Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

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Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

Chinese Coronavirus Outbreak – What Employers Need to Know

January 22, 2020

By James L. Curtis, Mark A. Lies, II, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: First American case reported of deadly new Chinese coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated that it is closely monitoring an outbreak caused by a new 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (coronavirus) first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province China. Reuters reports that the virus has claimed nine lives and infected at least…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

OSHA Proposes Over $1M in Fines Against Florida Roofing Contractor for Egregious Fall Hazards

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

January 21, 2020

By Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Mark A. Lies, II, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Florida Roofing Experts Inc. – a Jacksonville, Florida, roofing contractor, for failing to protect workers from falls at two work sites, with proposed penalties totaling $1,007,717.00. OSHA initiated the inspections after receiving complaints of employees performing residential re-roofing activities without fall …

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

NDAttention – National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Adds Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals to TRI

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

January 17, 2020

By Jeryl L. Olson, Ilana R. Morady, Kay R. Bonza, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: On December 20, 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA) was signed into law, including provisions for adding certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) list of reportable chemicals under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and Section 6607 of the…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

Surprise! (NOT) – OSHA Increases Civil Penalties for 2020

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

January 16, 2020

By James L. Curtis, Daniel R. Birnbaum, Adam R. Young, Kay R. Bonza, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: The DOL has published its 2020 increases to OSHA civil penalties. We have blogged previously about the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) annual adjustments to the maximum civil penalty dollar amounts for OSHA violations. The DOL has now finalized the 2020 inflation adjustments, which again nudge the penalties even higher. 85…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

This Week – Cal/OSH Board to Vote on New Regulation to Allow Employees to Request Workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Program

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

January 14, 2020

By Joshua M. Henderson, Ilana R. Morady, Adam R. Young, Matthew A. Sloan, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: The Cal/OSH Standards Board will vote this week on a proposed standard requiring employers to provide their employees and employee representatives access to the company’s Injury and Illness Prevention Program. On January 16, 2020, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board will vote on a proposed standard that will require employers…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

OSHA Tweets Out a Reminder – Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Form 300A for Calendar Year 2019 are Due March 2

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

January 13, 2020

By Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: Establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20-249 employees that are classified in specific industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses, are required to electronically submit their 300A forms to OSHA by March 2. On January 7,…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

OSHA Standard Interpretation Repeats Vague Warnings on Employee Use of Headphones in the Workplace

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

January 6, 2020

By James L. Curtis, Mark A. Lies, II, Adam R. Young, Ilana R. Morady, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a standard interpretation cautioning employers on the use of headphones to listen to music on a construction site. Many employers permit the use of headphones and music in a variety of industrial and construction settings, presumably to improve employee morale and…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

OSHA Updates National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing Industries

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

January 3, 2020

By Brent I. Clark, Kay R. Bonza, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA recently updated its National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing Industries (NEP), adding a targeting methodology for industries with high employer-reported amputation statistics. Instruction CPL 03-00-022 (Dec. 10, 2019). We had previously blogged about the previous 2015 update, OSHA Updates Emphasis Program on Amputations – Cites Employer and Places It on Severe Violators List. National Emphasis Program on…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Released

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

January 2, 2020

By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its annual National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (National Census), concluding that the fatal work injury rate in 2018 remained at 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. Commenting on the BLS National Census, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt noted that “OSHA will continue to…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

Future Enterprises and Environmental Impacts in the Cannabis Industry

By Seyfarth Shaw LLP

December 26, 2019

By Jeryl L. Olson, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, Ilana R. Morady, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: The continued efforts of federal, state, and local governments to legalize cannabis, both in medical and recreational uses, leaves many potential impacts, including environmental law and regulatory issues in the manufacturing, processing, and distribution of cannabis products. As cannabis use for medical and recreational purposes, including products containing THC and CBD, becomes…

Workplace Safety and Environmental Law Alert Blog

Blog Authors

Chinese Coronavirus Outbreak – What Employers Need to Know

OSHA Proposes Over $1M in Fines Against Florida Roofing Contractor for Egregious Fall Hazards

NDAttention – National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Adds Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals to TRI

Surprise! (NOT) – OSHA Increases Civil Penalties for 2020

This Week – Cal/OSH Board to Vote on New Regulation to Allow Employees to Request Workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Program

OSHA Tweets Out a Reminder – Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Form 300A for Calendar Year 2019 are Due March 2

OSHA Standard Interpretation Repeats Vague Warnings on Employee Use of Headphones in the Workplace

OSHA Updates National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing Industries

National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Released

Future Enterprises and Environmental Impacts in the Cannabis Industry

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