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

Know Your ‘Recognized Hazards’—Don’t Get Caught Off Guard!

Every employer knows the importance of complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) regulations that apply to conditions specific to their workplace. Of course, you, as the employer, would like to think that your efforts and expenses in complying will help you avoid a fine for violating an OSHA rule.

OSHA Issues Enforcement Memo on the Respirable Silica Standard

Partial enforcement of OSHA’s new respirable silica standard for the construction industry began in late September 2017. After a 30-day period of providing compliance assistance in lieu of enforcement, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began full enforcement of the standard on October 23, 2017. OSHA issued an interim enforcement guidance document for the […]

Hear from an OSHA Insider at Our Safety Forum Event

On Friday, we presented three great reasons to attend our Safety Forum event on November 13 and 14 in Orlando, Florida. Here’s yet another: You can gain a compliance advantage in a free workshop led by an OSHA employee. The tips and insights from this session could save your company thousands of dollars!

NESHAP and Asbestos Enforcement

In a recent enforcement case, the owner of a demolition company was sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $7.8 million in restitution for failing to remove asbestos before demolishing a former factory in Cleveland. The alleged criminal action violated the Clean Air Act’s (CAA) National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants […]

Silica for Construction Now Fully Enforced—Are You Prepared?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began enforcing the respirable crystalline silica standard on September 23, 2017. However, for the first 30 days, the Agency offered compliance assistance in lieu of enforcement for those employers that were making good-faith efforts to comply with the new construction standard.

Cal/OSHA Follows Federal Example and Increases Penalties

It has been two years since Congress enacted enacted legislation requiring federal agencies to adjust their civil penalties to account for inflation. This resulted in the first increase in federal OSHA’s penalty amounts since 1990 – beginning with a whopping one-time increase of 78%. For federal OSHA, the new penalties went into effect for citations […]

OSHA Still Has Vacancies, and Congresswoman Wants Answers

United States Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has sent a letter to the acting head of OSHA expressing concern about vacant positions at the agency. In her communication to deputy assistant labor secretary Loren Sweatt, DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, pointed out that despite the lifting of a federal hiring freeze in April, OSHA still has not filled […]