If you have plans to be in or near the Northern Illinois area on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, be sure to register for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s 2024 Makers’ Safety Conference & Expo! Join us to see 10 Conn Maciel Carey LLP attorneys present alongside industry leaders and OSHA officials on a variety of timely topics.
Prevent, Respond, and Handle Post-Safety Incidents
Today, mere compliance is not enough for manufacturing companies. As OSHA continues to stress that employee safety should be a core value instead of a priority — priorities change while values do not – it is also ramping up enforcement efforts. As a result, manufacturers are often finding themselves in a challenging regulatory environment, facing higher fines, new emphasis programs, and expanded enforcement policies that have the potential to lead to more citations.
The attorneys in CMC’s national OSHA • Workplace Safety Practice Group have worked with our friends at the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (“IMA”) to put together a packed agenda covering a wide range of important workplace safety and health topics.
Safety Conference Program Descriptions
OSHA Enforcement Update
Presented by a Chicago Area OSHA representative
We will hear directly from your regulators at OSHA as representatives discuss the agency’s priorities for 2024 and beyond, review trends they are seeing, and share feedback regarding employer practices.
Breakout Session: OSHA’s Food Manufacturing Local Emphasis Program
Presented by Aaron R. Gelb, Midwest OSHA Practice Chair, Conn Maciel Carey LLP
Learn who is covered by this relatively new Local Emphasis Program, how employers are selected for inspections, what these inspections will look like, and what you can do to prepare-it’s like knowing the questions on the test in advance.
Getting OSHA Recordkeeping Right
Presented by Valerie Butera, Senior Counsel, Conn Maciel Carey LLP
With the drastic expansion of OSHA ‘s electronic recordkeeping rule, it is now more important than ever to get recordkeeping right. Under reporting and over reporting each presents challenges, and, in this session, you will learn about changes to electronic recordkeeping, reporting, and the types of mistakes employers often make on their logs, incident reports, annual summaries, and a discussion of May 2024 guidance issued by OSHA regarding recordability of massage therapy and stretching programs.
Hot Topics in Industrial Hygiene
Presented by Tony Casaletta, Senior Counsel, Conn Maciel Carey LLP
Manufacturing worksites often include many unseen health hazards that pose potential threats to workers. These hazards are often in the form of musculoskeletal disorders, from repetitive motion and awkward lifting, exposure to airborne dusts and vapors, noise, and high ambient temperatures from equipment and local weather. Evaluating risks and having a plan to mitigate health hazards is an integral part of your company’s safety plan. This session will take a look at several of these hazards and provide you the tools to identify, recognize, and control these unseen risks, and offer solutions to meet the latest OSHA Standards and enforcement initiatives- setting in place processes to protect your workers and avoid citations.
From OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) to Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Recognition
Presented by Hema Steele, Senior Counsel, Conn Maciel Carey LLP
This segment will take a look at success stories of manufacturers ·who were able to turn around an operation that faced significant compliance challenges and/or OSHA fines, discussing practical real-world strategies to include on an improvement journey. There will be something for everyone to learn!
Safety Audits and Incident Investigations
Presented by Nick Scala, MSHA Chair and OSHA Partner, Conn Maciel Carey LLP
Internal incident investigations as well as safety and health audits are essential in furthering workplace safety. But with the good that is done by these efforts, there is also the opportunity for the records to be used against the employer. This session will explore common pitfalls of over- or improper documentation during incident investigations and audits, along with strategies to protect employer work product and audit reports from being obtained and used by an adverse party.
Preparing for Inspections Under the New Worker Walkaround Rule
Presented by Eric J. Conn, Founding Partner and OSHA Chair, Mark M. Trapp, Senior Counsel, and Ashley D. Mitchell, Associate, Conn Maciel Carey LLP
Given the stakes, manufacturers need to understand when and why they may be inspected, what to do when OSHA arrives and, perhaps most importantly, what rights they have and how to assert them in light of the new worker walkaround rule. This session will include practical tips and suggestions for dealing with third parties seeking to accompany the OSHA inspector.
Addressing Workplace Violence
Presented by Rachel L. Conn, California Practice Chair, Conn Maciel Carey LLP
It’s an unfortunate reality that all safety planning must include addressing workplace violence. In this session, we will focus on how to conduct a workplace violence-specific hazard assessment of your operations and key elements to establish. implement, and maintain an effective prevention plan.