OSHA Updates Guidelines for Safety and Health Programs

OSHA first released its “Guidelines for Safety and Health Programs” 30 years ago. Since then, the workplace has changed so much that it can, in some ways, appear unrecognizable from days gone by. OSHA has therefore recently updated its guidelines to address both these changes and the accompanying safety and health issues that are now part of the modern workplace. While OSHA’s changes to its guidelines will no doubt help increase safety at the workplace, perhaps the most significant changes were to its online resources
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OSHA Adds Chapter on Fall Protection to its Technical Manual

The OSHA Technical Manual (OTM) provides information about workplace hazards and controls to OSHA’s Compliance Safety and Health Officers. The OTM is based upon currently available research, publications, OSHA Standards, and consensus standards. OSHA is adding a new chapter on fall protection to its OTM. Chapter 4, entitled “Fall Protection in Construction,” provides technical information about fall hazards and protection methods. The information is intended to help prepare OSHA compliance officers to conduct inspections and investigations. A review of Chapter 4 indicates that OSHA addresses…
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Looking Beyond OSHA for Fall Safety Resources

As OSHA gears up for its yearly National Safety Stand Down to prevent falls in the construction industry, one can expect there to be an increase in available fall related information and resources. With each year’s initiative, OSHA provides substantial guidance for both employers and employees regarding safe practices and fall prevention. While one of the best places to find information on fall safety and OSHA compliance is through OSHA itself, there are many other resources that are just as accessible and may be of…
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OSHA Upping the Ante

Employers, get ready. Recent developments show that OSHA will step up its campaign of workplace investigations with measures that pursue an even greater degree of influence on you. In my recent article, “OSHA Ups the Ante in U.S. Workplaces,” I examined the impact on employers of the likely astronomical leap in monetary penalties coming soon to recipients of OSHA violations, the “name and shame” approach taken by the agency against violators, and a new enforcement weighting system — along with practical steps employers…
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OSHA Provides Retailers With Crowd Management Safety Guidelines During Holiday Season

The Holiday Season is definitely upon us. Thanksgiving is only hours away. And while many of us make our last minute preparations for that big turkey dinner and the inevitable tryptophan-induced nap in front of the television, retailers are preparing themselves for one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Black Friday, almost a national holiday unto itself, draws some of the biggest shopping crowds of the year. Many retailers open their doors as early as Thanksgiving night and can still count on a…
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OSHA Issues Updated Version of Its Field Operations Manual

Last month, OSHA issued the latest update to its Field Operations Manual (FOM), the most recent update since a prior update in 2009. Significantly, OSHA’s FOM serves as a reference document for OSHA field personnel, providing enforcement policies and procedures relating to OSHA investigations and enforcement proceedings. This nearly 300-page manual contains 16 chapters addressing all aspects of the inspection and enforcement process, including, for example, chapters on “inspection procedures,” “violations,” “penalties and debt collection,” and “post-citation procedures and abatement verification.” In basic terms, the…
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Combating Unpredictable Workplace Violence Under OSHA’s General Duty Clause

On August 26, 2015, a Virginia news reporter, Alison Parker, and a photojournalist, Adam Ward, were tragically shot down by a former colleague while conducting a live television broadcast in Moneta, Virginia. The gunman was later confirmed to be a former reporter at the victims’ news station, who was fired for disruptive conduct in 2013. Such acts of workplace violence are senseless and unpredictable, but there are ways to mitigate dangers still. According to OSHA statistics, every year nearly two million Americans report being victims…
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Demystifying the Process of Contesting an OSHA Citation

Almost without exception, simply reaching for the checkbook to pay an OSHA citation upon receipt of the citation is never advisable. Indeed, one alternative way to resolve a citation is to immediately request what is referred to as an “informal conference” with the OSHA area director. The informal conference, which must take place no later than 15 business days of the employer’s receipt of the citation, is very popular because it presents an opportunity at an early stage of the process to negotiate a penalty…
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OSHA to Focus on Certain Key Hazards During Healthcare Inspections

As announced a few days ago, OSHA is expanding its use of enforcement resources in hospitals and nursing homes to focus on the following recognized hazards: i) musculoskeletal disorders related to patient or resident handling; ii) bloodborne pathogens; iii) workplace violence; iv) tuberculosis; and v) slips, trips, and falls. These hazards represent some of the most common causes of workplace injury and illness in the healthcare industry. Notably, the injury/illness rate for injuries and illnesses to hospital workers (in 2013) was almost twice as high…
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Summer is Coming. And OSHA Wants to Help Workers to Beat the Heat

It may not be officially summer just yet, but with the rising temperatures and bright sunny days, it is just around the corner. And while the summer heat means days spent at the beach and backyard barbeques, it also means an increased risk of heat-related illness and death. According to OSHA, each year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill due to working in the heat. While the majority of these incidents are from the construction industry, this issue affects all industries that…
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