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.
Free Special Report: What to Expect from an OSHA Inspection
Does the confirmation of the new OSHA administrator mean the dawn of a new era of greater regulation and stricter enforcement? It’s too early to say for sure. But here’s a look at what might be headed your way. What can you expect from OSHA under David Michaels? Listen to what Michaels himself says in […]
Whether David Michaels is the right person to head OSHA was a hotly debated topic in recent months. With his confirmation, we take a look at his credentials and what people are saying—pro and con—about the new OSHA chief. As we start the new year and consider the impact of the confirmation of David Michaels […]
The controversy surrounding the nomination of David Michaels as OSHA chief centers around Michaels’ stated intention to take a more aggressive regulatory and enforcement stance, and also focuses on a highly divisive issue—ergonomics. The battle over the Obama administration’s nominee to head OSHA, David Michaels, heats up as industry groups express concern over projected changes […]
Yesterday, we listed 14 specific workplace rights conferred on your employees by OSHA. Today, we’ll take a closer look at two key rights that sometimes get employers in trouble. OSHA encourages employees to be active players in their workplace’s safety and health effort. Specifically, OSHA encourages workers to join with employers in promoting safety on […]
Washington, D.C., is full of new faces and new initiatives. What are the implications for occupational safety and health of all these changes? Who stands to gain and whose agenda will be shoved to the back burner for the next 3½ years? There is no shortage of opinion about what the Obama administration will ultimately […]
Employers across the country are being hit with big penalties for safety and health violations all the time. Make sure you have the safety resources and information you need to stay in compliance and keep your company’s name out of the headlines. OSHA assesses penalties on the basis of: Gravity of the alleged violation Size […]
You hope you never get an OSHA citation. But should that day ever come, you need to be prepared for what happens next—the "abatement" process. If OSHA cites your workplace for violations, you must follow prescribed abatement procedures in a timely manner. There are five key steps. 1. Correct. Hazards found during an OSHA inspection […]
Yesterday, we described OSHA’s new enhanced enforcement initiatives. Today, we provide you with an essential safety and health resource that can help you respond to enforcement changes as well as additional compliance requirements that are likely as the new OSHA administration gains momentum. With the prospect of significant enhancement of OSHA’s enforcement practices and new […]
Acting OSHA administrator Jordan Barab says that OSHA is gearing up to go after employers that are not meeting their obligations under the OSH Act. A new enhanced enforcement program is in the works. We’ve all known since the new administration took office that change was coming to OSHA. Now it looks like enhanced enforcement […]
Yesterday we looked at what to expect from an OSHA inspection. Today we move on to how to prepare for an inspection. Being well prepared will help you get the best outcome should OSHA come knocking at your door. In theory, OSHA inspections do not need a reason to happen. Any organization can be visited […]