The new face of OSHA, Jim Frederick, used to be a union official and Labor Secretary nominee Marty Walsh was known to be pro-union in his time as mayor of Boston. Therefore “the AFL-CIO wish list carries some weight,” said workplace safety attorney Adele Abrams. Abrams explored the union’s list of biggest occupational health and […]
Employers didn’t report injury and illness data for more than 50% of workplaces that met OSHA’s reporting criteria in 2018, according to a new watchdog report. But how can OSHA crack down on this lack of recordkeeping? A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) paints a picture of how it thinks OSHA should […]
“All of the Trump executive orders that applied to regulatory reform or deregulatory efforts — they’re gone. They’re no longer in effect,” said occupational health and safety attorney Adele Abrams. Speaking during the Premier Learning Solutions webinar “Safety Polices in 2021: How the New Administration Impacts Employers Now,” she said to consider any “midnight rules” related to […]
An OSHA official at a Jan. 29 news conference stated the agency will once again be issuing news releases when an employer has been cited for safety and health violations. Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Labor Patricia Smith stated that the Trump administration policy of not issuing news releases on citations has been revoked. […]
OSHA 300-A Summary forms listing 2020 injuries and illnesses must be posted by Feb. 1, 2021. Employers who keep Part 1904 OSHA workplace injury and illness records must review the 2020 OSHA 300 Log for accuracy, correct any issues and then create the 300-A Annual Summary. Form 300-A summaries must be posted in an area […]
President Joe Biden appointed Jim Frederick to OSHA’s No. 2 leadership position, giving the administration the ability to put Biden’s vision of OSHA into place … perhaps quickly. Frederick, who replaces Loren Sweatt, was named the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA Jan. 20, and his appointment allows the new administration to pursue its agenda […]
A federal judge has rejected an attempt by states and public health groups to reinstate part of an OSHA recordkeeping rule. Six states (Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York) and three public health groups sought to require some employers to submit their Forms 300 and 301 electronically to OSHA. In 2016, under […]
Federal OSHA is raising its maximum penalty amounts for 2021 based on cost-of-living adjustments for the year. Maximum penalties for serious and other-than serious violations will increase from $13,494 per violation to $13,653 per violation, while willful or repeat violations will increase from $134,937 to $136,532 per violation. This increase is based on the 2015 […]
President-elect Biden has chosen Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to be his Labor Secretary. Walsh would oversee OSHA and MSHA, which are part of the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2016, as Mayor of Boston, Walsh filed an ordinance to give the city the right to deny, revoke or suspend a work permit based on the […]
