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California Indoor Heat Standard Goes Into Effect

California’s new Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment standard has become effective, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced July 24. The indoor heat standard applies to most indoor workplaces, such as manufacturing facilities, restaurants, and warehouses. In indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must take […]

Cal/OSHA is Recruiting More Investigators

On August 22, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced it has ramped up its recruitment, hiring more staff for its Bureau of Investigations (BOI). The unit is responsible for investigations related to the most serious workplace injuries in the state, including worker deaths, and makes recommendations for criminal prosecutions. “The Bureau […]

Why Construction Accident Lawsuits Are Expected to Rise in New York

The construction industry in New York is faced with a serious labor shortage right now. Employers, in seeking to hire workers needed to complete contracts, may be forced to hire people with inadequate training or experience. This can lead to more on-the-job injuries, which can result in more lawsuits. In construction, more than in any […]

EPA Updates Safer Choice Standard

On August 8, 2024, the EPA announced it finalized updates to strengthen the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) Standard, which identifies the requirements that products and their ingredients must meet to earn the Agency’s Safer Choice label or DfE logo. These updates increase the criteria products must meet to qualify for the […]

EPA and Marathon Oil Reach Landmark $241.5 Million Settlement

The EPA and the Department of Justice recently announced a settlement with Houston-based Marathon Oil Company, resolving Clean Air Act (CAA) violations at the company’s oil and gas production operations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. “The settlement requires that Marathon pay a civil penalty of $64.5 million, the largest ever for […]

Back to Basics: What OSHA Says About Workplace Violence Prevention

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to prevent workplace violence. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is working on the first federal workplace violence prevention standard. The rulemaking, specifically for healthcare and social assistance,is one of […]

Childcare Provider Ordered to Pay Whistleblower

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials have ordered the Dallas area location of a national childcare provider to reinstate an employee and pay $43,295 in back wages and damages after firing the employee for reporting concerns about unsanitary and unsafe conditions in the facility’s kitchen to Texas health officials, the agency announced August 22. […]

Safety Standout Awards 2024: Meet Our Latest Honorees!

The winners of the 2024 Safety Standout Awards have been selected! Our latest honorees demonstrated a steadfast commitment to safety. Learn more here about our latest winners and runners-up. Best Overall Safety Program and Culture: ESFM ESFM USA® is the self-performing integrated facilities management (IFM) division of Compass Group, the world’s largest contract facilities and […]

Poultry Processor Settles with DOL Following Teen’s Death

Poultry processor Mar-Jac Poultry MS LLC reached a settlement with the Department of Labor (DOL), agreeing to pay $164,814 in fines and implement enhanced safety measures to protect its employees from well-known machine hazards, the department announced August 14. In July 2023, a teenage worker at the company’s Hattiesburg, Mississippi, facility became caught in a […]

Faces of EHS: Julien Ngue on the Immigrant Experience in the U.S. Safety Industry

In 2016, Julien Ngue moved from Cameroon, Africa, to the United States in hopes of a better life and to further his career as a safety professional. “The U.S. Declaration of Independence bears my ultimate motivation in all my endeavors: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” said Ngue. After making his journey overseas, Ngue found roles […]