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
Oregon OSHA will begin systematically conducting spot-checks to verify that employers are complying with requirements aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. State workplace safety and health officials announced they are ramping up enforcement activity in response to a spike in complaints from workers who feel at risk of infectious disease exposure during the COVID-19 […]
We’ve summarized some of the more significant enforcement cases from the past several months for a snapshot of OSHA’s recent inspection priorities. Aggressive enforcement continues for employers that come up short in their safety efforts.
In the first quarter (Q1), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized 188 settlement agreements with companies small and large across the United States. This represents a significant increase in enforcement actions—up from 71 penalties issued in Q4 for 2019. The actions taken resulted in $4.1 million in fines. Here are some of the highlights.
The temporary policy the EPA issued March 26, 2020, to explain noncompliance situations in which the Agency will exercise enforcement discretion during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rush of letters from Democratic members of Congress who were concerned that the Agency intended to allow major sources of air pollution to violate their regulatory limits. Enforcement […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited 11 employers for safety and health violations at the construction site of a planned Hard Rock hotel in downtown New Orleans. Three workers suffered fatal injuries, and 18 others suffered serious injuries in a partial building collapse. The cited employers face $315,536 in penalties.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Region 3 office announced it would extend enforcement of a national emphasis program (NEP) in three states and the District of Columbia to reduce or eliminate workers’ respirable silica exposures. Emphasis program inspections begin after May 3 in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
On March 14, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued temporary guidance regarding enforcement of annual respirator fit-testing requirements under the respiratory protection standard. The agency directed its field offices to exercise discretion to not cite an employer for violations of the annual fit testing requirement if the employer meets certain conditions.
The EPA has promulgated a final rule listing the general procedures (that is, procedures that are applicable under all federal statutes implemented by the EPA) Agency personnel must follow when conducting on-site civil inspections.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regional offices in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania cited Dollar Tree stores with willful and repeat violations for exits, storage, other hazards at two stores.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited interstate home builder, Toll Brothers, Inc., following a fatal fall at a homebuilding site in Media, Pennsylvania. The agency cited Toll Brothers of Horsham, Pennsylvania, with one repeat violation of the fall protection standard. The company faces penalties of $74,217.