Seyfarth Synopsis: The California Department of Industrial Relations’ Office of Administrative Law has approved a California OSHA emergency temporary standard regarding COVID-19, effective November 30, 2020. It brings with it...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: As the prospects of a likely Biden administration develop a key question becomes what should employers expect from OSHA under Biden? A COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard, aggressive enforcement, and a...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Oregon OSHA finalized its COVID-19 temporary rule, OAR 437-001-0744, Addressing COVID-19 Workplace Risks, on November 6, 2020, with most provisions effective as of November 16, 2020; the rule sunsets on May...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The CDC continues to expand its guidance on the potential routes of COVID-19 transmission, changing its definition of “close contact” of 15 minutes or more within 6 feet, to now mean 15 minutes aggregated...more
Hopefully most employers will never experience a serious workplace accident involving personal injury, property damage or both. This article will provide recommendations for an employer to respond in a forthright manner while...more
1. Introduction -
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, drugs and alcohol remain a significant occupational safety issue for employers across the country. The legal environment is rapidly changing for many drugs, and additional...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Cal/OSHA, in a press release, noted that it recently issued citations to a food manufacturer and its temporary employment agency, with over $200,000 in proposed penalties to each employer for “failing to...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Cal/OSHA announced that it has cited eleven employers for not protecting employees from COVID-19 exposure during inspections of industries where workers have an elevated risk of exposure. The industries...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The CDC published guidance aimed at assisting retail and service companies in limiting workplace violence against or involving their employees that may be associated with enforcing face mask mandates and...more
8/27/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
General Duty Clause ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Retail Workers ,
Retailers ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Violence
Seyfarth Synopsis: Commission’s approval of undocumented training provides blueprint for employee misconduct claims for employers going forward....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In late May, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam directed the state’s Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) to develop emergency temporary standards to prevent workplace exposure to COVID-19. Those rules were...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has updated its frequently asked questions and answers to advise employers about the use of face masks in the workplace....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA Administrator Loren Sweatt recently blogged related to heat illness in the workplace as “forecasters are calling for above-average heat in some parts of the country and scorching temperatures in July...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA issued its first COVID-19 citation to a Georgia nursing home. The citation alleges a failure to report within 24-hours a work-related incident resulting in hospital admissions....more
6/11/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Failure to Report ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Nursing Homes ,
OSHA ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted a Revised Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of COVID-19. Under the OSHA regulations and the revised guidance, most cases of...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted an Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease (ERP). Now, as states begin reopening their economies, the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In the last two weeks, the CDC has updated the list of symptoms for COVID-19 on several occasions, eliminating the “two or more” list and adding “less common” symptoms and emergency warning signs....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In Rural Community Worker’s Alliance et al v. Smithfield Foods, Inc. et al., No. 5:20-cv-6063 (W.D. Mo. May 5, 2020), Western District of Missouri Judge Greg Kays granted Smithfield’s motion to dismiss...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: As we approach the heat of the summer season and as employers begin to re-open after months of COVID-19 quarantine, workers may be out of shape, out of practice on workplace safety procedures, and may have...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an alert listing safety tips (guidance) employers can follow to help protect construction workers from exposure to the coronavirus....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued Interim Guidance to advise compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) to evaluate an employer’s good faith efforts to comply with...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has issued a COVID-19 guidance for package delivery employers. OSHA offers recommendations to help reduce employees’ risk of exposure to the coronavirus, including administrative controls, hygiene...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 13, 2020, OSHA released an Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) which is intended to provide instructions and guidance to Area Offices and compliance safety and...more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have issued guidance documents to help employers minimize hazards of Coronavirus / COVID-19 exposures in...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The WHO has officially declared COVID-19 to be a global “pandemic,” triggering new considerations for employers....more
3/13/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety ,
World Health Organization