OSHA cited an Illinois warehousing employer after one employee died from COVID-19 and 23 others tested positive for the virus following a luncheon in the facility’s breakroom. Inspectors allegedly found the company failed to take immediate steps to identify, inform, isolate and quarantine all of the potentially exposed employees. Further, the inspection revealed the company […]
Three out of the top 10 largest OSHA fines in 2020 were above $1 million. All ten were above $470,000. Retailers accounted for four of the top 10. Here are the 10 largest OSHA fines in 2020: BB Frame, Cliffside Park, NJ, $2,004,225. OSHA fined this New Jersey framing contractor for exposing workers to multiple […]
Twelve months ago, we were just beginning to hear about a new, deadly virus in China. A lot has changed in safety in 2020. Here’s a look back: Jan. 20: Maximum OSHA fines increase due to annual inflation adjustment. The top fine for a willful violation is now almost $135,000. March 4: Coronavirus outbreak causing […]
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) announced March 1 that its American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo (AHIce) has converted to an entirely virtual format for 2021. Originally announced as a hybrid in person/virtual event, the AIHA announced on its website and through emails to in-person registrants that it will be going entirely virtual once […]
The American Industrial Hygiene Association unveiled its new brand today at the start of the Virtual AIHce EXP 2020. The organization says the new brand reflects its diverse membership and looks toward the future of the profession. “AIHA” is now the new name of the occupational safety group, with its main slogan, “Healthier Workplaces. A […]
Is six feet really the limit for person-to-person COVID-19 transmission? Unfortunately for businesses, the answer to that question seems to depend on who you ask. Recently, it may also have depended on when you ask. On Sept. 18, the CDC posted on its website that the coronavirus is transmitted mainly through the air. This would […]
The family of a railroad worker who was crushed to death in a train coupling incident can’t move forward with its lawsuit since the worker failed to follow safety rules, an appeals court determined. Because the worker failed to follow safety protocols for walking between rail cars and there was no evidence of liability on […]
The American Society of Safety Professionals’ (ASSP) Safety 2021 Conference and Expo will now take place in September as a hybrid in-person and virtual event. Safety 2021 will take place Sept. 13-15 in Austin, TX, and online. This framework replaces ASSP’s original plan to hold Safety 2021 in Denver in June. ASSP says it’s working […]
The Biden administration has told OSHA to look into an emergency COVID-19 regulation for businesses but doesn’t mandate one as part of its overall plan. In a 200-page document, National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, a section on protecting workers says: “The President issued Executive Order Protecting Worker Health and Safety which […]
It’s official. OSHA missed the March 15 deadline President Joe Biden set for the agency to come up with an emergency temporary standard (ETS) regarding COVID-19. But the administration is giving OSHA time to get it right. Only days after taking office, President Biden asked OSHA to have an ETS ready by March 15, but […]
After looking at thousands of employers, one state OSHA has found the vast majority comply with coronavirus mask rules. The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) says since mid-July, it’s looked into complaints concerning more than 4,200 retailers, restaurants and other businesses. L&I says “thousands” of businesses that were the subject of complaints […]
The Biden Administration nominated the current chief of Cal/OSHA to act as the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor in charge of OSHA. Douglas Parker, the current head of Cal/OSHA and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at MSHA under the Obama Administration, is President Joe Biden’s nominee to head OSHA. Before his Cal/OSHA […]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated disinfecting and social distancing guidance in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The organization provided new guidance regarding workplace cleaning, disinfecting, social distancing and ventilation in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation in the U.S. Social distancing When it comes to social distancing, the CDC recommends establishing […]
OSHA now permits use of tight-fitting powered air-purifying respirators used as protection against the coronavirus when fit testing can’t be accomplished due to supply shortages. The agency released new guidance Oct. 2 allowing use of tight-fitting powered air-purifying respirators approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) if initial or annual fit […]
An OSHA citation against Walmart involving a warehouse employee struck by falling product was vacated by the Occupational Safety and Health Commission because of a misinterpretation of the definition of “tier.” The citation – which was for failing to safely block product stacked in tiers – was initially upheld by an administrative law judge, but […]
A coalition of safety groups, businesses and government agencies, led by the National Safety Council, has released a framework for employers during re-opening in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The recommendations are from the SAFER (Safe Actions for Employee Returns) task force. The six focus areas in the framework are: Physical environments: building maintenance, requiring […]
