OSHA requires employers to provide safe jobs and workplaces for their employees. And generally employers can rely upon established OSHA standards to guide them in reaching that goal. But faced with employers’ numerous questions and concerns regarding Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola) now that several patients with Ebola have been treated in the
OSHA Enforcement of Fall Protection on Rolling Stock — A BioFuels Journal Article
The national OSHA Practice Group at Epstein Becker Green co-authored an article in BioFuels Journal entitled “Railcar Fall Protection: What OSHA Requires from Ethanol Plant Operators.” Although the article principally addresses OSHA’s enforcement landscape related to work on top of railcars at ethanol plants, the analysis carries over to work on top of
OSHA’s Battle Against Hotel Operators Continues
The OSHA/Hyatt Hotels saga continued with a recent exchange of letters between OSHA and the hotel chain’s attorney. In April, OSHA issued a “5(a)(1) letter” to the CEO of Hyatt Hotels, indicating that OSHA believed there were ergonomic risks associated with the daily work activities of the company’s housekeeping staff.
With Domestic Violence Increasing, What Should Employers Do?
by Margaret C. Thering and Lauri F. Rasnick
Violence against women has been in the headlines lately – the reauthorization
of the Violence Against Women Act is engendering vigorous debate, and as of last month, federal agencies were ordered to implement policies to assist their employees who are victims of domestic violence. Also last month,
OSHA to Turn Up the Heat on Heat-Related Illness
By Amanda R. Strainis-Walker and Eric J. Conn
With the dog days of summer around the corner, OSHA just put out a press release reminding employers with outside workplaces about OSHA’s focus on the hazards of working in high heat. The press release reinvigorates OSHA’s heat-related illness campaign that began leading into last summer, when
Workplace Violence Policies and Background Checks Are Essential Components of a Prevention Plan
Sadly, workplace violence continues to be a topic that challenges many organizations. Indeed, as the news reports continue to remind us, employees and non-employees often take out their aggression and violent acts within the workplace. As the recent attacks at hospitals in Pittsburgh and in Washington, D.C. demonstrate, there remains a
Text Free Zone: OSHA’s Distracted Driving Initiative Kicks Into Gear
By Casey M. Cosentino and Eric J. Conn
“Texting while driving” is an epidemic in America, which has prompted forty-two states and the District of Columbia to ban (completely or partially) this conduct for drivers. Here’s a map of the U.S. states that have enacted some ban on texting while driving. Studies suggest that
OSHA Finally Releases Its Watered-Down Fall 2011 Regulatory Agenda
By Paul H. Burmeister and Eric J. Conn
At the end of January 2012, OSHA finally released its Fall 2011 regulatory agenda, which is intended to be an overview of what OSHA plans to accomplish in the next few months. The agenda includes updates about the status of several major OSHA rulemaking efforts. Below
OSHA’s New Laboratory Safety Guidance Paves the Way for Enforcement Actions
By Alexis M. Downs and Eric J. Conn
Employers who operate laboratories are suddenly receiving a high level of attention from federal safety and health regulators. Following a string of serious laboratory accidents, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (the “CSB”) posted an informational video on its website detailing hazards at chemical laboratories,