Members of the California legislature have introduced a bill that would reimburse employers’ costs for complying with the state OSHA’s (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 worker-safety standard in 2023 and 2024 through a new tax credit, with support from agriculture groups that have attacked the standard as unnecessary, overly burdensome and costly.

Members of the California legislature have introduced a bill that would reimburse employers’ costs for complying with the state OSHA’s (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 worker-safety standard in 2023 and 2024 through a new tax credit, with support from agriculture groups that have attacked the standard as unnecessary, overly burdensome and costly.

Newly introduced California legislation would require the state’s OSHA (Cal/OSHA) to adopt standards requiring employers in “all industries” besides healthcare to draft workplace violence prevention plans as part of existing injury and illness prevention programs, in an effort to accelerate such requirements.

California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) has missed its target to unveil the final version of a long-pending update to requirements for first-aid kits for general industry and construction companies, triggering a new comment process and drawing criticism from at least one member of the agency’s standards board, along with employer and worker-safety representatives.

California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) has missed its target to unveil the final version of a long-pending update to requirements for first-aid kits for general industry and construction companies, triggering a new comment process and drawing criticism from at least one member of the agency’s standards board, along with employer and worker-safety representatives.

OSHA plans to “modernize” its long-standing Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) that recognize employers for instituting workplace protections above what regulations and consensus standards require, and is seeking input on a range of possible changes -- from incentives for joining to assessment methods and a potential “tiered” approach.

OSHA plans to “modernize” its long-standing Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) that recognize employers for instituting workplace protections above what regulations and consensus standards require, and is seeking input on a range of possible changes -- from incentives for joining to assessment methods and a potential “tiered” approach.

OSHA is backing off its 2022 proposal to scrap its prior approval allowing Arizona to operate an OSH Act state plan, saying state officials have taken “significant actions to address” concerns that drove the withdrawal push, including tying their employer penalties to federal levels and easing procedures to adopt emergency standards mirroring those the agency issues.

OSHA is gaining new authority to issue visas to victims of certain alleged crimes including forced labor, obstruction of justice and human trafficking, further expanding the Biden administration’s efforts to protect undocumented immigrants from the threat of deportation when they report workplace violations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) affirmed OSHA’s citation against Walmart for a violation of its safety standard for items stored “in tiers,” after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit overturned an earlier decision where the panel applied a narrower reading of the rule to say it did not apply to the retailer’s facility.