ExxonMobil Corp. is urging a federal appeals court to overturn an OSHA enforcement action related to improper recordkeeping for failing to properly log work-related mental illnesses, arguing the action was arbitrary, contravened due process and exceeded the limits of OSHA’s statutory authority.
A coalition of environmental groups is urging OSHA and EPA to penalize four dispersant manufacturers for not accurately reporting the detrimental harms their products can have on workers, the public and the environment in their safety data sheets as part of right-to-know laws.
OSHA is proposing to eliminate dozens of regulatory requirements that it says are outdated, duplicative or improperly inflexible, including changing its interpretation of the General Duty Clause to exclude from enforcement known hazards that are inherent and inseparable from the core nature of a professional activity or performance.
The Trump administration’s plan to slash funding for OSHA and other federal agencies tasked with worker protection is drawing concerns from Democratic lawmakers, who have questioned how less money can lead to better outcomes, and worker advocates who argue the cuts are threats to all workers.
Legal experts are warning that a recent 7th Circuit decision upholding criminal convictions of two grain mill supervisors that stemmed from falsifying health and safety records illustrates the significant risks of failing to comply with OSHA requirements, though the Trump administration is seeking to limit such enforcement.
Employer attorneys are urging companies to reexamine their environment, health and safety (EHS) recordkeeping policies in light of updated OSHA inspection guidance, warning that even companies with comparatively low injury and illness rates may be flagged for inspection if OSHA suspects inaccurate reporting.
A Texas drilling company is asking a federal district court to vacate a workplace safety citation and declare the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) unconstitutional on multiple grounds, becoming at least the second company to raise such arguments about OSHRC in the wake of a landmark high court decision.
The AFL-CIO is calling on Congress to “immediately intervene” to require the Trump administration to reinstate all staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as well as defend a federal budget that maintains and increases funding for job safety agencies like OSHA.
A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit appeared skeptical during recent oral argument of a construction company’s arguments that OSHA’s multiemployer citation policy is unreasonable on its face and that the agency’s “selective” enforcement of the policy is also unreasonable.
A leading chemical industry attorney is urging the Trump administration to engage industry and other stakeholders in strengthening the coordination between EPA and OSHA, arguing that a newly issued memorandum of understanding (MOU) fails to provide the necessary clarity on their respective regulatory roles.