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: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued Guidance to assist employers reopening non-essential businesses ensure the safety of their employees and the public during the evolving...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a series of frequently asked questions and answers regarding the use of masks in the workplace to assist the regulated community....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: The State of Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) just enacted Emergency COVID-19 Safety Rules on “Prohibited Business Activities and Conditions for Operations.”...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: 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 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly developed and released guidance that is generally intended for everybody, whether a...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly developed and released guidance that is generally intended for everybody, whether a...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: 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
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 10, 2020, OSHA released new interim guidance to Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) for enforcing the requirements of 29 CFR Part 1904 with respect to recording occupational illnesses,...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has announced interim guidance for the Agency’s regional offices to “ensure that decisions about new or ongoing cleanup...more
4/16/2020
/ CERCLA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Violations ,
Force Majeure Clause ,
RCRA ,
Relief Measures ,
Superfund ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced new Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person With Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19. The new...more
4/9/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Guidance Update ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in support of the U.S. Government’s overall response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has announced a temporary enforcement discretion policy regarding environmental...more
Important for healthcare workers involved in the care of patients with known or suspected COVID-19, the CDC late last week changed it’s personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance in light of N95 respirator shortages. In...more
3/17/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: As restaurant and hospitality consumers rethink their dining experiences, increased concerns are coming from food service providers about how to ensure food safety, reassure patrons, and address issues...more
3/13/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
China ,
Contamination ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
Franchises ,
Health and Safety ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Public Health ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Risk Management ,
Strategic Planning ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
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
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has issued a new alert and guidance document on COVID-19 suggesting ways for employers to minimize and manage risks to their workforces....more
3/12/2020
/ Airline Employees ,
Aviation Industry ,
Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Waste Disposal ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list of disinfectants to use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19....more
3/9/2020
/ Best Practices ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth Shaw’s OSHA/MSHA group is at the ABA’s Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting this week....more
3/6/2020
/ American Bar Association (ABA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Drones ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ,
Mining ,
Occupational Exposure ,
OSHA ,
Popular ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth Shaw’s OSHA/MSHA group is at the ABA’s Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee Midwinter Meeting this week. Today, we heard some introductory remarks from the Solicitor of Labor, a panel who...more
3/5/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ,
Mining ,
Occupational Exposure ,
OSHA ,
OSHRC ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Severe Violators Enforcement Program (SVEP) ,
Silica ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: As an early and aggressive response to potential threats related to the novel coronavirus disease, now identified as COVID-19, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) activated its Emerging...more
3/3/2020
/ Best Practices ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
Pesticides ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Workplace Safety