On June 22, 2014, OSHA announced a new interactive training tool to help small businesses effectively identify hazards in the workplace. According to the announcement, employers and workers can “virtually” explore how to identify common workplace hazards in the manufacturing and construction industries. Users of the new training tool will learn not only hazard identification skills but also about hazard abatement and control.
Through the hazard identification tool, users reportedly learn to identify realistic, common hazards from the perspective of either a business owner or…
Continue reading...
Resource
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is soliciting applications from nonprofit organizations, including employer associations, labor unions, and joint labor/management associations, under a program called the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. The $7 million in grant money will fund training and education for workers and employers to identify and prevent workplace safety and health hazards. Two types of safety and health training grants will be awarded: Targeted Topic Training and Capacity Building; approximately $3.5 million will be available in each grant…
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. In 2012, 279 construction workers lost their lives in falls from heights and more than 8,800 construction workers were seriously injured by falls. From June 2 through June 6, 2014 employers and workers are voluntarily stopping work to talk about saving lives and preventing fatal falls. More than 1 million workers and tens of thousands of businesses across the country are expected to participate in this national stand-down for fall safety.
This national stand-down…
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
On May 21st, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced that OSHA will begin referring time-barred whistleblower claims (brought pursuant to Section 11(c) of the OSH Act) to the NLRB, which has a longer limitations period, for investigation and potential prosecution. In order to facilitate this collaborative program, OSHA agents have been provided with talking points briefly describing the NLRB and providing other information to use when referring untimely Section 11(c) complainants.
The statute of limitations for a whistleblower claim brought pursuant to Section…
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- OSHA announces the launch of its annual Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers, aiming to raise awareness and educate workers and employers about the dangers of working in hot weather.
- OSHA signs alliance with the American Staffing Association to work together to further protect temporary employees from workplace hazards.
- OSHA renews alliance with Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust (EJATT) to further commit itself to protecting electrical workers against arc blast, arc flash, and other hazards that occur when installing electrical
Continue reading...
Nurses and other healthcare workers face many safety and health hazards in their work environments. In fact, healthcare workers experience some of the highest rates of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses of any industry sector. In 2012, injuries and illnesses reported for nursing and residential care workers were significantly higher than those in construction, and 2-3 times higher than in retail or manufacturing. Almost half of the injuries and illnesses reported for nurses and nursing support staffs were musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Reducing the number of…
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- D.C. Circuit Court upholds OSHA’s position in SeaWorld case.
- Real estate development and management company fined more than $2.3 million for knowingly exposing workers to asbestos and lead at NY work site.
- Railway ordered to pay $352,000 in back wages, compensatory damages, and punitive damages for terminating injured conductor who reported workplace injury.
- Final rule published to improve workplace safety and health for workers performing electric power generation, transmission and distribution work.
- OSHA urges employers to prevent texting while driving and refers employers to
Continue reading...
If an OSHA inspector, known as a compliance safety and health officer (CSHO), arrives at your door, presents his or her credentials, and asks for you to consent to an inspection of your workplace, what do you do? If you consent, what should you expect to happen next? And if you refuse to consent, then what? Obviously it would be wishful thinking to conclude that the CSHO would simply leave, bid you good day and never come back. These rather elementary questions are among the…
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
OSHA has announced a national safety stand-down from June 2 to June 6, 2014 to raise awareness about the hazards of falls, which account for the highest number of deaths in the construction industry. In order to conduct a safety stand-down, a construction company should stop working at a specific designated time and provide a focused toolbox talk on a safety topic such as ladder safety, fall protection equipment, or scaffolds safety. The purpose of the meeting is to provide information to workers about hazards,…
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been tasked by Congress to enforce the whistleblower provisions of 22 different statutes. These laws protect workers in many industries throughout the country from retaliation when they report unsafe working conditions, fraud or something that would endanger the public.
The Department of Labor is reporting that since 2009 the number of new whistleblower cases has grown by 37 percent. The Federal government has responded to this increase by providing additional resources in the fiscal 2015 budget. With these…
Continue reading...
Continue reading...