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”

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”