Source: EHS Today Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021 Time: 12:00 PM ET Duration: 1 Hour Sponsored by: BSI Register HERE As the Biden-Harris Administration transitions into the White House, business leaders should be preparing for the anticipated impacts of policy changes, investments, and enforcement priorities related to Environmental, Health, Safety, Sustainability, Security and Supply Chain […]
Category Archives: Legislative News
Source: EHS Today As a reminder, OSHA’s civil penalty amounts for workplace safety and health violations will increase slightly effective tomorrow in accordance with cost-of-living adjustments for 2021. These penalty levels apply to any violations assessed after Jan. 15. OSHA’s maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $134,937 to $136,532 per violation. […]
Source: Safety Law Matters By Brittany Falkowski, Jenna Brofsky, Timothy A. Hilton & Avi Meyerstein on December 18, 2020 Posted in Compliance tips, MSHA, OSHA As vaccines roll out, employers have been asking how to prepare and whether they can mandate vaccination for their employees. This week the EEOC released fresh guidance, confirming that mandates […]
Source: EHS Today In some cases, employers can require workers be vaccinated David Sparkman Nov 25, 2020 The recent news about the imminent release of a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is like catching a glimpse of blue sky between distant clouds in the midst of a driving thunderstorm. Inevitably, however, practical questions arise, […]
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has announced a proposed rule incorporating national and international voluntary consensus standards related to electric motor-driven mine equipment and accessories. Under the proposed rule, during a one-year transition period, mine operators could use equipment and accessories that meet either 14 voluntary […]
Source: Safety Law Matters By Avi Meyerstein on November 16, 2020 Posted in Compliance tips, OSHA OSHA announced last week that it has issued 204 citations so far relating to COVID-19 with total penalties of $2,856,533. As these penalties continue to climb, OSHA also issued new guidance to help employers understand which standards it most […]
by Travis Vance / Fisher Phillips The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more workplace law challenges over the past six months or so than many employers will see in a lifetime. From changing directives on wearing masks, determining what to do when an employee is ill with COVID-19, and tracking the hours of employees working at home, employers have […]
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced a proposed rule clarifying the definition of employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as it relates to independent contractors. “The Department’s proposal aims to bring clarity and consistency to the determination of who’s an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” said […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) recently launched Equipped to Vote, a national get-out-the-vote campaign to urge the 2.8 million men and women of the industry to register to vote and support pro-manufacturing candidates during the 2020 election. The goal of the campaign is to engage, educate and mobilize manufacturing voters […]
On the front lines with Fisher Phillips by Kristin White The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a Guidance on Returning to Work document that describes strategies and recommends steps employers should take during all phases of reopening. Most of OSHA’s recommendations involve steps employers have been implementing based on state and local reopening […]
RENSSELAER, IN — Talbert Manufacturing now offers the 5553TA traveling axle trailer for optimum versatility and productivity. With a planetary winch and Talbert’s redesigned piggy-back cylinder for over 25% more power to move axles in adverse conditions, the 55-ton 5553TA excels in moving low clearance and dead loads, making it ideal for towing and recovery operations. An […]
States begin to enact their own temporary measures to protect workers from exposure to the novel coronavirus Source: EHS Today Courtney Malveaux Jul 16, 2020 Employers wondering whether Virginia is the new California just got their answer: California has some catching up to do. In a split vote, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of up to $400,000 in grant funding through its Brookwood-Sago grant program to support education and training to help identify, avoid and prevent unsafe working conditions in, and around, the nation’s mines. Administered by the Department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the Brookwood-Sago […]
Getting to the bottom line with Dannible & McKee, LLP Michael J. Reilly, CPA/ABV, CVA, CFF, CDA Managing Partner The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), enacted as part of the CARES Act, is a lending program designed to provide funds for small businesses to hold on to current employees and bring back workers who have been […]
On the front lines with Fisher Phillips Fisher Phillips Authors: Todd Logsdon and Paul Goatley The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced that OSHA area offices will begin to increase in-person inspections in some parts of the country as the agency released a revised response plan on how it will handle COVID-19-related complaints, referrals […]
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued a compliance directive designed to ensure uniformity in inspection and enforcement procedures when addressing respirable crystalline silica exposures in general industry, maritime, and construction. The new directive provides OSHA compliance safety and health officers with guidance on how to […]
by Avi Meyerstein on June 23, 2020 POSTED IN COMPLIANCE TIPS, MSHA NIOSH and MSHA collaborated recently to publish more resources to mitigate miner exposure to COVID-19. The materials include a web page with guidance for staying healthy, as well as posters, all provided on both MSHA’s and the CDC’s web sites. The primary CDC […]
Many Americans affected by the coronavirus outbreak will benefit from new workplace protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. If you work for a private employer with fewer than 500 employees and are in one of the situations described below, you may be eligible for paid sick leave and/or paid family […]
The new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, issued by the U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers in January as a replacement for the 2015 rule, was published in the Federal Register April 21st which makes it effective on June 22nd. The 2015 rule was strongly opposed by the IAAP and other industry groups […]
On the front lines with Fisher Phillips by Christopher G Peterson Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, most mine operators have been waiting for MSHA to release some health and safety guidance regarding the outbreak and how to safeguard the safety and health of their miners. After a protracted period of silence, on its […]
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced an interim enforcement response plan for the coronavirus pandemic. The response plan provides instructions and guidance to OSHA Area Offices and compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) for handling coronavirus-related complaints, referrals, and severe illness reports. During the coronavirus […]
Essential businesses, as well as state and local government agencies and authorities, must procure, fashion or otherwise obtain face coverings and provide such coverings to employees who directly interact with the public during the course of their work at no-cost to the employee. Businesses are deemed essential by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESD), pursuant […]
WASHINGTON, DC — Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Workforce Development Greg Sizemore recently issued the following statement on the release of Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s April 10 guidance on recording cases of COVID-19: “ABC is pleased OSHA has clarified its position regarding the recordability of COVID-19 cases under […]
On the front lines with Fisher Phillips by Kristin White and Chantell Foley The Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSH Act”) requires covered employers to meet several reporting requirements to prove compliance. At this time of the year, many covered employers have posted (or should have posted) OSHA Form 300A for injuries and illnesses that […]
The U.S. Department of Labor released a temporary rule guiding how American workers and employers can use the new Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, which were included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The department’s Wage and Hour Division posted the temporary rule issuing regulations pursuant […]