This page is dedicated to providing our readers information about OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). We’re tracking regulatory topics and compliance standards like signage requirements and the safe handling of hazardous materials. We’re also writing analytically, posting informative pieces about workplace safety, its relationship to consumer satisfaction and productivity, and considering OSHA’s implications and effectiveness. Our posts aim to simplify technical jargon, explain regulatory contexts, and help both workers and employers understand issues of compliance and federally mandated safe work practices.
OSHA
Safety violations abounded in post-Hurricane Sandy cleanup
OSHA urged cleanup and recovery workers to be wary of hazards amid the post-hurricane Sandy debris. Still, many workers suffered chemical exposure, falls, and electrical shocks, in part due to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). An investigation by Daily News revealed that many of thousands of workers who cleaned and rebuilt homes in hurricane-struck […]
The West Texas tragedy: Can oversights lead to an overhaul?
All too often, safety oversights are brought to light because of a tragedy. In the case of the deadly explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. in Texas last month, early investigations have revealed a patchwork of reporting requirements and safety thresholds that may have left workers and the community dangerously exposed. An article on Salon.com states […]
Is the Texas explosion OSHA’s fault?
Just two days after the terrifying Boston Marathon bombings, an explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in Texas jolted the country and swamped the news world. Taking 14 lives and injuring approximately 200 people, the incident started with a fire that was followed by an explosion that caused a 2.1-magnitude earthquake. The disaster turned many […]
New York CVS to pay $40,000 in fines for not having an emergency action plan in place
Employers have a legal, moral, and ethical duty to prevent physical or psychological injury to their employees at work. As per Standard Number 1910.38, OSHA requires employers to have a written or oral (in case of fewer than 10 employees) emergency action plan (EAP) that is available to employees for review. Not having an EAP […]
OSHA violations at Disneyland: It’s a small safety world
Safety violations can happen anywhere – even the happiest place on earth. Despite the Disney empire’s notoriously high standards for customer service, employee satisfaction and overall safety, the iconic Space Mountain ride in Disneyland was closed last Friday after inspectors from the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited the park for six safety […]
Rox Coal Inc. fined $110,000 for violation of electrical safety standard
Pennsylvania mine operator Rox Coal Inc will have to pay $110,000 in fines for violating an electrical hazard safety standard. The mine’s chief electrician had deliberately disabled the safety switch a couple of days before sending two workers to change fuses. As a result, on October 3, 2007, one of the miners was shocked while […]
Behavior-based safety incentive programs: what works?
Workers in every industry know that they need to follow certain safety guidelines and precautions. But prevention is a funny thing: When it works, it can lull us into complacency – raising the risk of accidents and injuries. Incentive programs can help keep workers focused on safety, but have themselves become a topic of debate. […]
High worker injury rates in nursing homes trigger possible OSHA inspection
As many as 1000 nursing homes with high worker injury and illness rates in 2011 have now come under OSHA’s radar for a possible safety inspection. Residential care facilities including business homes, nursing homes, and convalescent homes were issued warning letters for a possible inspection by OSHA, the federal agency charged with enforcement of safety […]
How to lower hazardous silica levels with silica signs
More than 1.7 million workers are endangered by silica dust each year, including construction workers, miners, roofers, and farmers. Anyone in an industry that uses abrasive blasting, jack hammering, drilling, concrete mixing, block cutting, sawing, or tunneling is exposed to the toxic dust. Each year, silicosis claims 250 lives. The disease is particularly insidious for two […]
OSHA issues high heat advisory in California
It’s the first day of spring, but many U.S. regions are experiencing prolonged cold fronts. California, however, has the opposite concern: rising temperatures across the state have prompted OSHA to issue a heat advisory, catalyzed by a concern for outdoor workers’ safety. OSHA’s press release states: “While California’s heat illness standards are the toughest in the […]
Railroad whistle-blowers gain a little legal ground
For workers in the railroad carrier industry, blowing the whistle is too often a move that management frowns upon. Just this month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ordered Norfolk Southern Railway Co. to pay over $1 million to three workers who were fired after reporting workplace injuries. In a separate case, OSHA ordered Union […]