Top 10 OSHA trends to watch in 2014

Given the political climate these days in Washington, DC, we decided not to post a list of top OSHA predictions for 2014? But, we are much more confident about sharing our “watch list” concerning OSHA for the upcoming year.

Here are the top 10 items (in no particular order) that we’ll be keeping our eyes on regarding OSHA in 2014:

• Criminal prosecutions for OSHA violations. This enforcement tactic has gone from a trickle in previous years to a steadier drip. In other words, it’s still pretty uncommon, but there are more cases than there used to be. And there’s more potential for additional cases in the upcoming years because OSHA is referring all fatality cases and investigations in which there are three or more serious injuries to district attorney offices for possible criminal prosecution.
• Comments on OSHA’s proposed silica standard update and the agency’s response. The extended comment period ends Jan. 27, 2014. OSHA could finalize the rule, which includes a more stringent permissible exposure limit (PEL) for silica, later in 2014. A wild card in all this: How would the new standard affect the young fracking industry in the U.S.?
• Updating injury and illness reporting requirements. This revision would update the list of industries that are exempt from reporting injuries and illnesses to OSHA. It would also revise certain reporting requirements. The existing regulations require employers to report to OSHA within eight hours any work-related incident resulting in the death of an employee or the inpatient hospitalization of three or more employees. The revision would require employers to report to OSHA within eight hours all work-related fatalities and all work-related inpatient hospitalizations; and within 24 hours, all work-related amputations.

Read Full Article At Safetynewsalert.com

Related Training DVDs: