OSHA has made workplace violence a key new enforcement priority -- a move strongly backed by unions -- but some industry lawyers are voicing concern about the legal ramifications of the agency using the OSH Act’s general duty clause to address the issue, particularly in cases where the violence is created by a third party outside the employer’s control. Agency chief David Michaels mentioned workplace violence in a recent speech as one of several “newer problems” that OSHA is trying to address (see related story), also citing ergonomics and infectious diseases. The agency has issued several cit
December 30, 2025