Donna Pryor

A member of Husch Blackwell’s Energy & Natural Resources group, Donna focuses on commercial and administrative litigation related to mine safety and occupational safety and health. She also assists clients in crisis management and strategic communications related to workplace health and safety issues.

Donna has extensive experience in the production of precious metals, aggregates, cement, industrial minerals, coal, salt, potash, phosphate, granite, limestone, and oil and gas. She combines her legal skills and government knowledge with her litigation prowess for clients facing complex problems.

Firm/Organization: Husch Blackwell LLP

Blogs: Cannabis Law Now, Healthcare Law Insights, Safety Law Matters

Latest Articles

Safety Law Matters

Understanding MSHA Litigation and Saving Costs

By Donna Pryor, Erik Dullea & Mark Savit

August 20, 2019

The average mining operator now spends $20,000 per year on citations and penalties. In this must-attend conference for cost-savings, learn how to reduce or eliminate fines with the added benefit of improved safety conditions. With increasing citations, this workshop will prepare you to handle Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors and their findings.…

Safety Law Matters

Nevada operator and employer alert: New marijuana bill becomes law

By Donna Pryor

June 27, 2019

A new Nevada law will soon prohibit employers from denying employment to job applicants who test positive for marijuana use in pre-employment drug testing. What does this mean for your company and its safety sensitive positions?…

Healthcare Law Insights

OSHA, Workplace Violence, and the Healthcare Industry

By Donna Pryor

June 20, 2019

Unfortunately, workplace violence is in the news every day. OSHA is paying increasing attention to the workplace violence issue, particularly in the healthcare industry. While there is no specific OSHA regulation addressing workplace violence, a recent decision supports OSHA’s use of the General Duty Clause in workplace violence cases in the healthcare industry. In Secretary of Labor v. Integra Health Management, No 13-1124 (March 4, 2019), the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC)…

Safety Law Matters

As we mark National Heat Awareness Day, is a heat stress standard on the horizon?

By Donna Pryor

May 31, 2019

May 31 is National Heat Awareness Day, according to OSHA and the National Weather Service. This year, the day falls at a time when the rules about preventing heat illness may be in flux. In fact, after OSHA lost a recent case to use its general duty clause to make heat exposure enforceable, state and federal authorities are talking about creating a heat stress regulation.…

Safety Law Matters

Marijuana at work? As state law develops, time to revisit policies.

By Donna Pryor

April 18, 2019

When medical marijuana first started to become legal, many employers in mining and other safety-sensitive industries adopted zero-tolerance policies. After all, safety at these work sites is critical. But, new court decisions are calling this approach into question.…

Safety Law Matters

OSHA penalties are going up. Repeats will cost up to $132,598 in 2019.

By Donna Pryor

February 28, 2019

As of the end of last month, OSHA citations will cost you more. The Department of Labor published the official version of the Final Rule for the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Annual Adjustment for 2019, which adjusts civil penalties for inflation. Federal law requires the annual adjustment to occur each year by January 15th. This year’s publication was delayed due to the partial government shutdown.…

Safety Law Matters

What happens when technology and practice exceed MSHA regulations?

By Donna Pryor

February 10, 2019

Many of the MSHA regulations that are currently in effect were written in the 1970s; at that time in history, digital meant using your fingers (digits). Since then, technology has become so advanced that the regulations do not even address the latest hazards involved in mining.…

Safety Law Matters

Cannabis infused-product manufacturer cited by Cal/OSHA

By Donna Pryor

January 14, 2019

Can OSHA inspect cannabis facilities? Some cannabis cultivators and manufacturers believe they are exempt from OSHA visits because the Federal government does not recognize cannabis as a legal drug. According to a recent case in California, the government disagrees.…

Cannabis Law Now

Cannabis Infused-Product Manufacturer Cited by Cal/OSHA

By Donna Pryor

January 9, 2019

Some cannabis cultivators and manufacturers believe they are exempt from OSHA visits because the Federal government does not recognize cannabis as a legal drug. On June 19, 2018, a worker in a California cannabis manufacturing facility was using propane to extract oil from cannabis flowers. The propane ignited and exploded, leaving the employee with serious injuries. The incident was followed by an investigation by California OSHA. According to a California Department of Industrial Relations press release,…

Safety Law Matters

What’s on MSHA’s agenda? Rulemaking.

By Donna Pryor

November 7, 2018

On October 17, 2018, OIRA published the fall regulatory agenda for MSHA. The major regulatory priority on MSHA’s agenda continues to be an examination of the protections provided to reduce underground miners’ exposure to diesel exhaust and refuge alternatives for underground coal mines. The MSHA/NIOSH Diesel Health Effects Partnership convened its third meeting in July 2018 and attracted 50 stakeholders from across the industry spectrum to chart an effective path for change.…

Donna Pryor

Understanding MSHA Litigation and Saving Costs

Nevada operator and employer alert: New marijuana bill becomes law

OSHA, Workplace Violence, and the Healthcare Industry

As we mark National Heat Awareness Day, is a heat stress standard on the horizon?

Marijuana at work? As state law develops, time to revisit policies.

OSHA penalties are going up. Repeats will cost up to $132,598 in 2019.

What happens when technology and practice exceed MSHA regulations?

Cannabis infused-product manufacturer cited by Cal/OSHA

Cannabis Infused-Product Manufacturer Cited by Cal/OSHA

What’s on MSHA’s agenda? Rulemaking.

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