Proposed changes to OSHA that are now working their way through Congress, including increased penalties, focus on punishing employers and will not improve workplace safety and health, a representative of a coalition of employer groups testified Tuesday. “Penalties alone will …
As I wrote in an earlier post legislation is moving through the House of Representatives that would dramatically change the OSHA Act, increasing protection for whistleblowers and making officers and directors subject to criminal liability for OSHA violations in certain …
Prison terms of up to 10 years could be imposed on officers and directors of companies that knowingly violate OSHA rules under a proposed revision to the Occupational Safety and Health Act now advancing through Congress. The 10-year term would …
Big changes to OSHA advancing through Congress; employers need to get ready
Meanwhile, OSHA ismoving forward administratively to toughen enforcement
Attend Jim Stanley’s audioconference: ‘OSHA Contractor Crackdown’
A resource for those interested in safety and HR
Latest from our blog: Removing roadblocks to sustainable safety improvement.
Are you satisfied with the current state of your safety program? Have training, audits and attempts to change behavior not yielded the long-term results you desire? Do you feel like the safety department is carrying most of the load? Are …
The massive, expanding cleanup on the Gulf is creating safety challenges aplenty and both the government and private industry are scrambling to respond. We’ve seen the impact in our temporary safety personnel services. One Friday afternoon we were asked by …
OSHA has raised the ante on enforcement to a whole new level. The agency now would like to see some violations treated as crimes with prison terms attached. Speaking to the American Society of Safety Engineers at the Safety 2010 …
Is it really possible to have a workplace where no injuries occur? Emmitt Nelson, a pioneer of the zero-accident approach, believes so. Nelson, who chaired the first Construction Industry Institute task force that researched contractors with few or no injuries, …
With OSHA putting enforcement pressure on recordkeeping, it may be helpful to refresh your memory on just what constitutes a recordable injury. Arthur Sapper of the McDermott Will & Emery law firm has written an excellent article that straightens out …
OSHA is increasing enforcement pressure in yet another area: Making sure that employees receive safety training in a format they can understand. OSHA is instructing its inspectors to issue “serious” citations if a “reasonable person” would conclude that safety training …