workplace Archives

Apr 1, 2021

OSHA Adopts National Emphasis Program (NEP) in Lieu of Adopting Emergency Temporary Standards to Address COVID in the Workplace

On March 15, OSHA adopted an NEP in response to President Biden’s Executive Order directing the agency to come up with a national program for COVID-19 enforcement priorities. The NEP directs OSHA to conduct programmed inspections at work sites where employees have a higher frequency of close contact exposures and COVID outbreaks. Industries targeted for heightened scrutiny fall into two categories: (1) establishments in certain NAICS Codes which OSHA has identified as having higher rates of exposure; or (2) industries having an elevated illness rate based upon 2020 OSHA illness reporting data. Many NAICS Codes on the list are related… Read more

Sep 5, 2017

Should You Evacuate Your Workplace During Hurricane Irma?

During your preparations for the oncoming Hurricane Irma, you may be trying to decide whether to leave some employees in place at your facility or to evacuate the entire workforce. The question may be asked, what does the law require? Like so many other questions during an emergency, the answer likely is: “good judgment.” There are no specific OSHA regulations requiring for employees to stay or evacuate during a hurricane. OSHA does, however, require that employers provide a safe workplace and working environment for employees. During a hurricane, that may mean evacuating employees from the facility in order to keep… Read more