As of February 3, 2025, California’s COVID-19-specific workplace regulations will expire, though employers must still track COVID-19 cases until February 3, 2026. Cal/OSHA can enforce COVID-19 as a workplace hazard under the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: A second Trump administration is likely to bring sweeping changes to environmental regulatory and enforcement agendas. During the first Trump term, his administration focused on significant deregulation in...more
12/24/2024
/ Clean Air Act ,
Clean Energy ,
Clean Water Act ,
Deregulation ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
Trump Administration
Continuing its assault on commonly used chemicals that pose risks to human health, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”) issued (but has not yet published in the Federal Register) bans on...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is shifting its COVID-19 isolation guidance, advising that COVID-positive individuals no longer need to isolate once they have been...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an order revising COVID-19 definitions and procedures. Because the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 standard incorporates by reference certain CDPH...more
Washington State’s COVID-19 emergency declaration expires October 31, 2022 but the Health Emergency Labor Standards Act (HELSA) administered by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), and codified at WAC...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 28, 2022, California’s Governor Newsom issued a press release lifting California’s mask requirements for unvaccinated individuals in indoor settings, downgrading the former requirement to a...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On July 27, 2021, the CDC revised its mask guidance in response to the burgeoning threat of the COVID-19 Delta variant, recommending that all individuals — including those who are vaccinated — wear masks...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just released revised guidance on quarantine time allowing for two quarantine options in addition to the standard 14 day quarantine....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Along with other locations across the country, California, Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico imposed sweeping restrictions and new guidance to contain the surge in COVID-19 infections. The latest round of...more
11/19/2020
/ Business Interruption ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
State and Local Government ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Traveling Employee ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: CDC explains that the shutdown or reduced operation of a building and reductions in normal water use can create hazards for returning occupants. It recommends in its updated Guidance for Reopening Buildings...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
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. 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
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent report indicates that vector-borne diseases are a rising causes of illness for outdoor workers in the United States. ...more
By now, the worldwide health authorities and media have publicized the Zika virus disease (Zika) that has been reported throughout South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Although the United States has only...more
2/12/2016
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
General Duty Clause ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Public Health ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Zika