By Brent I. Clark, Meagan Newman, and Craig B. Simonsen

iStock_000060649768MediumOSHA has just announced a compliance Directive on “Inspection Procedures for the Hazard Communication Standard,” CPL 02-02-079 (July 9, 2015).

We had previously blogged that June 1, 2015 was the deadline for compliance with the all new hazardous communication (HazCom) standard (29 CFR section 1910.1200) (HCS 2012)
Continue Reading OSHA Directive on Inspection Procedures for the Hazard Communication Standard

By Brent I. Clark and Kerry M. Mohan

In a continued report from last week’s ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in Naples, Florida. On Wednesday the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Dr. David Michaels, addressed OSHA’s policy issues and enforcement.

Dr. Michaels reiterated OSHA’s goal to issue a silica standard, which he hopes will be finalized
Continue Reading Update from the ABA OSHA/MSHA Conference

By James L. Curtis and Craig B. Simonsen

Through a fifty-five page proposed rule in the form of a Request for Information (RFI), 79 Fed. Reg. 61384 (October 10, 2014), OSHA has re-opened a “national dialogue on hazardous chemical exposures and permissible exposure limits” (PELs) in the workplace.

The OSHA’s PELs are the regulatory limits on the amount or concentration
Continue Reading OSHA “Launches” Rulemaking to Significantly Update and Massively Increase the Number of Chemicals with Permissible Exposure Limits

By James L. Curtis and Craig B. Simonsen

OSHA has just released a new recommendation that employers “voluntarily” comply with lower chemical permissible exposure limits (PELs) than those that currently exist in the OSHA regulations. OSHA’s explanation is that the OSHA PELs are out-of-date and inadequately protective for the chemicals that are regulated in the workplace and that it is
Continue Reading OSHA Publishes Annotated Permissible Exposure Limits and Chemical Toolkit