Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
As today’s workplace becomes more complex, regulation of that workplace increases. In this section, you’ll find the practical advice you need to understand exactly what OSHA, other federal agencies, and their state counterparts, require of you, and to comply in the ways that best satisfy both your and their needs. Look also for important court decisions, advice on how to handle enforcement actions, and news of upcoming changes in workplace health and safety law.
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) June 9 announced it cited a Swainsboro, Georgia, pillow manufacturer for seven repeat and four serious violations and proposed $190,758 in penalties. The agency announced six-figure fines for two other employers, as well. Place Vendome Holding Co. Inc., operating as R&F Marketing, has a history of safety and […]
On June 3, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced citations for two Dollar General stores for endangering employee safety by blocking and locking emergency exits. The agency cited the company for workplace safety violations nationwide. OSHA cited Dolgencorp, LLC, doing business as Dollar General Store, for four willful violations at its Baldwin, Wisconsin, […]
Early in March 2022, the EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the return of the use of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) as part of the available resources that can be utilized in enforcement actions. “An SEP is an enforcement tool that EPA used for more than 30 years until the previous administration brought […]
Four JBS Foods USA subsidiaries and affiliates reached an agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to settle COVID-19 citations at two JBS facilities. The four JBS units agreed to assemble a team of company and third-party experts to develop and implement an infectious disease preparedness plan for seven of its meat processing […]
On May 19, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced a combined $1,753,375 in fines for the Valero Refinery of Benicia and 3 of its contractors following an investigation into the confined space death of a 35-year-old worker. On November 12, 2021, a worker lost consciousness after descending into a regenerator overflow […]
As a result of a legal agreement reached on May 3, 2022, with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), the EPA has nine months to analyze the toxic impact of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC, also commonly referred to as vinyl, is widely used for many functions, and there are currently 7 billion pounds of the […]
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing 7,500 of the EPA’s 14,300 employees, “signaling its dissatisfaction with the White House’s level of action on climate,” will ask the Biden administration to declare a climate emergency, reports Bloomberg Law. “The request represents a marker for the [AFGE] Council 238 when it sits down with the […]
In light of a steep decline in EPA enforcement, a coalition of 55 environmental groups and 144 EPA alumni sent a letter dated May 4, 2022, to U.S. Senate leaders urging the confirmation of the Biden nominee to lead the EPA enforcement division. Annual enforcement reports published by the EPA reveal approximately a 50% decline […]
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a pair of videos on chemical accident investigations that concluded last fall. The safety videos explored the causes of an explosion and a fire at the AB Specialty Silicones in Waukegan, Illinois, which killed four workers, destroyed the facility’s production building, and caused extensive damage […]
A House committee examining issues arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic alleged that meatpacking companies enlisted the help of political appointees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to weaken worker safety and health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). On May 12, the […]