As further guidance during the N95 respirator shortage, OSHA released a list of standards from other countries for alternative respirators and filters certified outside the U.S. This guidance is for N95 filtering face piece respirators either certified under standards of other countries or certified under other countries’ standards but expired. According to the Department of […]
Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looks at a potential alternative to N95 respirators in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and had favorable findings. The study, led by a member of the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, looked at use of elastomeric half-mask respirators (EHMRs), which […]
With many employees working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, employers may be wondering about workers’ home offices and OSHA. Well, don’t worry, home offices are not subject to OSHA inspections. OSHA won’t come knocking on the doors to your employees’ homes, looking for all sorts of violations an employer would have little to […]
OSHA ordered a Connecticut-based commercial motor carrier to compensate a driver more than $150,000 for retaliating against him when he raised safety concerns. Investigators found Universal Trucking Solutions LLC and its co-owner, Juan Ramirez, violated whistleblower protections by retaliating against a driver who repeatedly voiced concerns about faulty vehicle maintenance. The driver complained about missing […]
Heads up! It’s time again to electronically submit injury summaries to OSHA. March 2, 2020, is the deadline for electronically reporting your OSHA Form 300A data for calendar year 2019. Who has to report? Establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and facilities with 20-249 […]
The construction industry will remain a primary focus for OSHA inspectors for the foreseeable future, judging from information contained in the agency’s fiscal year 2019 annual performance report. OSHA intends to focus its efforts within the industry toward falls – the leading cause of death in construction – and trenching hazards. The report, which is […]
OSHA announced it has made some revisions to its National Emphasis Program on respirable crystalline silica in general industry, maritime and construction. This new NEP targets specific industries expected to have the highest numbers of workers exposed to silica. It focuses on enforcement of new silica standards, one for general industry and maritime, and one […]
Peer pressure can be a double-edged sword when it comes to safety: It can help convince workers to do the right thing, or it can push them to take unnecessary risks.
Just weeks before a trial was to start in the case, the family of a deceased worker has reached a settlement with the general contractor on a rehabilitation project.
