On June 1, 2023, OSHA announced a new Local Emphasis Program (LEP) targeting the seafood processing industry in Region 1. The LEP was launched as a result of 2021 injury and illness data for specific seafood industry-related NAICS codes for businesses located in New England. According to the LEP, the injury and illness rates in […]
The recent announcement by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) about the launch of a National Emphasis Program (NEP) targeting fall hazards is not a big surprise. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) has been OSHA’s most frequently cited standard for over a decade. In FY 2022, the agency issued 5260 violations, more than […]
As the construction season gets underway in the Northeast, I’m reminded of Scott Ketcham’s recent remarks at the American Bar Association’s OSHA/MSHA Law Conference in San Diego. Ketcham, the Director of OSHA’s Directorate of Construction, made it clear that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is focusing its regulatory muscle on the construction industry […]
At the end of January, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced revisions to its Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP). The new directives to regional administrators outlined several significant changes, including adding several industries which, according to OSHA, have a higher likelihood of having combustible dust hazards. OSHA claims that enforcement history and […]
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recently announced its intentions to implement an interim final rule about the use of subpoenas during investigations. The agency claims the rule will provide “helpful clarity” about requests for documents, data, and testimony related to an investigation. There isn’t a draft of the proposed rule available for review. […]
In November 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a bulletin about stress and mental health in the workplace. Employers should pay attention to this for a couple of reasons. If you aren’t already thinking about these issues, the bulletin provides helpful information. The bulletin is also a window into how OSHA may […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced a significant change in its Instance-By-Instance (IBI) citation policy. In the instructions to regional and area offices, published on January 26, 2023, OSHA can now issue IBI citations if any one of the following is present: The employer has received a willful, repeat, or failure to […]
We thought it went away forever in 2017, but the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) plans to revive an unpopular enforcement policy known as the Fairfax memo sometime this year. The memo, issued in 2013 by Richard E. Fairfax, Deputy Assistant Secretary of OSHA, authorized a worker advocate to take part in inspections of […]
It’s that time of year again (January 2 – March 2) when employers with more than 250 employees — as well as those with 20-249 employees in specified industries — are required to submit Form 300A to OSHA. Form 300A summarizes an employer’s injury and illness records — Forms 300 and 301 —for the previous […]
As required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, federal agencies must publish “catch-up” rules that adjust the level of monetary penalties assessed for various violations — and then make annual adjustments no later than January 15 each year after that. The penalty adjustments recently published by the Occupational Health […]