28
2015
Employer In Seattle Fined Over $400K For Noncompliance With OSHA
Labor & Industries (L&I) recently cited the marine terminal operator for more than 50 workplace safety and health violations. The state began investigating the company after injury reporting of a worker that was hospitalized for injuries when he fell into an underground grain storage pit in December 2014. The company performs several operations at its facility, including transferring large quantities of ethanol fuel from railcars…
13
2015
Expanded Safety Fest 2015 Set For September
Safer workplaces result in safer communities. Why? Because workers take safety practices learned on the job back home and into their communities. In Oak Ridge, once a year, an event is held to ensure safer communities by offering free safety training to anyone who registers. For the fourth consecutive year, the Oak Ridge Business Safety Partnership (ORBSP), partnering with numerous businesses and organizations will host…
08
2015
Don’t Tell OSHA Injury Was Due to ‘Careless Workers’
Telling OSHA that an injury was the worker’s fault is a sure way to get inspected, according to the head of the agency. OSHA administrator David Michaels made the comment in a recent speech at a National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) meeting. “When employers say an injury was a worker’s fault, an inspection will likely take place,” Michaels said. For the first 5…
06
2015
OSHA Announces Increased Enforcement at Hospitals
The rate of work-related injuries and illnesses at U.S. hospitals is nearly twice as high as the overall rate for private industry. OSHA has asked inspectors to focus on five key hazards at hospitals and other inpatient care sites including nursing homes. Get details on the hazards and find out why OSHA is so concerned about this vulnerable worker population. Although the agency has officially…
04
2015
OSHA Shares Best Practices for Restroom Access for Transgender Workers
In a week that saw the debut of Caitlyn Jenner, OSHA is working to improve protections for transgender workers. OSHA published a Guide to Restroom Access for Transgender Workers – a document that offers best practices for restroom access for transgender workers. The guide, which was developed by request of the National Center for Transgender Equality, explains gender identity, why restroom access is a health…
03
2015
Owner and Consultants Disobey Order to Allow OSHA Inspection – Now They’re Fined
In what it believes to be the first time in OSHA’s history, a company has been found in criminal contempt for not allowing OSHA to inspect a facility after a judge’s order. Now a federal court has fined four people. Martin Foundry Inc. owner Darrell Stone and three representatives from Compliance Professionals Inc., all based in Kansas City, MO, have been fined for disobeying an…
26
2015
Is it Work-Related? OSHA Answers Common Recordkeeping Questions
Determining when an injury or illness is work-related for the purposes of OSHA 300 recordkeeping can be a challenge. While the distinction may seem straightforward, applying OSHA’s criteria to real-world situations is often anything but. In two recent letters of interpretation (LOIs), OSHA attempts to shed light on some common questions surrounding the work-relatedness of injuries that result from motor vehicle accidents. Keep reading to…
18
2015
Contractor: My competitors have waged an OSHA war
A roofing contractor says competing companies have started an “OSHA war” by reporting violations by their competitors. He says he now has no choice but to “stoop to their level.” This all started with the most recent fines issued by OSHA to Tip Top Roofing & Construction, based in Sycamore, IL, in connection with a residential construction project. OSHA issued two willful and four serious violations…
07
2015
OSHA unveils new version of its required workplace poster
The last time OSHA updated the “It’s the Law” poster was in 2007. Now the agency is out with a new version that incorporates new injury reporting obligations for employers. The new poster informs workers of their right to: request an OSHA inspection of their workplace participate in an OSHA inspection and speak privately with the inspector see any OSHA citations issued to your employer…
04
2015Educating Tomorrow’s Safety Professionals
Would-be safety professionals have their choice of hundreds of educational programs across the United States, from associate’s through doctoral degrees. As the profession evolves, educational offerings have grown and changed as well. Keep reading to learn about the latest trends surrounding accreditation and certification in the safety field. The professionalization of occupational safety and health (OSH) is one of the hottest topics among leaders in…