OSHA Insights Blog
When OSHA Can Request 300 Logs
When an OSHA representative requests an employer to provide copies of its 300 log, the employer must provide copies of the log within four business hours. But when is OSHA allowed to request the 300 logs? An OSHA inspector can access an employer’s 300 log if the...
OSHA’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program: How employers in the construction industry may be subject to the SVEP
The Severe Violator Enforcement Program (“SVEP”) was established in June 2010 to replace OSHA’s replacement to the Enhanced Enforcement Program (“EEP”) after a number of problems with the EEP were identified, including a failure to properly identify and inspect...
OSHA Inspections: Follow up Inspections v. Monitoring Inspections
There are various types of inspections officiated by OSHA that employers are subjected to. Some of these inspections seems very similar, if not the same, which may lead to some confusion. Specifically, follow-up inspections and monitoring inspections have very similar...
Defending against OSHA Citations: Affirmative Defense against Improper Inspections
Employers are given the opportunity to challenge OSHA citations and investigations that may be improper. Under Section 8(a) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, OSHA requires inspections to be conducted in a reasonable manner, at reasonable times, and conducted...
Contesting OSHA Citations Late
Upon receiving an OSHA citation from federal OSHA, an employer has 15 working days from receipt of the Citation and Notification of Penalty to file a written Notice of Contest. 29 U.S.C. § 659(a). But if an employer misses the 15-day window to file a Notice of...
COVID-19 Guidance on Ventilation in the Workplace
OSHA has continued to issue a series of alerts that contain helpful tips that employers and workers should follow to protect themselves from exposure to COVID-19 at the workplace. OSHA asserts that adequate ventilation throughout a workplace can help maintain the...
U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA Announces $1,222,156 In Coronavirus Violations
Since the start of the COVD-19 pandemic though October 8, 2020, OSHA has given out citations to 85 establishments for violations in relation to the coronavirus. As a result of this volume of citations, the amount of proposed penalties totals $1,222,156. Following...
OSHA Guidance on Returning to Work
OSHA has released a full handbook of suggestions that serve as guidance for those reopening businesses and returning to work. This guidance is not a mandatory set of regulations or standards, and it does not impose new legal obligations. Instead, it contains...
Steps to Protect Cleaning Staff During COVID-19
OSHA recently released a series of suggestions that are to help reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for workers who perform cleaning services. These tips are a part of a series of alerts that OSHA has released to provide up-to-date guidance to protect the...
COVID-19 Guidance for Restaurants Resuming Dine-In Service
OSHA recently released a series of suggestions that are to help reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for restaurant and beverage establishment workers. These tips are a part of a series of alerts that OSHA has released to provide up-to-date guidance to...