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
In a case against a company the Orange County district attorney said was responsible for the deaths of two employees, the Supreme Court of California found that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) does not preempt workplace safety standards established by the state’s own occupational safety and health agency (Cal/OSHA).
Take a look at 11 recent environmental enforcement actions from around the U.S. and what was behind the various violations. Some of the penalties were steep—learn from other organizations’ mistakes to ensure your company isn’t the next one cited!
OSHA has cited a Kansas-based aircraft manufacturer for exposing employees to hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), a known carcinogen. The company faces proposed penalties totaling $194,006 for 1 willful and 5 serious violations.
State regulators say a Seattle hotel owner who knew his building contained asbestos cut corners to save money by using untrained workers to remove it. As a result, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), which runs the Washington state OSHA program, cited the business for multiple egregious safety and health violations and issued $355,000 […]
But EPA says approach pays few dividends for RMP For several years, EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has been trying to persuade several Agency programmatic offices to conduct cross-checks wherein facility information collected by one program can indicate if the facility is potentially not complying with requirements in another program. Generally, the OIG believes […]
OSHA has cited and fined a Massachusetts foundation company for failing to protect employees against crushing hazards installing permanent foundation supports beneath a public library. The company faces more than $212,000 in proposed penalties.
As is the case each January, the EPA has finalized regulations adjusting its civil penalties to account for inflation. Therefore, effective January 15, 2018, the maximum civil penalties that the EPA may impose for violations of various environmental statutes have increased by 2 percent.
OSHA has signed a comprehensive settlement agreement with Bartlett Grain Company LP that resolves contested citations issued by OSHA in 2012. Six workers were killed and two were injured as a result of an explosion at a Kansas grain elevator. Under terms of the agreement, the employer agreed to pay $182,000 in penalties. The original […]
Effective January 2, civil penalties for violations of workplace safety and health standards are 2 percent higher, with a new maximum fine of nearly $130,000. OSHA increased its penalties to adjust for inflation as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015, which initially raised civil penalties by 78 percent after over […]
Effective January 1, 2018, employers in Hawaii will be subject to higher civil penalties for violations of workplace safety and health regulations. The change was made to align with federal OSHA, which raised its civil penalties in August 2016 after more than two decades without penalty increases.