Live events are part and parcel of California’s landscape. From Coachella to county fairs, thousands of workers each year participate in setting up and tearing down the infrastructure at these public event venues....more
The California legislature has passed a slew of new workplace safety laws – many of which would change the landscape for California employers. Now that the September 30 deadline for the governor to sign or veto bills has...more
The OSHA process for issuing a new heat regulation is finally heating up. On August 30, 2024, OSHA published its Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in the Federal Register. The path to get to this NPRM has been a long...more
According to 2020 OSHA data, there were 976 construction-related fatalities. Of those 88 fatalities included construction supervisors, making it clear that safety awareness is critical for everyone on a project site and not...more
Between the host employer and the staffing agency, who is responsible for the health and safety training of temporary workers? The staffing agency and the host employer jointly employ temporary workers and, therefore, they...more
Punitive damages are awarded against an employer in favour of an employee only if the employer engaged in wrongful acts that are outrageous, reprehensible, and offensive to ordinary standards of decent conduct in the...more
Home speaker maker Sonos has sued Google, accusing the company of “infringing on five of its patents, including technology that lets wireless speakers connect and synchronize with one another.” Sonos had originally partnered...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA recently updated its National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing Industries (NEP), adding a targeting methodology for industries with high employer-reported amputation statistics....more
In 2009, Nevada implemented mandatory safety training for employees performing work on construction sites. In 2017, Nevada expanded that mandatory safety training to include employees involved in the presentation or...more
On Feb. 1, 2019, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) reversed an OSHA citation issued to Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc., as the controlling employer, for a fall protection violation. In this ruling, the...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
Workplace violence is one of the most troubling issues keeping HR professionals and in-house counsel up at night – and with good reason. Just last week alone, there were three workplace shootings in a span of 24 hours. ...more
June is National Safety Month, so it’s a good time for operators to step back and take a hard look at their respective safety policies. Not only is this important for employee safety, it can also have a significant impact on...more
Folks who follow my writing know that of the many groups to which I speak, the AGC National Safety Committee is my favorite. I love the industry and I value the clients and contacts who have become friends, even Bob Emmerich,...more
Every time a natural disaster hits, we learn of at least one person who tragically died of a heart attack when placed in a stressful or unusual situation. Sadly, we hear little about the hundreds of thousands of other deaths...more
It’s a news headline we’ve seen too often, including several times in recent weeks: another disgruntled employee or former employee has entered the workplace and killed or injured coworkers. What can you do to minimize the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The National STEPS Network provides a working model of an industry wide employee onboarding and safety training program. We attended the World Safety Organization International Environmental and...more
Take a look around you. There’s a good chance you work at a facility that uses a Powered Industrial Truck (PIT). OSHA defines a PIT as “any mobile power-propelled truck used to carry, push, pull, lift, stack or tier...more
I understand from my conversations with manufacturing executives that many companies need to use staffing agencies in order to locate skilled workers. In most cases, companies will hire the temps that work out after a trial...more
Ever wonder how your employees would handle a life-threatening situation? Well, four supervisors of the West Kern Water District apparently did. And they didn’t just wonder; concerned about robberies in the area and following...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the primary federal agency charged with responsibility for enforcing workplace health and safety regulations, has been very active under the Obama Administration. In...more
Beginning on July 1, 2014, employers in Ontario will have an added responsibility of ensuring that all workers and all supervisors in all workplaces that fall subject to the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA)...more
A lawsuit filed against a business in Minneapolis, Minnesota demonstrates that the problems associated with workplace violence do not necessarily end once the violence stops. Recently, the family of one of six individuals...more