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Based in Texas, but serving clients across the country, Safety First Consulting is a team of safety professionals dedicated to assisting businesses achieve and maintain OSHA compliance. Our goal is to minimize regulatory risks while protecting your most valuable assets: Your Employees.
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OSHA’s current penalty structure is up to $16,550 for each serious violation citation, and up to $165,514 for each willful or repeat violation citation. Typical salaries for on-staff Safety Directors are $120,000 or more. For a small investment, your company can obtain peace of mind in not only knowing what it takes to make the work environment safe and compliant, but also make the workplace safer for your employees. Note: The OSHA penalties (costs) change every January.
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Safety News and Insights
Stay informed with our latest articles on workplace safety and compliance.
68 Percent Increase In Heatstroke Deaths of Children Left In Vehicles
Most everyone is busy and our thoughts tend to focus on the immediate list of things that need to get accomplished instead of staying in the moment –then you stop...
Two Forklift Violations Bring $250k in Penalties to Employer
For employers who do not immediately correct powered industrial truck (aka “forklift”) deficiencies noted in pre-shift inspections, this story will hopefully change that behavior. Acting on an employee complaint, the...
When Taking Down Your OSHA Form 300A -Do This One Thing
OSHA Form 300A summaries of last year’s injuries and illnesses must be posted for most employers through April 30th of each year. However, many employers make a serious mistake after...
A New Safety Standard Emerges –What You Need To Know
The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) announced the publication of a new voluntary international standard on March 12, 2018 for a new Occupational...
OSHA Wins Again -Repeat Violation Look-Back Periods Are Unlimited
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has received a favorable opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which was published on March 14, 2018. The...
6 Repeat OSHA Citations In A Row -When Is Criminal Negligence Considered?
Once again, The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) cited a Marietta, Georgia based roofing contractor, Jose A. Serrato, for exposing workers to dangerous fall hazards –this time, in Birmingham,...
Heat-Induced Worker Fatality Is Cautionary Tale for Employers
Heat-induced illnesses aren’t typically the first hazards considered by employers with outside workers in late September, particularly with wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) of 86.2 degrees Fahrenheit, but it was...
Ergonomics Gets A New Foothold From OSHA
Federal OSHA currently has no ergonomics standard in place, thanks to the U.S. Congress’ overturn of the Clinton Administration’s last minute enactment of an Ergo Standard in late 2000 using...
Fraudulent OSHA Training Cards? A Disturbing Trend
Two OSHA Area Directors reported in a recent Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) meeting that a disturbing trend of fraudulent OSHA training cards are being distributed, oftentimes with full...
Free Professional Development for Safety Professionals in Central Texas
Safety professionals in central Texas have an opportunity for free professional networking at an upcoming event in San Marcos on April 16, 2018. Door prizes and a raffle for the...
Worker Death Leads To OSHA Fines for Manufacturer
A plastics manufacturing company received proposed penalties of $195,144 by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) following a fatal incident to a worker pulled into a plastics recycling machine...
Should We Include That Chemical? 3 Common SDS Mistakes Employers Make
Many employers can become confused about rules concerning Safety Data Sheets (SDSs). Specifically, the confusion typically involves company use of household chemicals like Clorox or Lysol because many employers believe...
OSHA Slaps Manufacturer With More Than $250,000 In Fines
A chemical and dye manufacturing and distribution company received proposed penalties of $256,088 by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) for allegedly exposing workers to workplace safety hazards. First...
Employer Faces Over $90K For Safety Violations
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited Supplyside USA, an Ohio pallet manufacturer, for violations related to machine safety following a serious injury to one of its employees....
Top 5 Employer Mistakes Regarding OSHA Form 300A
For many employers, February 1 is the annual deadline in the United States to post the OSHA Form 300A, a summary of the previous year’s injuries and illnesses recorded on...
OSHA Financial Penalties Have Gone Up Again
In a continuing effort to ensure monetary penalties have the intended effect on businesses that do not provide safe and healthful workplaces, OSHA’s penalty structure has increased 2% as of...
Prepare for Holiday Road Trips Now
Proper trip planning and vehicle preventative maintenance are essential year-round, but especially when it comes to holiday driving. Use this checklist to help you prepare for your holiday trip. Check...
Contractor Fined More Than $100,000 By OSHA
The United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed a $106,000 penalty on a construction company for allegedly putting its workers in danger. In May...
Halloween Safety -Don’t Burn Things Down
Halloween is a cherished tradition in the United States for many reasons. Most enjoy the creativity of deciding what costume to wear, or even create. Kids love the prospect of...
OSHA’s Playbook Revealed -Silica Enforcement Memo Published
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) released a memorandum for regional administrators on October 19, 2017, which establishes enforcement guidance for the agency regarding the Respirable Crystalline Silica in...
Blindness From Costume Contact Lenses? A Scary Warning
The rise in popularity and use of costume contact lenses for Halloween fun is proving to be a costly decision for many people’s health, sometimes costing people their vision permanently....
Half Million-Dollar Penalty for Manufacturer
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced $503,380 in proposed penalties for a Chicago container manufacturer in response to reports of four separate workers suffering injuries at their facility....
OSHA’s Silica Rule Challenged in Court –How Did It Go?
Professional societies and industry groups challenged OSHA’s new silica rule for construction last week during a hearing before a D.C. Circuit panel. Whether it went well or poorly depends on...
Worker Cuts Own Throat In Concrete Saw Incident
A 39-year-old landscaping construction worker died when he lost control of a concrete saw, which cut his throat. The incident occurred on the afternoon of September 13th in Troy, Michigan,...
Safe Lifts Made Easier With Updated Lifting Calculator
For more than 20 years, safety professionals and employers have been using the Applications Manual for the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation to assess associated risks of worker lifting movements. Now,...
Manufacturer Fined Over $100,000 By OSHA
Every year, employee complaints to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) result in safety inspections at businesses. Roughly 25% of all visits to employers from the agency are attributed...
It’s Here – OSHA’s Silica Rule Becomes Enforceable
Since the 1930s, the DOL has been studying the relationship between silica dust and worker deaths. In 1971, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) put a standard in place...
Safety Tips for Hurricane/Flood Recovery
Cleanup work of any kind is hazardous, but flood conditions make it even more so. Following the procedures listed below will help to keep you safe and healthy while cleaning...
A Tale of Two Trench Collapse Companies
Two separate companies have allegedly allowed trenches to collapse on workers by not following minimum safety requirements laid out by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). First Dakota Enterprises,...
Texas Scores Failing Grade In Safety –How Did Your State Do?
Texas gets a failing grade in Safety –at least that is the conclusion of the National Safety Council’s (NSC) premier The State of Safety report released last week, ranking Texas...
OSHA Slaps Construction Company Again – This Time for $1.5M
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) visited Great White Construction in Florida for the twelfth time in five years, this time in St. Augustine, Florida. OSHA cited the company...
Do Toolbox Talks Work At All? The Data Is In
Toolbox talks, also known as tailgate meetings or safety briefings, are typically short-duration, pre-shift safety meetings on a specific topic. Used by any industry, but perhaps most popular in the...
OSHA Regulatory Agenda Reined In Considerably
As promised, the Trump administration is rolling back regulation at the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). On July 20 of this year, OSHA released its spring regulatory agenda, which...
Discord Between OSHA and Employer Results in $1.9M Penalty
In eight previous visits since 2011, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) cited a manufacturer for 60 violations that resulted in proposed penalties of over $500,000. According to OSHA,...
Does Your Company Driving Policy Address Road Rage?
Fifty-six year-old Jose Lozada of Montgomery, Texas, eighteen year-old Bianca Robison of Pennsylvania, seventeen year-old Sejah Qamoum in Mesquite, Texas, and nineteen year-old Dylan Spaid of the Greater Fort Worth,...
Most Employers Affected By OSHA’s Delay of New Rule
In May of this year, we reported an announcement from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) advertising the delay of a previous requirement for employers. The announcement from OSHA...
Sparklers – Are Your Kids Playing With Fire?
The Independence Day Holiday tradition typically includes family, friends, parades, good food, and of course, fireworks. Kids are naturally drawn to the excitement and spectacle of fireworks and most parents...
Drone Emergency Response -Future of First Responders?
Home delivery of parcels by drone is quickly becoming reality. Could drone emergency first response also become reality? Researchers think so –at least they believe drones delivering automated external defibrillators...
Can Technology Curb Texting While Driving? Apple Says Yes!
Apple unveiled new software at the Worldwide Developers Conference this past week that will block texting while driving. Well, almost. Apple calls the new feature, “Do Not Disturb While Driving”...
OSHA Compliance For Medical & Dental Practices
Whether a medical or dental practice has one employee or one-hundred employees, the employer has an obligation to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing...
Is A Heat Stress Program Required By OSHA?
Is a written heat stress program required by OSHA? The answer depends on where workers are working. Heat stress is usually associated with construction work and other work outdoors during...
OSHA Delays Electronic Submission of Records Requirement
As expected, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) announced yesterday it is delaying a previous requirement for employers to submit injury and illness records electronically by July 1 of...
Employer Faces Possible Prison Time for Worker’s Death
The owner of two construction companies faces charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide following an incident that resulted in one worker dead and two workers seriously injured. This incident...
Crane Collapse Kills Construction Worker
(Photo by Smiley N. Pool, Staff Photographer, Dallas Morning News) One construction worker died and one was injured after a boom truck crane toppled over in Dallas. The incident occurred...
OSHA Snubs Unions With Rule Withdrawal
A once-cozy relationship between unions and OSHA under the Obama administration has cooled –at least for now. Continuing its promise to roll back OSHA rules influenced by the Obama administration,...
Paying for Medical Instead of Filing A Workers’ Comp Claim Could Be A Big Mistake -Here Are 6 Reasons Why
To pay or not to pay? That is the question. Some employers are tempted to pay “out-of-pocket” (i.e., themselves) for relatively small medical bills related to workplace injuries rather than...
An OSHA Deadline Arrives In May -Are You Ready?
On November 17, 2016, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule that took effect on January 17, 2017, updating its 44-year old general industry Walking-Working Surfaces...
US Workplace Injury Stats Improving -Except for Some Industries
Over the past forty years, workplace fatalities in the U.S. have fallen by 65-percent with 4,836 fatalities recorded in 2015 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Also good...
Employer Charged with Manslaughter –OSHA Penalizes Company Nearly $1.5 Million
A Boston employer has been charged with two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of two employees and OSHA has issued penalties to the company that reach nearly $1.5 million...
Silica Standard Enforcement Put On Hold
June 23rd of this year was the deadline for construction employers to fully implement the requirements of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) silica rule. Instead, OSHA announced last...
Employer Responsibilities for Tornado Season
Each year, roughly 800 tornadoes are expected in the United States. Tornadoes can form quickly, and have the potential of being violent and can create winds in excess of 250...
Trump Wads Up OSHA’s Recordkeeping Rule Change
Continuing his promise to roll back regulation, president Trump signed a resolution revoking an Obama-era rule to allow OSHA to issue citations for recordkeeping anomalies and errors up to 5...
Top 10 Safety Stories of 2016
We reviewed 2016’s safety-related news and produced our top ten favorite stories. 1. Video: Driving With Feet Enables Two-Handed Texting Unfortunately, it isn’t so shocking to hear that 1 in...
Dying for Work -Fatality Trends In the Workplace
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released worker fatality data for the year 2015 earlier this month, revealing an increase in on-the-job fatalities –more fatalities than the previous...
Reeling In OSHA -Trump’s Effect On the Agency
In keeping with his promise to roll back government restraints on American businesses, Donald Trump has chosen Andrew Puzder for Secretary of Labor. Puzder has been an outspoken opponent of...
Winter Driving Tips That Could Save Your Life
Winter is a beautiful time of year, but it can also be a dangerous time for drivers who traverse icy and snowy roads to share the holidays with loved ones....
Engineering Controls for Distracted Driving
Distracted driving remains a top concern among motorists these days. A government agency is now working with electronic device developers to design products that reduce the potential for driver distraction....
Another Final Rule From OSHA Announced Today
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule today updating its Walking-Working Surfaces Standards relating to slip, trip and fall hazards in general...
Thanksgiving Holiday Safety Tips To Remember
The United States is preparing for another quickly approaching Thanksgiving Holiday. Unfortunately, reports emerge each year of food poisoning, fires and incidents while traveling. By taking time to read these...
OSHA To Change One Word In Standard
We recently published the article “OSHA Wants More Changes - Here’s A Sneak Preview” in which we reviewed proposed changes and revisions to existing OSHA standards. One of the proposals,...
6 Tips for Keeping Workplaces Safe for the Holidays
Many employers hold some form of holiday celebration, be it dinner, an informal gathering, or a full-blown party for employees and guests. Celebrations should be fun, but they should also...
OSHA Releases Recommended Practices for Employers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last week published Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs to assist employers in improving safety efforts. The programs are intended to assist...
OSHA Delays Enforcement of New Rule By 1 Month
OSHA has announced it will be delaying enforcement of the employee involvement provisions of the recordkeeping rule until December 1, 2016; one month later than originally planned due to a...
Can OSHA Issue Citations for Texting & Driving? Actually, Yes!
Traditionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have not involved themselves with common carrier (bus, train, commercial airline, etc.) transportation-related safety issues that occur in transit. However, few employers...
OSHA Wants More Changes – Here’s A Sneak Preview
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing 19 changes and revisions to its standards. The proposed changes and revisions are based on responses to a public Request for...
Top Halloween Injury? A Scary Surprise!
When surveyed, most parents say the greatest concern for their trick-or-treaters’ safety involves candy-tampering or sexual predators on Halloween night. However, statistics routinely show those to be rare issues on...
Another Trench Collapse Fatality in Texas
One construction worker is dead and one was injured in a trench cave-in about a month ago in Lockhart, Texas. 22-year-old Nathan Fryday of Edna, Texas, was killed when part...
Top 5 Safety Tips for Medical and Dental Practices
Medical and dental practices become snagged in OSHA’s inspection net frequently and the reactions from the practices’ office managers are usually that of complete surprise. Many small practices believe they...
Is 911 An Acceptable Confined Space Rescue Plan? Are You Sure?
If “Call 911” is the rescue plan written on the confined space entry permit, the employer is essentially planning for a body recovery –not a rescue effort. According to the...
Are Carnival Rides Really Safe?
Attending the traveling carnival or county fair is an autumn family tradition that draw millions of patrons to temporary amusement parks in Texas annually, but are the rides at traveling...
Smartwatch Industry Sued For $1 Billion
A $1 Billion lawsuit was filed last week against Apple and Samsung, who allegedly do not do enough to discourage users from being distracted by smartphones and smartwatches while driving....
Listen Up! New Noise Standards Coming To Construction
In its regulatory agenda published in May of this year, OSHA hinted it would pursue more aggressive noise protection standards for the construction industry. Currently, the permissible exposure limit (PEL)...
Video: Driving With Feet Enables Two-Handed Texting
Just as children across the United States are beginning a new school year and driving safely in school zones is already of great concern, distracted drivers are becoming more brazen...
Why Address Zika at the Workplace? Here Are 3 Pricey Reasons
By now, most everyone in the United States has heard of the Zika virus as it has spread throughout South America, Central America, the Caribbean –and now, the U.S. There...
Is the OSHA Officer Real? Here’s How To Spot the Scammers
Scammers impersonating Occupational Safety & Health Association Compliance Safety & Health Officers, otherwise known as “OSHA CoSHOs”, is a pesky and pricey hoax that never seems to go away despite...
OSHA Slaps Houston Contractor with $125,000 Penalty
As an OSHA Compliance Officer drove by a subdivision on Shepherd Street in Houston, Texas, on February 11, 2016, workers were observed performing trench and excavation work unsafely. OSHA Compliance...
Pokémon Go –To the Emergency Room
Nintendo’s new game sensation, Pokémon Go, has taken over North America and is sweeping the globe in terms of popularity. Players get up off the couch and out of the...
New OSHA Training Rule Can Be Avoided If You Do This One Thing
OSHA’s new injury and illness tracking rule originally set to begin August 10, 2016, contained a requirement for employers to train or inform workers of the right to report work-related...
Why A Company Fined Nearly $3.5M by OSHA Should Feel Lucky
Federal investigators inspected an auto parts manufacturing company and earlier this month levied nearly $3.5 million in penalties on the company, but the penalties could have been much worse. The...
Dying In Hot Cars – Technology Helps Prevent Forgetting Children
General Motors announced earlier this year it will introduce a new safety system to remind drivers to check for children in the rear seats, and that it could eventually develop...
OSHA Announces Penalty Increase of Nearly 80%
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to advance the effectiveness of monetary penalties on businesses that do not provide safe and healthful workplaces, Congress passed an Act in 2015 to...
4 NFL Fingers and 11 Lives Lost in 2015 Fireworks Incidents
Last year, we published an article, “With Fireworks, Use Your Head or Lose Your Hand,” just two days before two NFL football players blew fingers from their hands in separate...
Texting & Driving Simulator Can Change Behavior In A Fun Way
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and AT&T collaborated to develop the “Texting and Driving: It Can Wait” simulator to demonstrate the dangers of texting behind the wheel in a...
Company Owner Charged with Manslaughter for Shortcutting Safety
The Brooklyn District Attorney has levied manslaughter and other charges against a construction company owner for a worker who fell six stores to his death at a Coney Island construction...
Protect Workers from #1 Weather-Related Killer
Working outside in the heat and humidity of summer months in North America seriously threaten workers’ health and safety, but employers can protect workers by knowing what to look for,...
Research Finds ‘Sixth Sense’ Related To Distracted Driving
Widely accepted research studies have already shown the dangers of distracted driving, but new research reveals a “sixth sense” that helps drivers keep vehicles on the road, and how distracted...
Hurricane Season Is Here –Now What?
The information in this article is generally applicable to employers in the United States with locations in or near hurricane landfall zones. These preparedness tips can be useful for employers...
Excavation Company Continually Cited By OSHA
LA PORTE, Texas – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently penalized an excavation contractor $70,000 for a willful citation related to workers allegedly in an unprotected trench. Angel...
OSHA’s New Recordkeeping Rule To Publicly Shame Employers
In a highly controversial move that arguably has nothing to do with enhancing workplace safety, OSHA amended its recordkeeping regulation that requires employers with 250 or more employees to submit...
OSHA’s Stance on the Potty Issue
One of the most volatile hot-button stories of 2016 has sparked fierce debate over the past several months and appears to be picking up momentum. If you are an employer,...
Do We Really Want OSHA To Regulate Our Entertainment?
Over the past few years, OSHA has been positioning itself to influence areas it once turned a blind eye to: The entertainment industry. Most professional sports teams (NFL, NBA, Baseball,...
Time To Take Down the 300A – Don’t Forget This One Reminder
OSHA’s Form 300A must be posted each year for qualifying employers from February 1 through April 30 each year. As it is time to take down the Form 300A, now...
13 Workers Dead In Chemical Plant Explosion
Thirteen workers were killed and over one hundred injured in a petrochemical plant explosion on the Mexican southern Gulf coast on Wednesday afternoon. The detonation and subsequent fire resulted in...
Construction Employer To Pay $17M For Fatal Accident
HOUSTON, Texas – A family of a drowned construction worker was awarded $17.72 million last week by a Harris County jury. The worker drowned in January 2014 while working on...
Association Sues OSHA To Block New Silica Rule
On April 4th, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Louisiana chapter filed a challenge to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) final rule on respirable crystalline silica in...
Another Compliance Change By OSHA? This Time Its PPE
OSHA published a final rule that updates its eye and face protection standards and will go into effect April 25th of this year. The updated standard will address updated personal...
Employers Scrambling To Comply With New Silica Standards
OSHA last week issued its final rule for employers to control and limit silica exposures to workers. The rule was designed to reduce cases of silicosis, lung cancer, kidney disease,...
Foundries Feeling Pressure From OSHA To Comply
OSHA continues its pressure on foundries to comply with required safety regulations with penalties and public shaming. PCC Structurals-Groton, a steel-investment casting foundry in Hartford, Connecticut, was cited for twenty-seven...
Speeding –A Thing of the Past?
A major vehicle manufacturer has designed an automobile that automatically adjusts the vehicle’s speed to posted speeds on the roadway. The Ford S-Max is equipped with technology that scans traffic...
Fining Unsafe Workers –Has It Worked So Far?
There is a longstanding debate within the United States between those who believe OSHA should only penalize employers and those who believe workers should carry a portion of the penalty....
Employers Brace For OSHA Whistleblowing App
What might happen if anyone could take a picture and easily report a safety issue to OSHA? There is an upcoming whistleblowing smartphone application (App) that may allow workers to...
Trench Collapse Could Result In Jail Time for Owner
CYPRESS, Texas – Just over a week ago, a 19-year-old man working for Principal Services Limited, a trenching and excavation contractor, died in a trench collapse incident just northwest of...
Video: Wall Collapses On Equipment Operator in Houston, Texas
HOUSTON, Texas - A worker was amazingly uninjured following a structural collapse during the demolition of a multi-story parking garage. The incident was captured in this video. The video captures...
Home Builders Should Be On the Lookout for OSHA in 2016
A. S. General Construction, penalized $188,000 by OSHA, can be viewed as what may become the first of many difficult years for Single Family Homebuilders. Although there are some homebuilders...
New Silica Law To Hit Employers This Month
Having been in development for more than 15 years, the Final Rule for the Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica is expected to cut the current exposure limits up to one-fifth...
Employers Beware! OSHA Fines Poised To Skyrocket
Washington D.C. – For the first time in some 25 years, OSHA financial penalties (fines) on employers will increase dramatically as a result of a recently signed congressional budget deal....
Top 5 Mistakes Employers Make with the OSHA 300A Annual Summary
February 1 is the deadline each year for required employers in the United States to post the OSHA Form 300A, a summary of the previous year’s injuries and illnesses recorded...
HR Manager In Charge of Safety Sentenced To Prison
NEW JERSEY, Phillipsburg – The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 41-month prison sentence of an HR Manager in charge of safety for Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe...
Man Killed in Texas Plant Explosion
PASADENA, Texas – One man was killed and three other workers were injured as a result of an explosion at a hydrogen peroxide plant Saturday afternoon. The explosion occurred between...
Workers Hang From Building After Scaffold Collapse
HOUSTON – Two window washers dangled from their lifelines when their swing-stage scaffolding partially collapsed today at about 10:30 am at the tallest building in Texas, the JPMorgan Chasetower in...
What Businesses Need To Know About Gun Signage
The new open carry gun law has been in effect in Texas as of January 1, 2016. We don’t wish to enter the arms debate -there are recognized safety arguments...
Common Industry Myths
If you have a business with employees, and your business is not a municipality or state entity, then you are likely required to comply with OSHA standards. Most people are...
CPR, First Aid & AED Training Requirements
Safety First Consulting and Robert Box, of Georgetown, TX, are offering Adult CPR, First Aid and AED training to assist businesses in complying with OSHA requirements. The training is certified...
Third Serious Escalator Incident In A Week Takes Man’s Leg
The third serious escalator-related incident in one week’s time claims a man’s leg in Shanghai, China this past Saturday. A custodian at the Cloud Nine shopping mall, 35-year-old Zhang, was...
OSHA Issues Inspection Directive for Revised HazCom Standard
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published new directions for its inspectors enforcing the agency’s recently revised hazard communication (HazCom) standard. OSHA revised the standard in March 2012 to...
OSHA: What’s Up in Texas?
Everything’s bigger in Texas… including recent OSHA fines for safety violations. Two recent OSHA investigations into Houston-area construction worksite incidents that resulted in serious injuries for employees led Assistant Secretary...
How to Keep Employees Safe from Robots
Today’s workplace is rapidly changing and so is its workforce. An increasing number of jobs once performed by humans are now performed by robots, and this has not escaped the...
Recognize OSHA’s Emerging Strategy To Avoid Big Penalties
OSHA has changed some of its rules in order to leverage an existing enforcement tool to generate huge penalties against employers. Knowing what OSHA’s strategy is and how they intend...
OSHA Uses ‘Construction Blitz’ for Enforcement Surge
AUSTIN, Texas - Construction contractors in the Central Texas area need to be on high alert for OSHA Compliance Officers trolling 34 counties surrounding Austin in search of violations in...
Employer Utilizing Temps Penalized By OSHA
NORTH ARLINGTON, New Jersey - Last week, OSHA issued 25 repeat, 15 serious and two other-than-serious citations to Sterling Seating, a company that utilized temporary employees from On Target Staffing....
Home Contractor Held In Contempt of Court
The management of GP Roofing & Construction, LLC, was held in contempt of court last month for failing to comply with OSHA safety standards, and the company was ordered to...
With fireworks, use your head or lose your hand
Decrease your chances of becoming one of the estimated 10,000 Americans who will be injured by fireworks this Independence Day by leaving the fireworks entertainment show to the professionals. According...
Want to keep OSHA away? Don’t skimp on reporting
“This could be the best thing OSHA has ever done,” said Mark Briggs, Area Director of OSHA’s South Houston office, referring to the expanse of useful information currently being gathered...
The #1 weather-related killer can be avoided
Working outside in the heat and humidity of summer months in North America seriously threaten workers’ health and safety, but employers can protect workers by knowing what to look for,...
Robert Box Quoted – SHRM News
Employer, Safety Consultants Fined for Refusing OSHA Inspection What are your rights for refusing OSHA entry? By Roy Maurer 6/17/2015 A federal judge cited an employer and three safety consultants...
Lying to OSHA can be costly –Employer faces prison, $1.5M fine
Sixty-year-old James McCullagh, owner of James J. McCullagh Roofing in Meadowbrook, PA, is charged by indictment with four counts of making false statements, one count of obstruction of justice, and...
Calm Before the Storm –Prepping For Hurricanes
This article is generally applicable to employers in the United States with locations in or near hurricane landfall zones. These preparedness tips can be useful for employers located inland, in...
Elevators are supposed to be safe, right?
If you are a passenger in an elevator; yes, they are safe. If you are involved in service or construction of elevators; yes, they are safe -or, at least they...
Is Your Driving Policy OSHA Compliant? Are You Sure?
Employers need to take distracted driving seriously for workers who drive on company time. Otherwise, employers should expect citations and penalties from OSHA. An employer’s responsibility extends to workers who:...
Corruption & Inadequate Safety Result In Fire: 38 Dead
BEGING, China - Thirty-eight people were killed and six others injured after a fire broke out at a nursing home in central China late Monday, the Administration of Work Safety...
Does OSHA’s June 1, 2015 Deadline Apply To Employers? No, but Yes
Safety consultants and OSHA area offices are receiving calls about the looming June 1, 2015 date when OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard undergoes another in a series of scheduled changes to...
Locked fire exits contribute to 72 killed in factory fire
MANILA, Philippines — Welding sparks igniting flammable chemicals and locked fire exits contributed to the death of 72 factory workers in Valenzula City. The blaze swept through a slipper and...
OSHA Continues To Penalize Small-Footprint Retailers
HARTFORD, Conn. – OSHA continues focus on small-footprint retail as easy targets for higher penalties with its most recent visit to Forever 21 at Westfarms Mall in Farmington, Connecticut, which...
Employers Face Felony Charges With OSHA Reform Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bill that would expand the OSH Act coverage to public-sector workers, increase penalties, and open the door for felony charges to employers (among other proposed changes)...
OSHA Releases New Compliance Standard For Employers
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 1, 2015 - The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) released its final rule Friday for confined spaces in the construction industry. Construction companies have until August...
Bumble Bee Faces Fines, Jail Time For Cooked Worker
LOS ANGELES, CA - Bumble Bee Foods was penalized over $132,000 by OSHA, and could face up to $1.5 million in fines from a Los Angeles DA lawsuit that resulted...
Dollar Tree Spanked By OSHA For $116,000
HOUSTON, Texas – OSHA hit Dollar Tree’s location on West Gray in Houston, Texas with a $116,200 penalty for six alleged violations, continuing OSHA’s targeting of retailers in 2015. OSHA...
Roofing Contractor Fined Nearly $300,000 for Subcontractor Safety Violations
GEORGETOWN, Texas – Three roofing workers employed by Provencher Home Improvement of Beverly, Massachusetts were hospitalized after a two-story fall from a scaffold platform that broke beneath them, according to...
Texas Foundry Penalized $165,000 By OSHA
BELTON, TEXAS – A Belton manufacturing company is facing more than $165,000 in penalties from OSHA for 50 alleged safety and health violations (32 serious safety violations and 18 serious...
Safety Through the Haze of Legalized Marijuana
GEORGETOWN, TEXAS – Marijuana advocates head back to the Texas Capitol Wednesday of this week as a House committee prepares to discuss the first round of pot legislation. Lawmakers will...
OSHA Targets Small-Sized Retail & Convenience Stores
An employee complaint has resulted in more than $83,000 in OSHA penalties issued to a Dollar General store located in Bowden, Georgia this past December.An employee complaint has resulted in...
Marble Falls Foundry Hit With $28,000 of OSHA Penalties
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Highland Lakes Quality Casting in Marble Falls, Texas for 9 serious violations, totaling $28,000. Some of the citations...
OSHA Surpasses 700 Inspections In Texas For 2015
In its first 82 days of 2015, OSHA has made 706 inspections to Texas businesses all over the state. Most of the inspections conducted so far by OSHA have not...
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