Repeat Redefined

BY: Carl Habekost, Esq.
An important case is currently pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit involving the definition of “Repeat” for an OSHA violation.  In Acosta v. Angelica Textile Services, Inc., the facts reveal that the company provided commercial linen cleaning services using very large washing machines called “combined batch washers” (CBW).  The cleaning process consisted of a long, cylindrical tunnel with “washer modules”.

OSHA 300A Form: Common Mistakes Employers Make

BY: Carl Habekost, Esq.
March 2, 2020, is the deadline for electronically reporting your OSHA Form 300A Annual Summary of workplace injuries and illness data for calendar year 2019. The Form 300A is a summation of the workplace injuries and illnesses recorded on the OSHA 300 Logs during the previous calendar year, as well as the total hours worked the previous calendar year by all covered employees.

OSHA Penalties Annual Adjustments for 2020

BY: Carl Habekost, Esq.
Since 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has increased OSHA penalties annually based on the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index, after a 26 year increase hiatus.  The DOL is required to adjust maximum OSHA penalties for inflation annually by the 15th of January.

Look In the Sky: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s OSHA!

Fall Protection in the Roofing and Construction Industry

BY: Carl Habekost, Esq.
The duty to have fall protection in the construction industry (OSHA section 1926.501) regularly tops the list of the most frequently cited OSHA standards.  But fall protection, although of paramount importance, is not the only requirement for roofing and construction companies in developing an effective safety program. In 2016, OSHA published “Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in Construction.