Category: OSHA

What to Expect from OSHA in 2023

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Each year, OSHA continues to review and revise its rules and regulations to better address the biggest issues going on in the world of labor. Therefore, it should also be important for you to follow along with these updates in order to ensure that your employees are safe, your programs are updated, and that you are safe in the event of an OSHA audit. Following what happens in OSHA can also allow you to become aware of issues that your own facility may face that you were previously unaware of.

Some of the major issues that may prove relevant to you that were either mentioned in the latter half of 2022 or have already been mentioned in 2023 include: Continue reading “What to Expect from OSHA in 2023” →

OSHA’s Most Cited Violations in 2022

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OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is responsible for the safety and well-being of all public employees throughout the country. As you are likely aware, OSHA maintains a large list of regulations and requirements in 29 CFR 1910. Each year, OSHA releases statistics on what the most common violations and citations are related to. This year’s top most cited violations for all industries include: Continue reading “OSHA’s Most Cited Violations in 2022” →

Does Your States Have a State OSHA?

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Most people are already aware that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws and regulations cover most private sector employers and workers in all 50 states, DC, and other US jurisdictions. However, it is less known that several states have their own specific OSHA approved state plans. These state plans are largely funded by OSHA but allow each state to set their own specific standards. Do not get too excited though, as each state plan is required to be at least as effective as the Federal OSHA laws and regulations, if not more so.

There are currently 22 states and US territories that maintain their own OSHA approved state plans: Continue reading “Does Your States Have a State OSHA?” →

What to Expect from OSHA in 2022

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A new year always brings changes to health and safety regulations and requirements. The number of OSHA inspections increased in 2021 from the previous year, and this trend is likely to continue into 2022. It is therefore imperative to ensure that your facility’s safety programs are up to date, safety training is being routinely conducted, and records are being properly kept. A good way to ensure that the safety programs are in order is to conduct a thorough safety audit of all programs, procedures, trainings, and records to ensure that the facility is in compliance with OSHA requirements.

In 2022, OSHA is expected to focus on heat illness prevention. As global temperatures continue to rise, it can be easy to succumb to job-related heat stress while working. Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related phenomena, and excessive heat can cause heat stroke or exacerbate existing health problems like asthma, kidney failure, and heart disease. Because of this, OSHA announced that it will begin implementing an enforcement initiative on heat-related hazards and will develop a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on heat inspections. OSHA area directors are expected to perform the following: Continue reading “What to Expect from OSHA in 2022” →

Are Third Party Safety Inspections The Best Course of Action for My Facility?

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains a full-time staff of inspection officers, called compliance safety and health officers (CSHO). OSHA has jurisdiction over most worksites and can enforce the rules and regulations pertaining to the specific industry of the worksite. These rules and regulations can be found in your industry’s specific standards. For general industry, these standards are 29 CFR 1910 (General Industry Standards). For construction, these standards are 29 CFR 1926 (Construction Industry Standards).

An OSHA inspection can be conducted either on-site or by phone/fax. During an on-site inspection, the CSHO may walk through portions of the worksite, will review worksite injury and illness records, and will observe the posting of the official OSHA poster. The inspector is also very likely to interview employees privately, without management present, to discuss site safety.

These inspections can occur for several reasons. Inspections are prioritized for worksites in the following order of priority: Continue reading “Are Third Party Safety Inspections The Best Course of Action for My Facility?” →

What to Expect From OSHA in 2021

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After a difficult year amidst a global pandemic in 2020, we can finally look ahead to a hopefully brighter 2021. A new year always brings changes to health and safety regulations and requirements. On January 19, 2021, James Frederick was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, and will be the acting administrator for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) until a new Director is determined.

One of OSHA’s primary concerns at the start of 2021 has been employee safety relating to COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, OSHA has issued citations with penalties totaling $3,930,381. Common violations found from these inspections include failures to perform the following: Continue reading “What to Expect From OSHA in 2021” →

When Should You Retest Your Indoor Air Quality?

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Indoor air quality is important for employee health and comfort. Poor air quality can lead to several negative health effects, including irritation, coughing, and fatigue. More serious health hazards such as occupational asthma, specific organ toxicity, or cancer can also occur, depending on the chemicals being handled on site. Because of this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed permissible exposure limits (PELs) for several dusts, fumes, and vapors from various chemicals. These PELs, found in 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1, identify the maximum concentrations of different chemicals and materials an employee can be exposed over the course of an 8-hour work shift. Employees exposed to airborne concentrations of a material above a PEL may be at risk for serious health hazards. Continue reading “When Should You Retest Your Indoor Air Quality?” →

OSHA is increasing focus on enforcement of Robot Safety Standards

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OSHA is working with the Robotics Industries Association and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on developing a training program for inspection officers to better understand how robots in general industry operate, what the requirements are for employers, and how to better identify the potential hazard. By 2020, it is expected that OSHA will have the knowledge necessary to better respond to an incident caused by an issue with robotic safety.

If your facility utilizes industrial robots, including Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) or collaborative robots, contact CTI to determine if your robotic equipment meets safety standards and if you are compliant with OSHA regulations.