Seyfarth Synopsis: Federal OSHA has proposed new rulemakings seek to minimize respiratory protection requirements for employers which may require employers to update practices in 2026.
In June 2026, OSHA has advanced a proposal to amend the Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) and scheduled virtual public hearings on this and other proposed rulemakings.
1. What’s the Change to the Respiratory
Continue Reading OSHA Proposes New Rules on Respiratory Protection and 20 Other Standards
Seyfarth Synopsis: California and New York will soon be requiring Narcan in some workplace first aid kits. While Narcan provides a meaningful, prompt, and potentially lifesaving response to opioid overdoses, effective implementation of a Narcan program may require employee training and an expanded first aid response structure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 54,000 to 57,000 opioid‑related
Continue Reading Preventing Workplace Overdose Deaths — New York and California Plan Narcan (Naloxone) Requirements
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers often fail to appreciate the ramifications of industrial hygiene data and medical records. Even non-detect records must be maintained for 30+ years and provided to employees or representatives upon request.
OSHA’s Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records standard, 29 CFR § 1910.1020, is one of the most frequently misunderstood — and quietly enforced — provisions in
Continue Reading Employee Exposure Records and Medical Records: Avoiding OSHA Citations and Defending Against Future Workers’ Compensation, Tort, and ADA Claims
Under OSHA’s General Duty Clause, employers must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause serious injury or death. OSHA regulations require PPE and respiratory protection where necessitated by the hazards at the workplace. Infectious diseases represent a recognized hazard at many workplaces across the United States (particularly in healthcare) and employers must implement appropriate procedures to protect
Continue Reading Navigating the New Public Health Environment: How Employers Should Approach CDC and NIOSH Guidance on Health Hazards in the Trump Administration
Employers with sophisticated safety programs implement overarching Safety and Health Management Systems (“SHMS”, also called Injury and Illness Prevention Plans and Accident Prevention Plans) to ensure that they properly assess hazards, select appropriate safety controls, evaluate safety performance, and engage employees. Federal OSHA recommends an SHMS and routinely demands the development of an SHMS to settle OSHA cases involving serious
Continue Reading Minimizing OSHA Liabilities Through Psychological Safety
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 Hecker, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, James 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. Young, A. 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. Birnbaum, A. 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. Curtis, Adam R. Young, Erin 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