Kevin Chaplin
OSHA Announces New Emphasis Program (NEP) for Occupational Exposures to Isocyanates
-July 15, 2013
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has recently issued a new initiative combining enforcement and outreach efforts to raise awareness of employers, workers and safety and health professionals of the serious health effects associated with occupational exposure to isocyanates. These health effects include occupational asthma, irritation of the skin and mucous […]
OSHA Issues FY 2014 Budget Justification – Rulemaking Projections
-June 24, 2013
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has recently issued its budget justification for 2014. OSHA claims in the justification that enforcement inspections result in safer workplaces and provide employers significant savings through reduced workman’s compensation costs. Within the funding request OSHA projects that it will issue four Final Rules (Infectious Disease, […]
OSHA Compliance Initiative on Employers Using Temporary Employees
-May 24, 2013
OSHA has launched an initiative that will focus on protecting temporary employees from recognized workplace hazards. OSHA compliance officers are being directed to assess whether employers who use temporary workers are complying with their responsibilities to adequately train and protect these employees. The initiative defines these workers as all employees supplied to a host company […]
Are you controlling hazardous energy? Is your machine guarding effective?
-April 26, 2013
We often hear complaints about “over-regulation” and the burdens placed on business by governmental rules. Often the complaints are valid. However, we don’t think that OSHA rule on controlling hazardous energy and machine guarding fall into that category. The consequences of getting that wrong are so high and so disastrous, we all need to be […]
Crystalline Silica-OSHA Rulemaking a Slow Process
-March 28, 2013
Although OSHA has considered updating the crystalline silica exposure standard a top priority for over ten years, the process is beginning to wear thin on Congressional Committee representatives with jurisdiction over worker safety and health. The agency continues to state that silica remains a serious threat to more than two million U.S. workers, including a […]