Courtesy of Brad Hammock, Partner, Jackson Lewis Law Firm
In what is certainly one of the most active periods in OSHA’s history, the agency is using every tool at its disposal to ensure that employers are in compliance with OSHA’s standards and rules. OSHA is pushing forward with new rules, enforcement initiatives, interpretive letters, media initiatives, and so forth, at an unprecedented pace.
A recent review of OSHA’s website demonstrates the variety of means the agency is utilizing to handle safety and health issues. New rules such as OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction rule are highlighted, as are the several new enforcement measures implemented by the agency: the Severe Violators Enforcement Program; the Administrative Penalty Bulletin; and the OSHA Training Standards Policy.
In a somewhat new approach, the website also highlights “Industry Alerts,” which are alerts of safety and health issues focused on specific industries. And these initiatives do not even include the various news releases and multi-media presentations available on the website, or the 36 letters of interpretation that have been issued so far this year.
Employers must match this activity level and be especially vigilant to ensure that they know the latest positions of the agency on safety and health issues relevant to their worksites. Read More.