#Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

[gentlekindproud]

I didn’t realize that was an issue with Resistbot, thank you for sharing. The information from that petition is below and you can search for your representatives contact information here.

Subject: Oppose NOSHA Act, H.R.86 - Protect Workers Safety!

Message: Abolishing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) through the NOSHA Act (H.R.86) poses severe risks to worker safety and health. OSHA plays a crucial role in establishing and enforcing workplace standards that safeguard millions of American workers across various industries. Dismantling this agency would undermine decades of progress made in protecting employees from occupational hazards, accidents, and illnesses. As the government aims to boost domestic manufacturing, ensuring robust worker protections becomes even more imperative. Compromising OSHA's mandate jeopardizes the well-being of the American workforce and undermines efforts to attract and retain skilled labor in a competitive global market. I urge you to oppose the NOSHA Act and prioritize the safety and rights of workers in the United States.

yall. yall.

new bill introduced to nulify OSHA. OSHA.

Even the goddamn magats are upset.

[socialjusticeinamerica]

Who benefits from this? Corporations, their greedy CEO’s, and their billionaire oligarch owners.

Who suffers from this. The workers and the public.

[tennessoui]

would love to write a romance book where the main characters' names are noah and iris and everyone loves it and it gets super popular and people are obsessed and are posting meta about it and someone asks me on twitter (i get a twitter specifically in preparation for this) why i chose the names noah and iris. they have done the research and know that noah means both 'to rest' and 'in motion' which encapsulates his character, while 'iris' means rainbow which could be a nod to her being queercoded, which many readers have picked up on. i reply that noah is NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and iris is IRS, the Internal Revenue Service. i never again answer another question about this

[surviving-the-next-4-years]

V-Tuber talks about how the Trump Administration is repealing OSHA. And yeah, ITS A REAL FUCKING THING.

Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs sponsors bill to abolish OSHA.

Republicans are trying to kill everyone just to line their own pockets.

[the-shadows-request-candy-corn]

Hey everyone, so the NIH freeze is over, but research is still in danger. Under DOGE and Trump's influence, institutions are now restricted in how they can utilize NIH grants. Basically, they are put on a strict budget for anything not "directly" related to research. That means that janitorial and waste services, animal caretakers and vet staff, occupational health and safety groups, electricity and utilities needed to operate machinery, and so much more may end up being unaffordable. This is going to seriously throw a wrench into research. At best it's going to slow things down if the lab staff has to be downsized and take on more duties for themselves; at worse, it could financially destabilize research facilities and the communities whose economy depends on them and lead to faulty research claiming lives.

I made an email template. Please add to it as you see fit and send this to as many representatives and people in power as you can.

"To whom it may concern,

Recently, the National Institute of Health has slashed funding for indirect research costs, claiming that it is necessary for the good of United States biomedical research.

Do you understand that good research can not be done without the very things that fall under indirect costs? HVAC systems, janitorial and hazmat services, and more are necessary for complying with OSHA regulations and the Good Laboratory Practices outlined by the EPA and FDA. Administrative groups such as Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees and veterinary staff are explicitly required for all NIH-funded research involving animals under compliance with the Office of Lab Animal Welfare. If universities cannot afford these things, what research is able to be done will be very poor quality and will undoubtedly involve animal and workers' rights violations. Moreover, research universities employ thousands of hardworking Americans. Many of these universities are already experiencing increased financial stress, are closing down satellite campuses, and laying off hundreds of workers. Restricting their budgets even more will lead to even more layoffs and eventually local economic collapses.

I strongly urge you to do everything you can to change this decision, for the good of science, medicine, workers, the economy, and even animals."

I'm scared to see what else has happened to the biomedical research community in the past 24 hours. I'll keep you posted if I can.

Trump may be about to sign the death sentence of the National Institute of Health, and, by extension, the Office of Lab Animal Welfare.

He gutted research animal protections.

Any vertebrate that isn't a mammal will have no rights.

Neither will mice or rats.

If NIH grants are stopped, researchers can't pay anyone. They can't perform research. They can't pay for veterinary services.

They won't be required to provide veterinary services.

The only medical research that will happen will be self funded by big pharma, and they can torture the animals and skew all the lab results that they want.

Just like Musk did to the primates in his neuralink research.

I don't know what's going to happen to me or anyone else at the university where I work. My job is to make sure the animals are treated humanely and to provide veterinary care. I'm especially scared about what's going to happen to those research animals if veterinary staff gets laid off. The USDA only covers mammals, and it doesn't even cover all of them. Every rat I've ever made a tiny paper gift box full of marshmallows for, every mouse I've ever watched grow up, every rodent I've ever separated from an aggressive dominant brother and then treated their tiny wounds, they have no protections if NIH goes down. Decades of research into humane handling, euthanasia, and animal behavior will be tossed aside and wasted.

Please, do everything you can. Protest. Contact your representatives. Anything you can do. Do it for science, for medicine, for people's lives, for people's jobs, and for the animals.

[nationallawreview]

OSHA Issues Final Rule on Personal Protective Equipment for Construction Workers, but It Could Start Back at Square One

On December 11, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a statement that it had finalized a rule amending 29 C.F.R. 1926.95(c) to require construction employers to make personal protective equipment (PPE) available that “properly fits” their employees. Quick Hits On December 11, 2024, OSHA finalized a rule requiring construction employers to provide properly fitting…

[ehssafetynewsamerica-blog]

Update on Website URL. We are now known as ehssafetynews.com which replaces the ehssafetynews.wordpress.com address! Please update your bookmarks! Thank You!

[bernardellinewsagency]

I truly need someone to take firealpaca away from me... in other news, another silly little joke of a design has hit my redbubble:

yeah... yeah. once again, i cannot explain myself, but this webbed site thankfully seems to like osha jokes so i don't think i'd need to explain myself. tumblr sure is a place and unfortunately i love it here. you could get this as a sticker or pin or magnet and i think i left notebooks enabled too bc fuck it, why not.

will i ever make any meaningful good quality sticker designs?? um... no. only shitposts. teehee.

[almostfini]

I took an OSHA 10 course as part of a certificate program several years ago. For every non-obvious regulation they gave specific examples of the horrific workplace accidents that prompted them. Bonus: if you're not squeamish look up all the worker deaths at Caterpillar plants (still happening afaik) because they didn't have guardrails

I’m still thinking about that “is OSHA regulations Cop Behavior” post. Like. You know who thinks regulations are for losers? People who build submersibles out of logitech gamepads and rejected carbon fibre. People who trust starlink as their only surface lifeline.

Do you wanna be like the fine film on the floor of the Atlantic that was once a billionaire? Is that the hill you’re really gonna die on?

We have an expression in my field- “Regulations Are Written In Blood”

People don’t have fucking safety standards as a power trip, we have them because somewhere in the past, NOT having those regulations killed or maimed someone.

A lot of laws out there are bullshit- safety regulations sure as fuck aren’t. I have the literal scars to prove it.

[inktastic-inkblotch]

Doing the online OSHA courses are so FUCKING BORING BRO!

IT'S THE MOST MIND NUMBING SHIT IT'S ALL JUST BASIC COMMON SENSE!

Although I guess it's understandable a lot of people seem to struggle with basic common sense.

[microwavedblobbrain]

holy shit I just saw a suicide prevention ad from fucking OSHA. You cannot make this shit up.

[mesrianilawgroup]

What Are the Types of OSHA Violations?

In 2019, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that over five thousand people were killed due to injuries they obtained while working. Their Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries that same year reported that fatalities had risen five percent in the private construction industry since 2018 and the number was the highest than it had been since 2007.

For 2020, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a report of their top 10 violations of the fiscal year. This report included the types of safety violations that most often resulted in injuries and even fatalities at workplaces.

What Are OSHA Violations

OSHA violations happen when a company or one of their employees does not adhere to the proper safety procedures or safety hazards are not addressed. A violation presents a risk for an accident or injury but does not necessarily mean this has happened yet. OSHA will administer inspections that may detect such violations before an incident. In some cases, OSHA may issue the company a fine or citation for the violation. If there is a willful violation and an employee is killed, there may also be criminal charges and penalties involved.

OSHA Violations vs OSHA Citations

Citations are often issued when a company commits a violation that does not necessarily present a danger to their employees. A citation is like a warning that serves to alert the company to the violation and let them know that they need to address it. A citation only becomes part of a company’s safety record if they receive it more than once. If the citation is issued two or more times within three years, it is considered a repeat offense.

Degrees of OSHA Violations

OSHA violations are identified by different degrees of severity. The following designations help determine the amount penalized.

Serious Violations

When a violation is too serious for just a citation, OSHA will also administer fines. According to the OSHA Act Section 17(k), violations are considered serious if they can cause severe injuries or death and should have been reasonably prevented by the employer. OSHA classifies the penalties for these violations on a gravity-based scale categorizing them by their severity with corresponding fines.

High-gravity violations are the most severe and carry fines of $14,502.

Moderate-gravity violations are of middling severity and can carry fines anywhere from $8,287 to $12,431.

Low-gravity violations are lower severity and carry fines for $6,215.

Many companies will hire workplace risk assessment consultants to help them identify these violations before they come to OSHA’s attention.

Other Than Serious Violations

OSHA considers violations that may pose a real risk to the health and safety of the employees, but will not result in injury or death, to be other-than-serious. These violations may incur the same fines as serious violations depending on the situation. In some cases, OSHA may decide to give a citation or reduce the amount of the penalty.

Violations that are considered other than serious are categorized as lesser and greater minimal-only violations. Lesser violations are generally met with a citation and no monetary fine. Greater violations may be met with a fine anywhere up to $14,502.

Willful or Repeated

Repeated violations within a three-year period can be met with fines up to a maximum penalty of $145,027 per violation. For serious repeated violations, the minimum penalty imposed is $10,360. If the violation is other than serious and did not initially warrant a monetary fine then the first repeated violation may be met with a $414 fine, the second with a $1,036 fine, and the third with a $2,072 fine.

A willful violation occurs when the employer is aware of the danger to their employees and ignores it. Fines for willful violations range from $10,360 to $145,027. If a willful violation results in a fatality, the penalty may be a hefty fine, prison time of up to six months, or both. When these fatalities result in criminal convictions, the fines may be as high as $250,000 for individual employers and $500,000 for corporations.

Penalties for serious willful violations may be reduced based on the size of the business and the number of employees.

10 or fewer employees result in an 80% penalty reduction

11-20 employees result in a 60% penalty reduction

21-30 employees result in a 50% penalty reduction

31-40 employees result in a 40% penalty reduction

41-50 employees result in a 30% penalty reduction

51-100 employees result in a 20% penalty reduction

101-250 employees result in a 10% penalty reduction

251 or more employees result in a 0% penalty reduction

Posting Requirements

When OSHA issues a citation or notice of violation to an employer, it must be posted in the area where the violation occurred. The posting must be in full view for all employees for at least three days or until the issue is resolved. These notices are also accompanied by a pamphlet that describes the issue, suggests solutions, and provides the date by which it must be remedied.

Failure to Abate

If an employer does not resolve the issue of the violation by the date provided with the notice, they may be fined for each day past that date that the issue goes unresolved. If the issue was never resolved, it is considered a failure to abate. If the issue was resolved and occurs again, it is considered a repeat violation.

De Minimus Violation

A de minimus violation refers to an issue that is technically a violation in that it does not comply with OSHA standards, but it does not necessarily pose a genuine risk to anyone’s health or safety. Rather than issue a citation or a penalty, OSHA will often provide a verbal warning to the employer and simply note the issue in the company safety file.

OSHA Fines & Penalties

As of January 2022, the following penalties are imposed for OSHA violations:

Serious violations – $1,036 to $14,502

Other than serious violations – $0 to $14,502

Willful or repeated violations – $10,360 to $145,027

Posting requirement violations – $0 to $14,502

Failure to abate violations – $14,502 per day past the abatement date up to 30 days

Can OSHA Fine Employees?

Individual employees are not fined by OSHA for safety violations. The employers are the ones responsible for maintaining the health and safety of their employees and keeping the workplace in compliance with OSHA standards.

Most Common Examples of OSHA Violations

The top ten most frequently fined OSHA violation examples of 2020 are:

Fall Protection with 5,424 violations

Hazard Communication with 3,199 violations

Respiratory Protection with 2,649 violations

Scaffolding with 2,538 violations

Ladders with 2,129 violations

Control of Hazardous Energy with 2,065 violations

Powered Industrial Trucks with 1,932 violations

Fall Protection Training with 1,621 violations

Eye and Face Protection with 1,369 violations

Machinery and Machine Guiding with 1,313 violations

The number one recommended way to prevent workplace incidents is though comprehensive training in OSHA safety standards. OSHA provides 10-hour online safety training courses for both construction and general industry workers. This course helps keep employees informed of the precautions necessary to keep themselves and each other safe.

OSHA also provides an annual report of the most common violations they find in order to give people additional information that can help them maintain safe and healthy work areas.

In 2020 the most common violations were found evenly in both construction and general industry. The list does not change too much from year to year, though the order of the categories may fluctuate.

Fall Protection

Fall protection has been the most commonly cited OSHA violation for ten years. Additionally, falling injuries are also the number one cause of fatalities in the construction industry. There are many ways in which a company might violate the fall protection standard set out by OSHA. Common fall protection violations involve incorrect methods of fall protections being used and the lack of or improper installation of safety features. OSHA mandates fall protection for workers when at a height of six feet or more. It is not enough that the protection be present, however. It must also be in good condition and working order.

Hazard Communication

Some jobs call for the use of chemicals and other hazardous substances. When handling or storing these materials, it is important to know the proper way to do so safely. This is why all hazardous substances must be labeled clearly and accompanied by emergency procedures. OSHA updated and revised their hazard communication standard in 2012 with new criteria and formatting for safety data sheets.

Respiratory Protection

OSHA’s respiratory protection standard serves to protect workers from substances in the air such as dust, smoke, toxic fumes, and other contaminants. Employers are required to ensure that the workplace has proper ventilation and that the employees are outfitted with the correct personal protective equipment.

In the wake of COVID-19, respiratory protection became a major factor with stricter guidelines. So many employers were failing to meet the standards in place that respiratory protection rose to the third most common OSHA violation from its spot at fifth place the previous year.

Scaffolding

OSHA’s data states that approximately 65 percent of construction industry employees work with scaffolding. When handling scaffolding, it is important to adhere to all safety precautions for the safety of those navigating the scaffolding as well as everyone below. The risk of people falling or getting hit by falling objects is a very real danger. Failure to comply with OSHA’s scaffolding standard causes over 4,500 injuries and over 60 deaths annually.

Ladders

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that almost 60 percent of ladder related fatalities happen within the construction industry. Construction industry ladder violations are generally due to employers not providing the right safety training. Another large issue is when workers use a type of ladder that is inappropriate for the task at hand. OSHA’s Ladders standard provides comprehensive guidelines for ladder safety such as staying within the ladder’s weight restrictions, maintaining proper clearance around the ladder, and ensuring the ladder is steady and secure on the ground.

Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout / Tagout)

According to data compiled by OSHA, approximately 9 percent of fatalities in the construction industry are related to electrocution, often due to improper energy control during maintenance procedures. Non-fatal electrocution injuries are still serious and can result in burns and even broken bones. The control of hazardous energy standard laid out by OSHA is a guideline for workers to protect themselves from the energy stored in their equipment. OSHA requires that all energy be discharged from machinery properly or controlled by a lockout tagout device.

Powered Industrial Trucks

Powered industrial trucks are heavy machinery such as tractors and forklifts. They are specialized equipment that must be used properly and kept well maintained. OSHA’s powered industrial truck standard forbids anyone from operating these vehicles without proper training. This training includes how to identify and avoid hazards as well as dos and don’ts like not using a phone while driving.

Fall Protection Training

It is not enough that fall protection measures be put in place, OSHA’s training requirements for fall protection standard dictates that any workers who are at risk of falling hazards go through the proper training.

Workers must be properly trained in knowledge of when and where that protection is needed and taught to identify and avoid potential hazards. They must also be taught proper maintenance and operational procedures for all necessary equipment including assembly, disassembly, and safety inspection.

Eye and Face Protection

There are many hazards found in the workplace that leave thousands of people blinded each year. These hazards can be related to debris in the air, toxic substances, and in some professions such as welding, even intense light. The standard for eye and face protection set forth by OSHA provides regulations necessary for preventing injuries to the face and eyes. These regulations pertain to things like eye wash stations and their operational instructions, safety measures applied to machinery, and equipment such as goggles and other protective face coverings.

Machinery and Machine Guarding

Many industries involve the use of dangerous machinery. Proper operation procedures and safety measures are necessary to avoid injury. OSHA’s machine guarding standard provides information to help workers protect themselves from moving parts and apply safeguards where needed.

Avoiding OSHA Violations

Adhering to OSHA standards is not just about avoiding punishment, it is about keeping yourself and everyone around you safe and healthy. Entry level workers are highly encouraged to take OSHA’s ten-hour outreach course in order to learn the information they need to maintain workplace safety. There is also a thirty-hour course that provides more extensive information and training for workers in supervisory or safety-based positions.

One way companies work to prevent OSHA violations is by having a third party come in and perform their own inspection to catch issues right away. It is also good practice for managers and employees to be aware of their surroundings and be on the lookout for any potential violations themselves.

Proactive vs Reactive Approach

Many companies have a reactive approach to health and safety. This means that they only address issues when the issue becomes a problem, or someone forces their hand. This approach can have many negative effects on their workers and even the success of the company itself.

Companies are encouraged to take a proactive approach to health and safety. This means being aware of the rules and regulations set forth by OSHA, keeping management and employees fully trained, and always taking steps to catch and prevent potential violations.

If You Have Been Injured Due to OSHA Violations Contact Mesriani Law Group

It is management’s responsibility to ensure that a workplace or jobsite is conducive to the health and safety of their workers and to prevent injuries. OSHA has rules and regulations in place for a reason and when those rules are violated, people get hurt. Being injured in a workplace accident can be a trying time. Being injured because your boss failed in their duty to protect you can make things much worse. Oftentimes, employers will try to shift the responsibility onto the employee and say they are liable for their own injuries. Having a workman’s compensation attorney can help you navigate the entire process. If you have been injured at work as the result of an OSHA violation, call Mesriani Law Group today for a free consultation.

OSHA Violation FAQs

What are the most common OSHA violations?

Fall protection has been the number one OSHA violation for the past decade. A lack of fall protection means a higher risk of workers falling from dangerous heights. In the construction industry, injuries caused by falling are the most common cause of workplace deaths. Hazard communication has held the second place spot for nearly as long from 2012 through 2020. OSHA dictates strict guidelines for the labeling of dangerous substances and the availability of material safety data sheets containing all relevant product and safety information. Coming in at number three and reportedly stealing the number two spot for 2021 is respiratory protection. Workers must be provided the proper ventilation and PPE to keep them safe from contaminants in the air. A proposed reason for the rise in respiratory protection violations is the rise in regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are types of violations?

There are a few different types of OSHA violations. Serious violations are ones that pose an immediate threat of injury or death to the workers. Other-than-serious violations are ones that pose a threat to health and safety but may not cause injury or death. De minimus violations are ones that technically violate OSHA standards and regulations but do not pose a direct threat to the workers.

What are the two types of violations?

When a company commits an OSHA violation that is a hazard to the health and safety of their workers, they may be penalized and, depending on the seriousness of the violation, they could end up paying thousands of dollars in fines. If a violation is found that is not necessarily a substantial hazard, OSHA may instead issue the company a citation which is more of an official warning.

[ehs-consultants]

EHS Consultants Dubai

[saywhat-politics]

BREAKING: Republican Congressman Andy Biggs has introduced a bill to abolish OSHA. The entire text of the bill reads "The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is repealed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is abolished."

What this bill would mean is the complete elimination of federal workplace safety protections. Millions of jobs in numerous states where the state-level protections are below the federal minimums would immediately become more dangerous.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

OSHA calls establishing a common-sense covid prevention standard for healthcare workers "Confusing."

Public health and workers rights die together in a sea of uncovered coughs.