Category: Enforcement and Inspection

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.

Free Special Report: What to Expect from an OSHA Inspection

EPA Considers Tightening Regs for Fine Particulate Matter

The EPA has issued a draft policy assessment, “Policy Assessment for the Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter, External Review Draft,” dated October 2021, which concludes “scientific evidence, air quality analyses and the risk assessment for a type of pollution called fine particulate matter can ‘reasonably be viewed as calling […]

Infographic: 5 Ways to Encourage Positive Safety Culture

When looking at your commitment to safety culture and your workers’ perceptions of safety in the workplace, it is best to examine your leadership style and safety management system. Get into the habit of thinking about the process of recognizing hazards and finding ways to control them. Here are 5 leadership strategies that can help […]

OIG Says EPA Needs Action Plan for Algal Blooms

The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on September 29, 2021, stating the EPA is lacking an agencywide strategic action plan to address harmful algal blooms (HAB). The OIG report indicates this has been a serious Agency deficiency since Congress appointed the EPA administrator “as the leader for federal actions focused on […]

OSHA Cites Nursing Facility Under COVID-19 ETS

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a Bloomingdale, Illinois, nursing facility with violations of the agency’s COVID-19 healthcare emergency temporary standard (ETS). OSHA cited West Suburban Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for a repeat violation of the respiratory protection standard and five serious health violations and is seeking $83,675 in penalties. “Simply wearing a […]

Infographic: The OSHA Top 10 List for FY 2021

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently unveiled its preliminary list of the top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year (FY) 2021 in early October at the 2021 NSC Safety Congress & Expo. Check out our infographic below to learn details about what made this year’s list and help keep […]

Is Your Warehouse Ready for an OSHA Inspection?

Is your warehouse prepared for the arrival of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspector? Warehouses and storage are on the agency’s primary industry target list under its National Emphasis Program (NEP) for COVID-19. In fact, OSHA already has cited and fined a Naperville, Illinois, logistics center following an outbreak of COVID-19 in which […]

EPA Releases 2020 Greenhouse Gas Data

The 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) data collected under the EPA’s GHG Reporting Program (GHGRP) revealed that reported emissions from large industrial sources were 9% lower than in 2019. The EPA released the information on October 6, 2021, and attributes the decrease to “both the economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing, long-term industry […]

Expect More Stringent NEPA Reviews

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on October 6 announced it will “restore three core procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations to provide communities and decision makers with more complete information about proposed projects, their environmental and public health impacts, and their alternatives.” What is NEPA? NEPA was signed […]

The Future of TSCA: Will EPA Regulate ‘Finished Articles’?

In a keynote speech at the Product Stewardship Society’s annual meeting on September 28, 2021, Michal Freedhoff, head of the EPA chemical program, “clearly articulated an intent by the Agency to reverse course and aggressively seek to regulate finished articles under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA),” according to an analysis in JD Supra by […]

Fall Protection Again Tops Most Frequently Cited Standards List

The construction industry fall protection standard (29 CFR §1926.501) continues to top the list of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) most frequently cited standards for the 11th year in a row. The agency unveiled a preliminary list of violations for fiscal year (FY) 2021 in a virtual presentation at the National Safety Council’s (NSC) […]