Industrial Fire Prevention

From the The OH&S Wire blog archive, here is an interesting take on OSHA enforcement. Blog archive In a June 2009 speech at the American Society of Safety Engineers' annual conference, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said: "There is a new sheriff in town.... Make no mistake about it; the Department of Labor is back in the enforcement business. We are serious, very serious." And true to her word, Solis dispatched her new SWAT teams to show that she means business. The new sheriff's activities are further evidenced by the majority of news releases issued under OSHA's new leadership: enforcement reports with company names, a list of violations, and proposed monetary penalties. Click on the title above to read the rest of the story. You can also follow our lively discussion on the Linkedin ComDust group page.

From Manufacturing & Technology eJournal http://www.mfrtech.com And Gary W. Auman, Esq. Pending OSHA legislation makes the employer responsible to make sure employees comply.  It does not place any responsibility on the employees for utilizing their training and equipment. Without such a change the pending legislation will make it almost impossible for a company to avoid OSHA enforcement, no matter how conscientious and safe it is. OSHA Regulatory Update is Not Good News for Employers Pending Legislation Does Not Place Any Responsibility on the Employees for Utilizing Their Training and Equipment In an effort to pass OSHA legislation in 2010, the House recently attached portions of the Protecting America’s Workers Act to the Robert C. Byrd Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010. This action got the OSHA legislation out of committee and ready for a vote on the floor of the House. This legislation is not good news for employers. Other key points in this article: ...

From the Safety Links Blog, an interesting post on the current focus of OSHA  Where do you stand with the "New" OSHA? Many local companies have found out about the “new OSHA” the hard way. The old “well at least you’re trying to comply” mentality is long gone. In fact, in December 2009 we have seen even the most proactive companies receive citations for some very obscure regulations. This direction is coming from the Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis who stated in 2009... ....“ The government has a fundamental responsibility to protect workers from unsafe workplaces. We are focused on workers – not voluntary programs and alliances. We are serious about workplace protection. We are serious about workplace health. And we are serious about workplace safety... Make no mistake, the Department of Labor is back in the enforcement business. ” Here are some things you can focus on to ensure compliance: 1. Recordkeeping: On October 1, 2009, OSHA announced the national emphasis on...