Articles Tagged with ''OSHA''

For employers, an increase in OSHA fines could be a costly problem, underscoring the importance of a robust and effective workplace safety policy. However, OSHA’s recent enforcement positions are creating confusion over how to implement an effective safety policy.

The two groups took this action following lengthy discussions on the importance of moving beyond high-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants used in chillers and consideration of factors, such as the safety of alternatives, the continued improvement of system efficiency, reasonable product development timelines, and the avoidance of market migration. The effective date was negotiated with those factors in mind.

OSHA must make the adjustment before Aug. 1. In subsequent years, OSHA will also be allowed, for the first time, to adjust its penalties based on inflation.

Do you think Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) regulations are becoming more intrusive to your business?

Although the ruling went into effect Aug. 3, 2015, OSHA has agreed to refrain from issuing citations to any employer that is making good-faith efforts to comply with the standard.

Companies can take steps to minimize the chances of workplace violence by understanding what the risk factors are and developing policies to minimize the opportunities for workers to be victims of such conduct. Due to the realities of workplace violence, companies should create policies and procedures for when violence does break out.

The revised OSHA Hazard Communication Standard now incorporates portions of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, which, according to OSHA, will benefit workers at more than 5 million workplaces in the U.S. by reducing confusion about chemical hazards, facilitating safety training, and improving knowledge of the hazards, especially for low-literacy workers.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Wichita Area Office announced that it has cited the food processing facility of Reser’s Fine Foods, Topeka, Kansas, for 13 serious safety and health violations. OSHA opened an investigation at the company after receiving a complaint about an ammonia refrigerant leak.

BLR® – Business & Legal Resources, a provider of workplace safety and other services, has announced the launch of Incident Tracker, a new service designed to give subscribers affordable incident tracking for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance.

While some industrial and commercial HVACR contractors are already acclimated to the OSHA requirements, which have long applied to confined spaces, such as tunnels and man holes, they, along with residential HVAC contractors, will need to make sure they are on top of the new requirements.