Category: Enforcement and Inspection

As today’s workplace becomes more complex, regulation of that workplace increases. In this section, you’ll find the practical advice you need to understand exactly what OSHA, other federal agencies, and their state counterparts, require of you, and to comply in the ways that best satisfy both your and their needs. Look also for important court decisions, advice on how to handle enforcement actions, and news of upcoming changes in workplace health and safety law.

Free Special Report: What to Expect from an OSHA Inspection

EPA Proposes New CAA Standards for LMWCs

On January 11, 2024, the EPA announced a proposal to strengthen Clean Air Act (CAA) standards for large municipal waste combustors (LMWC) that burn municipal solid waste (MSW). LMWCs are incinerators that combust greater than 250 tons per day (tpd) of MSW. “If finalized, the updated standards would reduce emissions of nine pollutants, including smog- […]

EPA Proposes Methane Fee Rule for Oil and Gas Industry

The EPA recently announced a proposed rule to assess a charge on certain large emitters of methane waste from the oil and gas sector that exceed emissions intensity levels set by Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 amended the Clean Air Act (CAA) to add Section 136: Methane Emissions and Waste Reduction Incentive […]

Alabama Brick Maker Facing $124K Fine for Silica Exposures

Henry Brick Co. Inc., a Selma, Alabama, brick manufacturer, faces $124,212 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for exposing employees to respirable crystalline silica, the agency announced February 27.  Exposure to crystalline silica can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease, and lung cancer. OSHA cited Henry Brick Co. with 11 serious […]

Alabama Sawmill Facing $2.5 Million OSHA Fine for Fatality

MDLG Inc., a Phenix City, Alabama, sawmill, faces $2,471,683 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines following a worker’s death, the agency announced February 22. A 67-year-old sawmill supervisor at MDLG, operating as Phenix Lumber Co., had climbed on top of an auger to access a difficult-to-reach area to unclog a woodchipper. The employee was […]

Back to Basics: Silica Hazards, Compliance, and Enforcement

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine silica hazards and compliance with related OSHA standards. Silica shows up in materials like sand, stone, concrete, and mortar and is used to make artificial stone, bricks, ceramics, glass, and pottery. Respirable […]

EPA Lowers Lead-Contaminated Soil Screening Levels

On January 17, 2024, the EPA issued guidance that recommends lowering the screening levels used to investigate and clean up lead-contaminated soil in residential areas where children live and play. The guidance, issued by the EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM), marks the first time in 30 years the Agency has recommended lowering […]

Massachusetts Roofer Facing $306K OSHA Fine for Repeat Violations

A Framingham, Massachusetts, roofing contractor with a history of fall-related safety violations is facing $306,229 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for again exposing employees to potentially fatal falls, OSHA announced February 21. The agency cited Brothers Construction Services Inc., which also operates as Brothers Construction and Roofing and Brothers Roofing, with eight […]

New Jersey Steel Fabricator Facing $348K OSHA Fine

Kenric Steel LLC, a Millville, New Jersey, steel fabrication company, faces $348,683 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for four willful and seven serious safety and health violations, the agency announced February 20. OSHA began an investigation on July 26, 2023, in response to a complaint and cited Kenric Steel for violations involving […]

Infographic: Confined Space Compliance

Confined spaces can pose hazards to workers including asphyxiation, electrical and struck-by hazards, engulfment, explosions, and fires. Here’s what you need to know about compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) permit-required confined space standard (CPL 2-00-100). Check out our Back to Basics: Check Up on Your Confined Space article for more information.

Company Officials Sentenced to Federal Prison Over Deadly Facility Explosion

A Wisconsin federal judge has sentenced six Didion Milling Inc. officials for their role in a fatal explosion at a facility operated by the corn milling company in 2017. “These defendants put Didion workers in grave danger, and five people tragically lost their lives, devastating their families and their community,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. […]