OSHA Proposes Rule to Alter, Enforce Long Delayed Crane Operator Qualifications

Last November, OSHA issued a final rule that would finally allow them to enforce language, which has been in their standards since 2010, requiring construction crane operators to be formally qualified to operate the equipment.  The first day of enforcement for that rule had been set for November 10, 2018, but the agency has recently proposed a new rule that would pull back some of the initial requirements.

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OSHA Enforcement of New Beryllium Exposure Standard is Now in Effect for Construction Industry

In March, OSHA announced that they would be enforcing their previously delayed beryllium exposure limit for the construction industry on May 11, 2018.  The agency has recently confirmed that enforcement date in a memorandum on May 9, 2018.

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Report: First 6 Months OSHA Silica Regulations Yields 116 Violations

OSHA newer and more stringent regulations regarding employee’s exposure to respirable crystalline silica officially went into effect on September 23, 2017.  The new reduced the permissible exposure limit of the substance, which is found mostly in products containing sand (like concrete, mortar, and brick), from 250 micrograms per cubic meter of air down to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8 hour shift.

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OSHA: Majority of Companies Failed to Submit OSHA 300A Log Before Deadline

If your company did not electronically submitted its 2016 OSHA 300A injury and illness log to OSHA before December 31, 2017, they could be facing an other-than-serious violation with a maximum penalty of $12,934. We tried to warn you, and warn you, and warn you again.

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OSHA Sets Enforcement Date for New Beryllium Exposure Limit in Construction

First announced in January 2017, OSHA’s new beryllium exposure limit for construction workers was originally supposed to be in full effect on March 12, 2018.  The administration just announced last Friday that the new enforcement date for the rule will be May 11, 2018.

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Reminder: Employers Must Post 2017 Injury and Illness Summary by February 1

OSHA gives employees many rights in the workplace and employers many responsibilities.  One of those is the employee’s right to see the company’s OSHA 300 Injury and Illness Summary Log and the employer’s responsibility to post it.

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OSHA Sets Penalty Increase Amount for 2018

When OSHA raised its citation penalty amounts for the first time since 1990 in 2016, it raised them 78% to catch up with inflation over that many years.  It wasn’t just a one time increase, however, as the amended Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 no longer exempts OSHA from its requirements.

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OSHA Battling Against Court Ruling that Invalidated the Multi-Employer Citation Policy

OSHA has long used the language in the OSH act to find and hold multiple employers accountable for the actions of another on construction job sites.  For decades, OSHA would not only cite the employer whose employees were exposed to hazards, but would also cite the employer who was designated the “controlling employer” on-site, which is most often the general contractor.

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