1. Bloodborne Pathogens – 1910.1030 Bloodborne pathogens are diseases transmitted through bodily fluids. To protect against the spread of these diseases in the work place OSHA requires all employers whose employees work with sharp objects or have the possibility of exposure to bodily fluids to have a bloodborne pathogen policy in place. This policy must [...]

The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that all residential construction employers must abide by Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new directive and utilize guardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system when working at heights greater than six-feet Prior to the issuance and ruling on the new directive, employers in [...]

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issuing a hazard alert to hair salon owners and workers about potential formaldehyde exposure from working with some hair smoothing and straightening products. The hazard alert, available on OSHA’s website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/hazard_alert.html, provides information about OSHA’s investigations, the health hazards of formaldehyde and how to [...]

The department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released the 10 most frequent violations for the 2010 federal fiscal year, which runs Oct.1 through Sept. 30. These 10 violations account for more than half of the 94,000 total violations issued in 2010. They also give business owners a good idea of the types of [...]

WASHINGTON, DC  April 8, 2011 — Hospital and health care employers were reminded today that hazardous drugs such as antineoplastic drugs can pose serious job-related health risks to workers if proper precautions are not used in handling the drugs. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), [...]

The last day of February is named Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day to increase awareness of how repetitive motions at work and bad workplace ergonomics can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and injuries (MSI) such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. There are steps that employers and employees can take to help alleviate the potential workplace injuries.

But on January 20, 2011 OSHA withdrew its proposed reinterpretation because of concerns the proposal needed more public outreach. And while the proposed modification is suspended, OSHA will study other approaches to abating workplace noise.

Recently, I was asked to answer a question from one of our clients. The business owner removed a floor panel in a janitor’s closet to access a crawl space, and he wanted to know what he could do to alert people on the other side of the door that a hole exists right behind it.

When you make the call to 1 (877) 804-8785 or request free information one of the website advisers you might talk to is Steven Miller, down here at our Yuma, Arizona office.

At 26, Steven is married to his wife Nicole and started as a manager with the company two years ago before becoming what we call a Corporate Safety Adviser. He made the switch so he could personally help business owners evaluate their safety program.

Dr. David Michaels (Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) recently stated that he wants to push for Criminal Penalties in cases of employer negligence of employee safety. Given the context of the quote, it is inferred that he wishes for ‘the powers that be’ at BP to face charges. We want to know what you think, given the information we have at this point, do you feel somebody at BP needs to face Criminal Penalties?