Posts tagged 'OSHA'

April 9, 2010

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OSHA Unveils Goals of New Strategic Plan

The Department of Labor (DOL) has released its strategic plan for 2010-2016 with the overall objective being "good jobs for everyone," in the words of Secretary Hilda Solis. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently held a Web chat to discuss its part in the DOL strategic plan, during which it characterized its overall plan in these words: “OSHA is focus...

March 22, 2010

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PAWA Set to Increase Civil and Criminal Penalties for OSHA Violations

OSHA PAWA

The Protecting America's Workers Act (PAWA), which is simultaneously wending its way through both chambers of Congress, would put new fangs into enforcement of the laws and regulations overseen by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Now with health insurance legislation largely behind it, Congress is expected to move on several labor-related fronts, including PAWA, the Emp...

March 4, 2010

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OSHA Issues Letters to Firms with Highest Injury, Illness Rates

DART injury and illness report OSHA SST

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has dispatched about 15,000 letters to companies to notify them that their rates of illness and injury are higher than average. These so-called DART (Days Away, Restricted and Transfer) reports generally are followed up by OSHA inspections, if the past be any guide. OSHA has made no official announcement about the computer-generated lette...

December 9, 2009

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OSHA Seeks Public Commentary on Combustible Dust

combustible dust NFPA OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on developing a standard on combustible dust. OSHA has identified the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and its standard NFPA 652 as the basis for the new OSHA standard. An electronic comment form and instructions are available at www.regulations.gov in D...

December 8, 2009

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DOL Releases 2010 Agenda: Welcome Back, Ergonomics

David Michaels DOL DOL agenda ergonomics standard OSHA

The Department of Labor (DOL) has released its agenda for the coming year, and it has a few surprises to spring on American business. First (for discussion's sake), the DOL wants each paycheck to come with a stub or explanation of hours worked, overtime paid and everything else that went into the computation of the amount. Next, it's eyeing the resurrection of the ergonomics standard that was r...

October 30, 2009

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BP Slapped With Largest Fine in OSHA History

BP largest OSHA fine ever OSHA

BP is the recipient of the largest fine in OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) history--$87 million, or four times the previous record--for a 2005 accident at a refinery in Texas City, Texas, that claimed 15 workers' lives. The fines were levied for BP's alleged failure to correct 271 hazards ($56.7 million) and for another 439 "willful and egregious" violat...

February 4, 2009

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Gotta Love OSHA Courses That Include Beer Breaks

OSHA OSHA training

An undercover reporter for New York's Daily News recently paid $125 to attend an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) 10-hour training class. The class was over in 2 hours, 17 minutes. Held above a Bronx bar, the course enabled several of the attendees to slip away on breaktime to sip beers downstairs. Nice gig if you can get it. I suppose all the attendees were awarded OSHA c...

January 7, 2009

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Construction Industry Draws Most OSHA Fire

construction industry OSHA

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), which has drawn a lot of fire from labor rights groups--as has the whole Department of Labor--for lax workplace regulation under the Republicans, recently posted its 2008 Top Ten List of most commonly cited standards (in other words, standards that resulted in the most citations for violations). Construction came out in the top two spot...

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U.S. Department of Labor Officially Restores Prior Overtime Exemption Rules

On May 14th, 2026, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced it has officially rescinded the 2024 overtime exemption rules. Specifically, the WHD published a technical amendment to restore previous 2019 regulations that dictated overtime exemptions for...

NLRB General Counsel Takes Action to Tackle Current Case Backlog

On May 6th, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and NLRB General Counsel Crystal Stowe Carey announced the bulk transfer of thousands of labor practice cases. Specifically, this action fulfills an initiative signed by the NLRB General Counsel earlier this year. Overall, the initiative...

Privacy Agency Invites Comments from Businesses on the CCPA’s Usage of Personal Data

Recently, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) issued a call for comments on the current state of personal data collection under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Specifically, the invitation to deliver remarks was issued on April 20th, 2026. The information provided by the...

DOL Proposes New Joint Employer Rule To Unify Standards Under Federal Labor Laws

In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a proposed rule to establish a single, clear standard for determining when joint-employer status applies under three major federal laws: the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Migrant and Seasonal...

DOL Updates Enforcement Approach for Employee Benefit Plans: What Employers Should Know

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced a significant change in its enforcement of employee benefit plan rules. The DOL will now focus more closely on serious violations that harm workers and retirees, meaning compliant employers may face less scrutiny under the updated approach.

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