In the wake of a massive explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant, a California Democrat has introduced a bill aimed at increasing funding to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). “As the devastating explosion in Texas shows, the benefits of ensuring a safe and [healthy] workplace are not just confined to the facility’s [...]
OSHA has scheduled a series of meeting this month to discuss the crane operator certification requirements in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard. The certification requirement, adopted as part of the Aug. 9, 2010 crane rule, requires that all crane operators receive certified by November, 2014. Secondly, the standard requires that certifications issued by [...]
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has published an interim final rule extending protections to employees who blow the whistle on their employers for not abiding by the rules set forth in the Affordable Care Act(ACA). The rule would protect employees for against retaliation from their employers in the following instances: 1) reporting a [...]
Employers covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act have until March 7 to hang a poster summarizing the act’s provisions. The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if [...]
After public hearings and adoption by the state safety commission in the fall, and having gotten the final signature from Gov. Matt Mead on Jan. 8, two new oil and gas safety regulations were implemented across Wyoming on Tuesday. Both regulations focus on protecting workers involved in oil & gas drilling by addressing fire hazards [...]
All employers maintaining the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s 300 Logs for workplace injuries and illnesses pursuant to OSHA’s recordkeeping standard must post their 2012 annual summary by Feb. 1. Employers must utilize the annual summary form (form 300A) when complying with the posting requirements. Does the Standard Apply to My Business? All industries in [...]
The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced last week a major revision to its “pattern of violation” (POV) rules, which it is issuing in an attempt to make sure mine operators address the most significant hazards in their mines and protect miners from harm. Pattern of violation rules take aim at mine operators who have [...]
OSHA has issued its 2012 Site-Specific Targeting plan to direct enforcement resources to workplaces where the highest rates of injuries and illnesses occur. OSHA’s Site-Specific Targeting (SST) program is OSHA’s main programmed inspection plan for non-construction workplaces that have 20 or more employees. The SST plan is based on the data received from the prior [...]
The implementation of a new standard requiring employers to adopt and Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2) highlights OSHA’s 2013 regulatory agenda. The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires federal agencies to publish lists of pending regulatory actions twice a year – spring and fall. However, the White House never released the spring 2012 agenda and did [...]
28 states have rolled out updates to mandatory labor law posters for 2013. These updates include changes to minimum wage, whistle blowing, discrimination, unemployment and more. Labor law posters are issued through multiple state and federal organizations and must be posted in a place that is visible to all employees. These posters must be up [...]
