OSHA enforces almost 1,000 standards and tens of thousands of individual regulations related to General Industry, Construction, Maritime, and other industries. Once again, OSHA released its preliminary data for the top ten most frequently cited standards for FY 2024 at the National Safety Council Safety Congress & Expo. Final FY 2024 data will be released in early-April 2025 to
Continue Reading Another Year in The Books – OSHA’s Top Ten Safety Violations for Fiscal Year 2024
By Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Patrick D. Joyce, A. Scott Hecker, Daniel R. Birnbaum, Melissa A. Ortega and Taylor Iaculla
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week we are attending the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The meeting includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Review
Continue Reading Report From Day 2 of The 2024 ABA OSHA/MSHA Law Conference
By Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Patrick D. Joyce, A. Scott Hecker, Daniel R. Birnbaum, Melissa A. Ortega and Taylor Iaculla
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week we are attending the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The meeting includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Review
Continue Reading Report From Day 1 of The 2024 ABA OSHA/MSHA Law Conference
By A. Scott Hecker, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Mine Safety and Health Administration “remains troubled by the fact that our impact inspections continue to discover the same hazards we’ve identified as root causes for fatal accidents and that we know can cause serious occupational illnesses,” says MSHA Assistant Secretary Chris Williamson.
The federal
Continue Reading Mining Accidents Lead to ‘Troubling’ 31% Increase in Worker DeathsBy Brent I. Clark, Benjamin D. Briggs, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Melissa A. Ortega, and Matthew A. Sloan
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week we are attending the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in Sarasota, Florida. The meeting includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Review
Continue Reading Report From Day 1 of The 2022 ABA OSHA/MSHA Law Conference
By A. Scott Hecker, Ilana R. Morady, and Brent I. Clark
Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 21, 2021, President Biden directed MSHA to consider whether COVID-19 emergency temporary standards (“ETS”) are necessary for coal and metal/non-metal mines, and if so, to issue them “as soon as practicable.” While MSHA has not announced an ETS, it recently published new guidance
Continue Reading Biden MSHA Issues “Protecting Miners Guidance” on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in Mines
By Patrick D. Joyce, Ilana R. Morady, Adam R. Young, and Daniel R. Birnbaum
Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth Shaw’s OSHA/MSHA group is at the ABA’s Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting this week. Today, we heard from panels that discussed California Workplace Violence and Indoor Heat Rules, Issues under the Freedom of Information Act, OSHA’s
Continue Reading Day Three at the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting
By Brent I. Clark, Patrick D. Joyce, Ilana Morady, Adam R. Young, and Daniel R. Birnbaum
Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth Shaw’s OSHA/MSHA group is at the ABA’s Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting this week. Today, we heard from the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on Coronavirus and Opioids,
Continue Reading Coronavirus and Technology in the Workplace – Day Two at the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting
By Brent I. Clark, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, and Daniel R. Birnbaum
Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth Shaw’s OSHA/MSHA group is at the ABA’s Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting this week. Today, we heard some introductory remarks from the Solicitor of Labor, a panel who discussed the recent Occupational Safety and Health Review
Continue Reading Day One at the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting
By Brent I. Clark, Ilana R. Morady, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The DOL has published its 2020 increases to MSHA civil penalties.
The DOL has finalized the 2020 inflation adjustments, which will nudge the penalties up 1.764%. 85 Fed. Reg. 2292 (Jan. 15, 2020).
Under the 2020 rule, the new MSHA civil penalties for
Continue Reading MSHA Increases Civil Penalties for 2020