A recent report from Purdue University and a new hazard alert from OSHA point up the wide range of safety threats to workers if adequate precautions are not taken when working in grain handling. The Purdue report says that 26 …
I’ve asked Marc Shaye, an attorney with more than 30 years experience in health and safety matters, to be a guest blogger this week. Here’s Marc’s take on why it takes more than doing the minimum to achieve a safe …
Petzl America is recalling approximately 375,000 shock-absorbing lanyards that it has sold since 2002 because of a problem that could cause a lanyard to separate from a climbing harness, posing a fall hazard. The Scorpio and Absorbica lanyards are missing …
OSHA’s new emphasis program aimed reducing accidents involving powered industrial trucks is confined to four Southern states, but employers across the country would be well-advised to pay close attention. Violations involving forklifts are low-hanging fruit for OSHA inspectors everywhere and …
OSHA is stepping up its use of Corporate-Wide Settlement Agreements in an effort to make more efficient use of its compliance resources, but companies should think carefully before signing off on such an agreement. Under a CSA, companies that have …
OSHA has won another round in its bid to expand its enforcement power, underscoring the need for employers and insurance companies to be careful not to dig a hole for themselves when they conduct safety audits and accident investigations. A …
OSHA took another step this week towards a more reasonable stance on regulation by announcing a final rule that removes some outdated requirements and streamlines and simplifies some standards. Although the rule is part of an ongoing program to periodically …
OSHA sometimes undertakes educational initiatives, such as one issued last month about the hazards of working outdoors in the heat. But employers would be unwise to ignore the suggestions as “optional” for two important reasons. The first, of course, is …
Texting while driving has been hard to stamp out, and now employers must be careful that they are not doing anything to encourage the practice, lest they be cited by OSHA. OSHA has issued a warning to employers that they …
The proper use of OSHA’s general duty is frequently misunderstood, sometimes even by OSHA itself. Here’s what you need to know.