Seyfarth Synopsis: Ongoing wildfires in Southern California trigger Cal/OSHA regulations that require employers to train and protect employees from wildfire smoke. The regulation applies to most outdoor workplaces, requiring employers to provide N95 respirators at certain AQI trigger levels, effective communication, and training on wildfire smoke hazards.

Devastating and fast-moving wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in

Continue Reading As Wildfires Rage in Los Angeles, Employers Must Comply with Cal/OSHA’s Wildfire Smoke Rules

By A. Scott HeckerAdam R. YoungPatrick D. JoyceJames L. Curtis, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: On its website, OSHA is highlighting the hazards of working in winter weather and providing resources for employers to help protect their workers. 

Employers must remember that weather-based hazards exist not only in the heat and humidity

Continue Reading From Snowmageddon to Snowpocalypse: OSHA Highlights Potential Winter Weather Hazards

By Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. YoungA. Scott Hecker, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a new set of best practices to assist host employers in better protecting the safety and health of temporary workers.

Since 2013, Federal OSHA has maintained

Continue Reading NIOSH Best Practices to Help Host Employers Protect Temporary Workers

By Adam R. Young, Daniel R. BirnbaumA. Scott Hecker, James L. Curtis, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis:  With concerns of infectious disease at the forefront of workplace health and safety in the past several years, and with the traditional flu and cold season upon us, OSHA has reminded the regulated community to prevent the

Continue Reading With Flu Season Upon Us, OSHA Signals That Employers Should Continue To Encourage Vaccination For Their Workforces

By James L. CurtisAdam R. YoungErin Dougherty Foley, and Craig B. Simonsen

The U.S. Department of Labor has blogged about the safety of workers during the busy holiday season, indicating an area of potential enforcement for OSHA in the coming weeks.

In fact OSHA has a Holiday Workplace Safety page to learn more. Crowd management has

Continue Reading Holiday Safety Liabilities and Tips to Limit Employer Liability at Company Parties

By: Adam R. Young, Daniel R. Birnbaum, A. Scott Hecker, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: Recent data continues to show material disparities in serious injury and fatality rates among employees of differing races or ethnicities, with African-Americans and Hispanics showing considerably higher rates.

The National Safety Council has published its Injury Facts® report tracking

Continue Reading Fatality Rates from Occupational Safety and Health Hazards Higher Among Minorities

By Ilana MoradyPatrick D. JoyceCoby TurnerLiz Watson and Juan Rehl-Garcia 

Seyfarth Synopsis: Two big changes are on the horizon for California employers:
(1) changes to the COVID-19 general exposure notification requirements and (2) a proposed “permanent” Cal/OSHA COVID-19 standard to take effect January 1, 2023-2025.

The fall season signals change between the

Continue Reading Changes Coming to CA COVID-19 Requirements

By A. Scott HeckerAdam R. YoungJames L. Curtis, Benjamin D. Briggs, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA is highlighting those employed through staffing agencies, generally called temporary or supplied workers, on its homepage. “Temporary workers” are workers supplied to a host employer and paid by a staffing agency, whether or not
Continue Reading OSHA Focuses on Temporary Worker Employer Responsibilities and Guidance

By  A. Scott HeckerAdam R. Young, James L. Curtis, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: The CDC has found that COVID-19 caseshospitalizations, and deaths are leveling off from their rise over the summer. The CDC advises that Americans can help prevent these numbers from increasing again by staying up to date with 
Continue Reading CDC Interpretive Summary on COVID-19 for August 26, 2022

By Adam R. YoungMelissa A. Ortega, A. Scott HeckerJames L. CurtisBrent I. ClarkBenjamin D. Briggs, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: On August 11, 2022, the CDC, through a press release, eased its COVID-19 guidance to “help us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer
Continue Reading CDC Eases COVID-19 Guidelines