health & safety watch

OSHA Issues Guidance As Non-Essential Businesses Reopen & Employees Return to Work

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued guidance to assist employers reopening non-essential businesses and their employees returning to work during the evolving coronavirus pandemic. The guidance supplements the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ previously developed Guidance on Preparing Workplaces … Read more

OSHA Adopts Revised Enforcement Policies For Coronavirus

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted revised policies for enforcing OSHA’s requirements with respect to coronavirus as economies reopen in states throughout the country. Throughout the course of the pandemic, understanding about the transmission and prevention of infection has improved. The government and the private sector have … Read more

OSHA Releases Alert and Guidance on COVID-19

By now, we are all aware of the threat of the COVID-19 virus and what it means to quarantine, and OSHA has been working diligently to give employers as much information as possible to curb the spread of infections. Many states are now under “shelter in place” orders and have … Read more

OSHA Increases Maximum Penalties

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has adjusted the maximum penalties companies face as per the annual inflation rate. The new maximum penalties are as follows: Serious and Other than Serious penalties – $13,494 per violation Failure to Abate – $13,494 per violation Willful or repeated – $134, 937 … Read more

OSHA Requires EIN From Employers

As of January 2, 2020, OSHA requires all employers to electronically submit an employer identification number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) along with the report for fatality, injury and illness, Form 300A. This requirement only pertains to employers with 250 or more employees, and some other businesses over … Read more

Winter Weather Advisory from OSHA

Although cold stress is not usually a hazard for countertop fabricators, winter weather provides obstacles for everyone in any business that requires travel. Installers must often drive in snow or have snow removed from their place of business. Of course, fabricators cannot control roadway conditions, but they can promote safe … Read more

Silicosis Among Stone Fabricators More Widespread Than Previously Believed

At the end of September, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a report showing that stone fabricators suffering from silicosis are more numerous than has previously been believed. A total of 18 cases of silicosis, including two fatalities have now been reported across four states: California, Colorado, Texas … Read more

Health & Safety Watch: 2 Dead in Workplace Slab Accident

Two employees were left dead from a tragic slab accident at Stone Warehouse in Sterling Heights, Mich. Firefighters were called to the scene Monday around 2:30 p.m. after reports that a worker was pinned under several slabs of granite. “When we got on the scene, we could obviously see that … Read more

Reduce the Strain in Manual Material Handling

The leading cause of disabling injuries in the construction industry is overexertion. More than one-third of all workers’ compensation claims in construction, including specialty trades, are accounted by this factor. While sudden trauma injuries, such as falls, have a fast onset, overexertion can be caused by repeatedly handling materials improperly, … Read more

OSHA Requests Info on Lockout/Tagout Standard

The Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) is asking employers about the possibility of updating the Control of Hazardous Energy standard, better known as Lockout/Tagout (LOTO). The administration is seeking comments and criticisms on the use of control circuit-type devices to isolate energy as well as the evolving technology of … Read more