Before OSHA was enacted in the 1970’s, to say worker safety was an afterthought, would be an understatement. If you’ve ever seen old, turn of the century pictures of industrial employees, then you’d undoubtedly believe in that statement. Fortunately, the government agency enforced regulations that reduced the perception that employees are disposable, and that their …
Fall fatalities and injuries happen all too often, when in reality, they can be prevented with proper fall prevention measures. Falls still top OSHA top 10 most cited list of violations, and it hasn’t much moved throughout the years. Falls are also considered the “Fatal Four” in the construction industry- four of the most common …
We’ve known since late last year that OSHA penalties will increase in 2016. Now we know exactly when the increase will take place and the most likely amount. The federal government has released a document outlining the process. New penalties will take effect on Aug. 1, 2016. But what if you’ve been inspected by OSHA …
Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is calling 2015 “the safest year in mining history” based on preliminary fatality and injury data released April 7. Last year was the safest in terms of both number of fatalities and rates of death and injury, which are based on hours of miner exposure, according …
Expert Legal Advice To help the safety professional who is wondering, “I just got an OSHA citation, what do I do now?” Intelivert interviewed 16 top legal experts who provided a list of critical information needed in the event of an OSHA citation. These attorneys have years of experience in OSHA law, with a broad …
The U.S. Department of Labor today issued a final rule on respirable silica dust. The rule, which will limit worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica, has been a long time in the making, with proponents working for decades to increase protections for workers. The new rule updates regulations established in 1971 and goes a long …
I have just been reading an article by Kevin Jones of a “new model” of safety that the consulting firm Ernst & Young are about to launch onto the safety world. The value of this new approach, which they have termed “Plus One”, is that it apparently takes the next step after Zero Harm. So …
Each calendar year, from February 1 through April 30, USA employers must post their OSHA form 300A (aka “Summary of Work-Related Injuries & Illnesses”). Please remember that it must be signed by “an executive of the company”. I have known of cases where employers were cited because the safety or HR manager signed the form. …
OSHA and NIOSH issued a new hazard alert for oil and gas workers who manually gauge or sample fluids on production and flowback tanks. The hazard alert, which was issued after a number of preventable deaths tied to manual tank gauging, offers employers recommendations on how to protect workers opening tank hatches to manually gauge …
