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.
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Acting on a complaint in June 2016, the OSHA found employees of one of the area’s largest general contractors working in an unprotected 10-foot deep excavation at a suburban New Jersey high school, in violation of federal safety and health laws. As a result, OSHA issued citations for nine violations—one willful and eight serious—to the […]
OSHA’s fall 2016 regulatory agenda, released in late December, enumerated more than 2 dozen planned actions for the agency over the next few months. But with a Trump administration taking the reins on January 20, it remains to be seen how OSHA’s priorities will evolve under new direction.
A federal investigation prompted by the death of a 17-year-old worker at a Wisconsin company that fabricates metal trailers has resulted in multiple safety and health violations and over $100,000 in fines for the employer.
As a result of a suit filed in a U.S. District Court in Illinois, a leading maker of agricultural and construction equipment has agreed to pay a significant amount in back wages and other damages. Find out why OSHA is making an example out of this well-known employer.
Just six weeks after a machine amputated a maintenance worker’s left hand as he cleared jammed material stuck in a machine at an Illinois bread products facility, the company reported that a second worker’s right forearm suffered multiple fractures as he cleaned another machine. OSHA inspectors investigating the injuries found, in both instances, the company […]
The dreams of a young bride-to-be were tragically snuffed out in an incident at a plant that stamps metal parts for automobiles. Learn more about the events that led to huge fines for the manufacturer and the agencies involved in the hiring of this employee.
Citations against a contractor cited more than 40 times for scaffolding violations have been upheld by the commission that reviews contested OSHA cases. Despite years of enforcement activity, this employer has not shown encouraging signs of changing its ways. Get details here.
An unsuccessful attempt to prohibit OSHA from enforcing anti-retaliation provisions contained in the agency’s recordkeeping regulations means the rules are now on the books and enforceable. Get more on this significant legal decision here.
A Riverside electric company was cited by California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) for serious and willful safety violations after a worker installing solar panels fell 30 feet through a skylight. Was this employer unaware of the law or just terribly irresponsible? Get details here.
What makes a confined space dangerous? The textbook answer is that it contains some hazard and that it’s difficult to escape. But, as one Garden Grove employer recently learned, a lack of knowledge is also a dangerous—and potentially costly—thing.