By Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Patrick D. Joyce, Mark A. Lies, II, James L. Curtis, Brent I. Clark, Benjamin D. Briggs, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The WHO and the CDC have updated statements and FAQs on the monkeypox disease, declaring the disease a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”
Continue Reading UPDATED: The U.S. Joins WHO, Declaring Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency
By Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Patrick D. Joyce, Mark A. Lies, II, James L. Curtis, Brent I. Clark, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The WHO and the CDC issued statements and FAQs on the monkeypox disease, declaring the disease a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”
On July 23, 2022, the
Continue Reading WHO Declares Monkeypox Disease a Public Health Emergency of International Concern
By Samantha L. Brooks, Karla Grossenbacher, and A. Scott Hecker
Seyfarth Synopsis: On July 12, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued updated guidance for employers on the interplay of workplace bias laws and COVID-19 workplace testing, vaccinations, and other return-to-work issues, including reasonable accommodations and access to employees’ confidential medical information. Employers continue to face these
Continue Reading In Policy Pivot, EEOC Revises Pandemic Guidance To Move Away From A “Direct Threat” Analysis and Focus on “Business Necessity” As Employers Return Employees To The Workplace
By Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Brent I. Clark, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: Omicron BA5 strain has become dominant and has evolved to render vaccinations and boosters less effective, resulting in many employers revisiting their COVID-19 policies.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,
Continue Reading Still Coughing: Now-Dominant COVID-19 Variant Can Elude Current Vaccines, Prompts FDA Action
By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 20, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposal to reconsider or revoke Arizona’s State OSHA plan, which may lead to federal OSHA takeover regulation of private employers in the state. 87 FR 23783 (4/21/22).
By Adam R. Young, Bradley D. Doucette, Bailey G. Green, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowsy driving is not just a major problem in the United States, it is a public health crisis. “Drowsy driving is the dangerous combination of driving and sleepiness or fatigue.
Continue Reading Enter Sandman: Sleep and Occupational Safety at the Wheel
By Benjamin D. Briggs, A. Scott Hecker, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: CDC’s new COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation calculator “takes the stress out of deciding when, and for how long, individuals with COVID-19 and close contacts need to stay home, get tested, and wear a well-fitting mask.”
The new CDC calculator may
Continue Reading CDC Publishes New Quarantine and Isolation Calculator
By: James L. Curtis, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, Melissa Ortega, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Friday, February 25, 2022, the CDC significantly eased COVID-19 mask guidelines. The new guidelines are based on COVID-19 community levels.
As the COVID-19 surge fueled by the Omicron variant began to retreat, many states eased or planned
Continue Reading CDC Eases Pandemic Mask Guidelines
By Melissa A. Ortega, Bradley D. Doucette, Brent I. Clark, Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, A. Scott Hecker
Seyfarth Synopsis: In an unusual special session, on January 7, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding OSHA’s Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which requires employers with
Continue Reading Supreme Court Special Session – The U.S. Supreme Court Hears Arguments on the OSHA COVID-19 ETS
By Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, Matthew A. Sloan, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of fatal work injuries in 2020 was the lowest since 2013.
There were 4,764 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2020, a 10.7% decrease from 5,333
Continue Reading New BLS Data Show Major Hazards Causing Occupational Fatalities in 2020