By Adam R. Young, Brent I. Clark, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: Federal OSHA is rolling out an aggressive COVID-19 enforcement program to inspect “high hazard” employers, as well as re-inspect those healthcare employers who have received COVID-19 complaints in the past.
In March 2022 at the ABA OSHA conference, OSHA enforcement leadership publicly declared the “COVID-19
Continue Reading COVID-19 “Endemic” is Not Over: OSHA is Opening New COVID-19 Programmed Inspections
By Adam R. Young, James L. Curtis, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: A manufacturer was issued a “willful citation” for failure to correct a machine guarding deficiency identified in a previous audit.
After the amputation, OSHA conducted an injury investigation into the Pennsylvania company’s industrial facility. OSHA uncovered that the Company had previously identified
Continue Reading Conduct Guarding Analyses Under Attorney-Client Privilege! OSHA Issues Willful Violation after Uncorrected Alleged Guarding Issue Results in Amputation
By David Malter, CIH, CSP, CPEA, ROH (Guest Author), Adam R. Young, Mark A. Lies, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: In a new journal article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Bacterial Special Pathogens Branch, researchers have identified specific cases of a deadly
Continue Reading Welder’s Anthrax: Newly Identified Health Hazard Among Employees Exposed to Welding Fumes
By Ilana Morady, Patrick D. Joyce, and Coby Turner
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 21, 2022, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board (“Board”) voted 6-1 to approve a third adoption of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (“ETS”). The revised ETS will likely go into effect the first week of May and will expire on December 31, 2022.
Background
As
Continue Reading Third Iteration of the Cal/OSHA ETS Approved
By Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has developed a new Regional Emphasis Program (REP) to identify and reduce hazards in the cut stone and stone products industry, which OSHA alleges to have the highest documented overexposures to respirable crystalline silica in the
Continue Reading Silica is the New Asbestos: New OSHA Regional Emphasis Program Will Target Respirable Silica Hazards in Six States
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, Patrick D. Joyce, James L. Curtis, Mark A. Lies, II, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched a National Emphasis Program to protect “millions of workers from heat illness and injuries. Through the program, OSHA will conduct heat-related workplace inspections before workers suffer
Continue Reading Vice President Harris Announces New OSHA Emphasis Program for Heat Illness
By Ilana Morady, Patrick D. Joyce, and Coby Turner
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Cal/OSHA Standards Board (“Board”) has published proposed language for the third adoption of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (“ETS”), which will be voted on during the upcoming April 21, 2022 Board meeting. The ETS, assuming it is readopted, will expire on December 31, 2022.
Continue Reading Third Iteration of the Cal/OSHA ETS is Around the Corner
By Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: As we previously blogged, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to expand requirements for employers to submit OSHA forms via its Injury Tracking Application
Continue Reading OSHA Aims to Boost Injury Reporting Rule Compliance with its Injury Tracking Application Enforcement Program
By Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The rate of positive drug test results among America’s workforce reached its highest rate in 2021 since 2001, and was up more than 30% in the combined U.S. workforce from an all-time low in 2010-2012, according to a new analysis released by Quest Diagnostics
Continue Reading Workforce Drug Test Positivity Climbs to Highest Level in Two Decades