Rules ,
OSHA ,
OSHRC ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Safety Inspections ,
Safety Violations ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
Federal safety officials have just made good on one of their promises by issuing a proposed rule that would give a designated union representative the right to accompany an OSHA inspector during a facility walkaround —...more
With maximum limits for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties increasing every year, knowing what to do when OSHA arrives at your door is more important than ever. That’s why we’re releasing this...more
With maximum limits for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties increasing every year – currently over $15,000 for serious/other than serious citations and more than $150,000 for a repeat and willful –...more
When Fisher Phillips attorneys recently secured a key victory over a state OSHA plan that was improperly trying to create a quota system to encourage investigators to issue citations and assess penalties, it opened the door...more
With maximum limits for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties increasing every year – currently over $15,000 for serious/other than serious citations and more than $150,000 for a repeat and willful –...more
With maximum limits for Occupational Safety and Health Administration penalties increasing every year – currently over $15,000 for serious/other than serious citations and more than $150,000 for a repeat and willful – knowing...more
Even the most experienced employers are sure to have questions from time to time about the nation’s workplace safety agency – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). That’s where we come in. The Fisher...more
11/15/2022
/ Appeals ,
Citations ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Discovery ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
OSHA ,
OSHRC ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Safety Inspections ,
Safety Violations ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
Employers may be surprised to learn that North Carolina OSHA’s maximum penalties more than doubled on October 1 — and these penalties will increase every January, starting in 2023, to match the maximum penalties available to...more
When asked at a recent Congressional hearing about which subagency at the Department of Labor would be given priority funding in the near future, the head of the DOL had a quick and definitive answer: “OSHA.” Marty Walsh’s...more
Just because you aren’t a large employer in the construction or manufacturing field, 2022 may be shaping up as the year that you get visited by a federal workplace safety inspector. That’s according to the nation’s first OSHA...more
As the COVID-19 pandemic (mercifully) starts to retreat, many states have begun rolling back face-covering mandates, which often relieve employers of the obligation to require masks for employees and visitors in the...more
5/10/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Citations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
General Duty Clause ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workplace Safety
A recent move by the federal workplace safety watchdog agency means that you should prepare for more COVID-19-related OSHA inspections this spring and summer. On March 12, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration...more
Media outlets announced Saturday that Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. If the legal challenges to the election result fail and he is inaugurated in January, President-Elect Biden can begin taking...more
11/10/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Citations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Safety
Employee safety has always been important, but the recent public shaming of allegedly hazardous workplaces reveals that the public’s disdain for companies that provide unsafe environments for their employees is increasing. No...more
Every presidential administration has its priorities, and President Trump’s is no different. President Trump has put his stamp on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) by stalling, delaying, or modifying...more
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act), employers have a right to be given the opportunity to accompany an OSHA compliance safety and health officer (CSHO) during an inspection of the workplace.
In...more
An accident happens at your workplace, leading to an employee injury. During the hectic response, incorrect information funnels its way up to the safety director charged with notifying OSHA of reportable injuries and...more
An accident happens at your workplace, and an employee is injured. During the hectic response, incorrect information funnels its way up to the safety director or person charged with notifying OSHA of reportable injuries and...more
While it is not comparable to David Letterman’s Top 10 lists, at a recent industry gathering, OSHA announced its annual top 10 violations for fiscal year 2018 (October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2018). For those who have...more
11/16/2018
/ Citations ,
Construction Industry ,
Construction Workers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
General Contractors ,
OSHA ,
Popular ,
Safety Inspections ,
Safety Training ,
Safety Violations ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Safety
In a significant victory for employers, a federal appeals court recently limited OSHA’s ability to expand accident investigations beyond their original and intended scope. The 11th Circuit’s decision in United States v....more
10/18/2018
/ Appeals ,
General Duty Clause ,
Motions to Quash ,
OSHA ,
Probable Cause ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Safety Inspections ,
Safety Violations ,
Search Warrant ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Injury
The changes to MSHA’s workplace examination rule governing metal and nonmetal mines have garnered significant attention. Stakeholders fought back against the original proposed rulemaking, and MSHA delayed implementation three...more
5/22/2018
/ Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ,
Mining ,
New Rules ,
Notification Requirements ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Safety