[Webinar] Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard

January 22, 2021January 22, 2021Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Tuesday, January 26th at 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET, plan to join Andrew J. Sommer, Fred Walter and Megan S. Shaked for a webinar regarding Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard.

Not to be outdone by other State OSH Plans like Virginia OSHA, Oregon OSHA, and Michigan OSHA, Cal/OSHA has adopted its own COVID-19 specific emergency temporary standard, and it is in a league of its own. This standard adds significant, burdensome new compliance obligations to California’s existing slate of state and local requirements applicable to employers.

This webinar will provide an overview of the regulation, existing and anticipated guidance provided by Cal/OSHA about it, as well as enforcement efforts by Cal/OSHA to date. We will also examine the interplay between the emergency temporary standard and other new California legislation, including AB 685 and SB 1159. Finally, we will help you interpret and avoid common pitfalls from some of the trickier sections of the regulation, such as the Outbreaks and Testing provisions.

Participants in this webinar will learn about:

Continue reading →

OSHA’s 2020 in Review and 2021 Forecast [Webinar Recording]

January 19, 2021January 22, 2021Theresa Green Leave a comment

On January 14, 2020, the Partners in Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA • Workplace Safety Practice Group presented a webinar regarding Annual OSHA Update: 2020 In-Review and 2021 Forecast.

The ball has dropped, the confetti has been swept out of Times Square, and 2020 is in the books. It’s time to look back and take stock of what we learned from and about OSHA over the past year. More importantly, it is time to look ahead and assess what to expect from OSHA during the new year, and the start of a new Presidential term (either the 2nd Term of President Trump or new Administration under former Vice President Joe Biden). In this webinar, the Chair of Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA Practice Group will review OSHA enforcement, rulemaking, and leadership developments from 2020, and will discuss the top OSHA issues employers should monitor and prepare for in the New Year.

Participants in this webinar learned the following: Continue reading →

[Webinar] OSHA’s 2020 in Review and 2021 Forecast

January 12, 2021Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Thursday, January 14th at 1:00 PM ET, plan to join the Partners in Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA • Workplace Safety Practice Group for a webinar regarding Annual OSHA Update: 2020 In-Review and 2021 Forecast.

Participants in this webinar will learn the following: Continue reading →

Announcing Conn Maciel Carey’s 2021 OSHA Webinar Series

January 7, 2021January 12, 2021Theresa Green Leave a comment

ANNOUNCING CONN MACIEL CAREY’S
2021 OSHA WEBINAR SERIES

As the Trump Administration hands over the keys to President-Elect Biden and a new Democratic Administration, OSHA’s enforcement and regulatory landscape is set to change in dramatic ways, from shifting enforcement priorities, budgets and policies, to efforts to reignite OSHA’s rulemaking apparatus. Following an Administration that never installed an Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, handled COVID-19 enforcement with a light touch, pumped the brakes on almost all rulemaking in general, and declined to issue an emergency COVID-19 standard in particular, the pendulum swing at OSHA is likely to be more pronounced than during past transitions. Accordingly, it is more important now than ever before to pay attention to OSHA developments.

Conn Maciel Carey’s complimentary 2021 OSHA Webinar Series, which includes (at least) monthly programs put on by OSHA-specialist attorneys in the firm’s national OSHA Practice, is designed to give employers insight into developments at OSHA during this period of flux and unpredictability.

To register for an individual webinar in the series, click on the link in the program description below. To register for the entire 2021 series, click here to send us an email request, and we will register you. If you missed any of our programs from the past seven years of our annual OSHA Webinar Series, click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel to access those webinars.

2021 OSHA Webinar Series – Program Schedule

OSHA’s 2020 in Review
and 2021 Forecast

Thursday, January 14^th

Respiratory Protection Rules –
Top 5 Risks and Mistakes

Wednesday, May 12th

Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19
Emergency Temporary Standard

Tuesday, January 26^th

What to Expect from DOL Under
a Biden Administration

Wednesday, June 16^th

What Employers Need to Know
About the COVID-19 Vaccine

Thursday, February 11^th

Mid-Year Review of OSHA Developments

Thursday, July 22^nd

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration: OSHA Considerations

Thursday, February 18^th

OSHA VPP and other Cooperative Programs

Tuesday, August 24^th

Update About the
Chemical Safety Board

Tuesday, March 16^th

Update about OSHA’s Electronic Recordkeeping Rule

Wednesday, September 8^th

Annual Cal/OSHA Enforcement
and Regulatory Update

Tuesday, March 23^rd

OSHA Issues During
Acquisitions and Divestitures

Thursday, October 7^th

COVID-19 OSHA Enforcement
and Regulatory Update

Wednesday, April 20^th

Updates about OSHA’s PSM
Standard EPA’s RMP Rule

Tuesday, November 16^th

Recap of Year One of the Biden Administration

Tuesday, December 14^th

See below for the full schedule with program descriptions,
dates, times and links to register for each webinar event.

Continue reading →

[FAQs] Lessons Learned from the Roll-out of Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Standard

December 15, 2020December 14, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On December 7, 2020, Eric J. Conn (Chair of Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA Practice), Susan Wilcox (a CIH and CSP with Safety Resource Associates in Virginia), and special guest Jennifer Rose (VOSH Cooperative Programs Director with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry) presented a webinar regarding Lessons Learned from the Roll-out of Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Standard.

Earlier this Summer, Virginia became the first state in the nation to promulgate a mandatory safety regulation designed to reduce COVID-19 infections in the workplace, when Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam announced the commonwealth’s adoption of an Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”). VOSH’s COVID-19 ETS went to effect on July 27th, with major elements of the rule kicking in in August and September.

Now, several months into implementation of the COVID-19-specific regulation, we checked in on the status of the rule, challenges employers have faced complying with it, and enforcement issues. We are pleased to share links to a copy of the slides and a recording of the webinar. Continue reading →

[Webinar] Delaying Retirement: Impact of America’s Aging Workforce on OSHA and Employment Matters

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Wednesday, December 16th at 1:00 PM ET, plan to join Lindsay A. DiSalvo and Ashley D. Mitchell for a webinar regarding Delaying Retirement: Impact of America’s Aging Workforce on OSHA and Employment Matters.

The single biggest factor affecting safety and health in America’s workplaces this decade is our aging workforce. Older workers offer valuable experience and job knowledge, but with that comes an increased risk of serious workplace injuries due to physiological changes affecting flexibility, strength, vision, hearing, and balance. Although older workers experience fewer total injuries than their junior counterparts, the injuries they do have tend to be more severe and require longer recovery times. With more than 30 million workers 55 years or older expected to be in the U.S. labor force by 2025, and huge numbers of workers remaining in the workforce well past traditional retirement age, employers face unique challenges in keeping employees safe and healthy and complying with a host of state and federal laws.

This webinar will review the realities of our nation’s aging workforce and how employers must carefully address these realities without running afoul of OSHA regulations and federal and state anti-discrimination laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Participants in this webinar will learn about: Continue reading →

[Bonus Webinar] Conversation with the Director of NIOSH about COVID-19 in the Workplace

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Monday, December 21, 2020 at 1 p.m. ET, join Kate McMahon, a Partner in Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA Practice, and special guest Dr. John Howard, the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), for a one-on-one Q&A event regarding COVID-19 in the workplace.

Cases continue to spike throughout the United States, while employers try to keep pace with ever-shifting guidance from the CDC, OSHA, and state and county health departments, and face several new COVID-19 emergency regulations around the country. NIOSH works closely with the CDC to develop its COVID-19 guidance and to help educate Industry on effective infection control and response strategies. NIOSH also provides support to the White House Coronavirus Taskforce and assists states and local health departments develop effect strategies and policy to address COVID-19 in the workplace.

Through this Q&A session, Dr. John Howard, the Director of NIOSH for 17 years and counting, provides detailed insight and advice on the workplace safety and health implications of COVID-19 and what employers can expect next and how they can protect their workers from this pandemic. Participants in this webinar will learn: Continue reading →

[Webinar Recording] Lessons Learned from the Roll-out of Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Standard

December 10, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

Earlier this Summer, Virginia became the first state in the nation to promulgate a mandatory safety regulation designed to reduce COVID-19 infections in the workplace, when Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam announced the commonwealth’s adoption of an Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”). The COVID-19 ETS, which was drafted by Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry, requires Virginia employers to:

Assess potential exposures to COVID-19 in the workplace
Categorize the level of risk exposure from Low to Very High (each with different mitigation requirements)
Develop and implement a written infection control plan
Provide employee training on the virus and control measures in the workplace
Make certain notifications about infected employees to co-workers, to VOSH, and to the VA Dept. of Health

VOSH’s COVID-19 ETS went to effect on July 27th, with major elements of the rule kicking in in August and September. Now, several months into implementation of the COVID-19-specific regulation, we check on the status of the rule, challenges employers have faced complying with it, and enforcement issues. Participants in this webinar will learn: Continue reading →

[Webinar] Lessons Learned from the Roll-out of Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Standard

November 30, 2020November 30, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Monday, December 7th at 1 PM ET, join Eric J. Conn (Chair of Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA Practice), Susan Wilcox (a CIH and CSP with Safety Resource Associates in Virginia), and special guest Jennifer Rose (VOSH Cooperative Programs Director with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry) for a webinar regarding Lessons Learned from the Roll-out of Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Standard.

Earlier this Summer, Virginia became the first state in the nation to promulgate a mandatory

safety regulation designed to reduce COVID-19 infections in the workplace, when Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam announced the commonwealth’s adoption of an Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”). The COVID-19 ETS, which was drafted by Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry, requires Virginia employers to:

Assess potential exposures to COVID-19 in the workplace
Categorize the level of risk of exposure from Low to Very High (each with different mitigation requirements)
Develop and implement a written infection control plan
Provide employee training on the virus and control measures in the workplace
Make certain notifications about infected employees to co-workers, to VOSH, and to the VA Dept. of Health

Continue reading →

[Webinar Recording] Process Safety Update: The Latest with OSHA PSM & EPA RMP

November 27, 2020November 30, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On November 17, 2020, Eric J. Conn, Micah Smith and Beeta Lashkari presented a complimentary webinar: Process Safety Update: The Latest with OSHA PSM & EPA RMP.

Following the 2013 West Fertilizer explosion, then-President Obama issued Exec. Orders directing OSHA, EPA and other agencies to “modernize” the chemical process safety regulatory landscape. OSHA and EPA took sweeping actions, from enforcement initiatives (like a new PSM National Emphasis Program) to rulemakings and interpretation letters.

Then President Trump took office with a de-regulatory agenda. But rather than unwavering deregulation, Trump Admin. initiatives in this area have been splintered, with some deregulatory work proceeding (e.g., rollback of RMP amendments), others coming to a complete halt (e.g., PSM reform rulemaking), and still others moving forward like business as usual (e.g., the Chem/REF PSM NEP inspections and the CSB’s new accidental release reporting rule). And now, with the Presidential Election behind us (sort of), and a new Biden Administration looming, we could see another significant shake-up of the regulatory landscape.

This webinar reviews the status and likely future of OSHA’s PSM Standard and EPA’s RMP Rule, CSB developments, and other process safety issues, such as the recent 10^th Cir. Decision on PSM application to interconnected and co-located vessels.

We are pleased to share links to a copy of the slides and a recording of the webinar . Continue reading →

[Webinar Recording] Process Safety Update: The Latest with OSHA PSM & EPA RMP

November 25, 2020November 25, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On November 17, 2020, Eric J. Conn, Micah Smith and Beeta Lashkari presented a complimentary webinar: Process Safety Update: The Latest with OSHA PSM & EPA RMP.

This webinar reviewed Continue reading →

[Webinar] Process Safety Update: The Latest with OSHA PSM & EPA RMP

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Tuesday, November 17th at 1 PM Eastern, join Eric J. Conn, Micah Smith and Beeta Lashkari for a complimentary webinar: Process Safety Update: The Latest with OSHA PSM & EPA RMP.

Click here to register for the November 17th webinar. Continue reading →

[Webinar Recording] Michigan OSHA’s New COVID-19 Emergency Rule

November 5, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On October 29, 2020, Eric J. Conn, Aaron R. Gelb and Ashley D. Mitchell presented a bonus webinar event: Michigan OSHA’s New COVID-19 Emergency Rule.

When the MI Supreme Court struck down Gov. Whitmer’s COVID-19 Executive Orders, MI OSHA responded quickly to fill the void, and last week issued a series of COVID-19 Emergency Regulations. When Gov. Whitmer signed the “Emergency Rules Order,” Michigan became only the second state in the country with a set of enforceable, COVID-19 specific regulations. While many of the requirements set forth in the new rules mirror the Governor’s prior EOs, having a prescriptive rule in place makes it that much easier for MI OSHA to issue citations to employers.

Given MI OSHA’s aggressive use of the General Duty Clause to support a series of citations after an inspection blitz over the summer, Michigan employers should expect enforcement to continue in a similar manner, making compliance with these rules all the more important. Participants in this webinar learned about the requirements of MIOSHA’s COVID-19 emergency rules and steps to take to avoid citations, including:

Continue reading →

[Bonus Webinar] Michigan OSHA’s New COVID-19 Emergency Rule

October 22, 2020October 26, 2020Theresa Green 1 Comment

On Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 11 AM Eastern / 10 AM Central, join Eric J. Conn and Aaron R. Gelb for a bonus webinar event: Michigan OSHA’s New COVID-19 Emergency Rule.

Given MI OSHA’s aggressive use of the General Duty Clause to support a series of citations after an inspection blitz over the summer, Michigan employers should expect enforcement to continue in a similar manner, making compliance with these rules all the more important. Participants in this webinar will learn about the requirements of MIOSHA’s COVID-19 emergency rules and steps to take to avoid citations, including:

Continue reading →

[Webinar] Technology Solutions for Complying with COVID-19 Requirements

September 3, 2020October 6, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Tuesday, September 8th at 1 PM ET, join Eric J. Conn (Chair of Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA Practice) and Nick Eurek (President and Co-Founder of Maptician) for a complimentary webinar regarding “Technology Solutions for Complying with COVID-19 Requirements.”

In July, Virginia became the first state in the nation to promulgate a mandatory rule with a set of requirements designed to protect workers from COVID-19 infections in the workplace. For example, Virginia employers must:

Assess and categorize potential exposures to COVID-19 in the workplace
Implement a written infection control and response plan
Promptly notify potentially exposed co-workers, VOSH/OSHA, and/or the Department of Health about infected workers

But Virginia’s rule really just memorializes the widespread, already enforceable guidance from federal OSHA, the CDC, state and local departments of health, and governors’ offices all across the country, so the policies and controls that must be implemented in Virginia are by and large needed everywhere.

Continue reading →

FAQs About Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard

August 7, 2020August 7, 2020Theresa Green 3 Comments

On August 3rd, Eric J. Conn (Chair of Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA Practice), Susan Wilcox (a CIH and CSP with Virginia-based Safety Resource Associates), and special guest Jennifer Rose (Director of Cooperative Programs at VOSH) presented a webinar: “Everything You Need to Know About Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Standard.”

During the webinar, we collected numerous questions from participants about VOSH’s new COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard. We have compiled all of those questions from the webinar into this written Q&A document with our answers and useful links throughout. These FAQs have also been incorporated into our broader compendium of COVID-19 FAQs on Conn Maciel Carey’s COVID-19 Task Force Resource Page.

We are also pleased to share these links to a copy of the slides and a recording of the webinar, as well as our article here on the OSHA Defense Report blog about the lay of the land around VOSH’s new rule. And below is a brief recap of the program.

Last month, Virginia became the first state in the nation to promulgate a mandatory safety regulation designed to reduce COVID-19 infections in the workplace, when Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam announced the commonwealth’s adoption of an Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”). The COVID-19 ETS, which was drafted by Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry, requires Virginia employers to: Continue reading →

[Webinar] Everything You Need to Know About Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Standard

July 27, 2020August 7, 2020Daniel C. Deacon Leave a comment

On Monday, August 3rd at 1 PM ET, join Eric J. Conn (Chair of Conn Maciel Carey’s national OSHA Practice), Susan Wilcox (a CIH and CSP with Safety Resource Associates), and special guest Jennifer Rose (VOSH Cooperative Programs Director with the Virginia Dept. of Labor and Industry) for a complimentary webinar regarding “Everything You Need to Know About Virginia OSHA’s New COVID-19 Standard.”

Last week, Virginia became the first state in the nation to promulgate a mandatory safety regulation designed to reduce COVID-19 infections in the workplace, when Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam announced the commonwealth’s adoption of an Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”). The COVID-19 ETS, which was drafted by Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry, requires Virginia employers to: Continue reading →

[Webinar Recording] Returning to Work Strategies: Employment and Workplace Safety Implications of COVID-19

May 12, 2020May 31, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On May 7, 2020, members of Conn Maciel Carey LLP’s multi-disciplinary COVID-19 Task Force presented a complimentary webinar: Returning to Work Strategies – Employment and Workplace Safety Implications of COVID-19.

As the federal government and states begin to relax shutdown and stay-at-home orders and non-essential businesses begin to resume or ramp-up operations, employers need to plan for the safe and healthy return of their employees, customers, and guests back into the workplace. During this webinar, participants heard from members of Conn Maciel Carey’s COVID-19 Task Force as they discussed how to develop and implement a Return-to-Work Plan.

Participants learned about: Continue reading →

[Webinar] Returning to Work Strategies: Employment and Workplace Safety Implications of COVID-19

April 24, 2020April 26, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Thursday, May 7, 2020 from 2 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern, join Conn Maciel Carey LLP’s COVID-19 Taskforce for a complimentary webinar: Returning to Work Strategies – Employment and Workplace Safety Implications of COVID-19.

As the federal government and states begin to relax shutdown and stay-at-home orders and non-essential businesses begin to resume or ramp-up operations, employers need to plan for the safe and healthy return of their employees, customers, and guests back into the workplace. During this webinar, participants will hear from members of Conn Maciel Carey’s COVID-19 Task Force as they discuss how to develop and implement a Return-to-Work Plan.

Participants will learn about the following: Continue reading →

COVID-19 Recording and Reporting in the State of Washington

April 23, 2020May 31, 2020Daniel C. Deacon Leave a comment

By Conn Maciel Carey’s COVID-19 Task Force

As previously discussed on the OSHA Defense Report blog, on April 10, 2020, Federal OSHA issued enforcement guidance for recording cases of COVID-19, relaxing recordkeeping enforcement for employers other than those in the healthcare industry, emergency response organizations (e.g., emergency medical, firefighting, and law enforcement services), and correctional institutions. Unfortunately, the guidance does not mandate that State Plan States follow suit, and not all states with approve OSH Programs have announced whether they will be following Fed OSHA’s guidance.

The state of Washington has not published any guidance on that issue one way or the other. But here is what we have learned from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (“DLI”) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (“DOSH”).

As a threshold matter, as we know from Fed OSHA recordkeeping, among other requirements, for an injury or illness to be recordable, it must be “work-related.” The language of Washington DLI’s recordkeeping regulation regarding assessing work-relatedness mirrors the Fed OSHA regulation. They both state that an employer:

“must consider an injury or illness to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a preexisting injury or illness.”

Work-relatedness is presumed for injuries and illnesses resulting from events or exposures that occur in the work environment, unless an enumerated exception applies, and the work-relatedness exceptions for Fed OSHA and Washington are also the same.

Importantly, Washington DLI also has Continue reading →

[Webinar Recording] Cal/OSHA Developments that California Employers Must Track

April 20, 2020April 21, 2020Andrew J. Sommer Leave a comment

On April 16, 2020, Andrew Sommer, Eric J. Conn, and Megan Shaked of the law firm Conn Maciel Carey presented a complimentary webinar: Cal/OSHA Developments that California Employers Must Track.

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, aka Cal/OSHA, is perhaps the most aggressive and enforcement-heavy state OSH Program in the nation. California employers face a host of requirements that other employers around the country do not. Likewise, the Cal/OSHA inspection and Appeal process creates several unique landmines for California employers.

During this webinar, participants learned about:

Continue reading →

Cal/OSHA Guidance Regarding COVID-19 in the Workplace

April 16, 2020April 24, 2020Beeta B. Lashkari Leave a comment

By Andrew Sommer, Megan Shaked, and Beeta Lashkari

Last week, Cal/OSHA updated its website, providing additional guidance on how to protect Californian employee from spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Additionally, earlier this week, Division Chief Doug Parker sent an unpublished letter, clarifying Cal/OSHA’s recording/reporting requirements for coronavirus-related illnesses. Below is a summary of both pieces of guidance from Cal/OSHA:

Additional Cal/OSHA Guidance on COVID-19 in the Workplace

Starting with the new guidance on its website, Cal/OSHA provided additional information on how to protect workers from COVID-19. While Cal/OSHA previously issued guidance on requirements under its Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (“ATD”) standard specific to COVID-19, as well as general guidelines, it has now released industry-specific guidance and ATD model plans. The industry-specific guidance includes:

The ATD model plans are fillable pages provided in Word format and include an exposure control plan, laboratory biosafety plan, and “referring employer” model written program.

As general guidance, Cal/OSHA’s website also includes interim guidelines for general industry on COVID-19. These interim guidelines make clear that, for employers covered by the ATD standard, employers must protect employees from airborne infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and pathogens transmitted by aerosols. The ATD standard applies to:

hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, medical offices, outpatient medical facilities, home health care, long-term health care facilities, hospices, medical outreach services, medical transport and emergency medical services;
certain laboratories, public health services and police services that are reasonably anticipated to expose employees to an aerosol transmissible disease;
correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and drug treatment programs; and
any other locations when Cal/OSHA informs employers in writing that they must comply with the ATD standard.

Additionally, for employers NOT covered by the ATD standard, Cal/OSHA advises employers to Continue reading →

[Webinar] Cal/OSHA Developments that California Employers Must Track

April 7, 2020April 7, 2020Theresa Green Leave a comment

On Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 1 PM Pacific / 4 PM Eastern, join Andrew Sommer, Eric J. Conn, and Megan Shaked of the law firm Conn Maciel Carey for a complimentary webinar: Cal/OSHA Developments that California Employers Must Track.

During this webinar, participants will learn about:

Continue reading →

BREAKING – CSB Issues Final Accidental Release Reporting Rule

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020Beeta B. Lashkari Leave a comment

By Eric J. Conn and Beeta Lashkari

Last week, on the day of a federal district court-mandated deadline — Wednesday, February 5, 2020 — the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (the CSB) announced its Final Rule on Accidental Release Reporting. The CSB posted a prepublication version of the Final Rule last week, on February 5th. The official version should be published in the Federal Register within the next few days.

As we previously reported, on December 12, 2019, the CSB issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for its new reporting rule, which set out the circumstances when facility owners and operators are required to file reports with the CSB about certain accidental chemical releases and what must be communicated in the reports.

As stated in the NPRM, the purpose of the rule is “to ensure that the CSB receives rapid, accurate reports of any accidental release that meets established statutory criteria.”

The rule requires owners and operators of stationary sources to report accidental releases that result in a fatality, a serious injury, or substantial property damage to the CSB within eight hours. The specific information required to be provided in the accidental release report includes:

A brief description of the accidental release;
Whether the release resulted in a fire, explosion, death, serious injury, or property damage;
The number of fatalities and/or serious injuries, and the estimated property damage at or outside the stationary source;
The name of the material involved;
The amount of the release; and
Whether the accidental release resulted in an evacuation order impacting members of the general public and other details associated with the evacuation.

Issuance of the CSB’s reporting rule has been a long time coming. Although the CSB did not become operational until 1998, its enabling legislation – the Clean Air Act Amendments – was enacted in 1990. That statute, from nearly thirty years ago, expressly required the agency to issue a rule governing the reporting of accidental releases to the CSB. Although the CSB submitted an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Chemical Release Reporting in 2009, that effort died on the vine. Accordingly, the CSB has never had its own reporting rule, relying instead on other sources to receive incident information. In February 2019, however, Continue reading →

Announcing Conn Maciel Carey’s 2020 OSHA Webinar Series

December 20, 2019January 28, 2020Eric J. Conn 3 Comments

We are three years into the Trump Administration, and we have seen a mixed bag of change and business as usual at OSHA in enforcement and rulemaking. We watched late Obama-era OSHA rules get repealed, delayed, or amended and a modest boost in compliance assistance—the sort of policy shifts you expect to see in a transition from a Democratic to a Republican Administration. However, we have seen plenty of the unexpected, such as increases in virtually every enforcement metric, including record numbers of $100K+ enforcement actions. And most surprising of all, OSHA still does not have an Assistant Secretary—the longest ever vacancy for the top job at OSHA—and it seems highly likely the Agency will remain without a Senate-approved leader for the entirety of this presidential term. As we move into an election year, the final year of President Trump’s current term, we expect more reshuffling of OSHA enforcement policies and rulemaking priorities, and surely more surprises, so it is critical to stay abreast of OSHA developments.

Conn Maciel Carey’s complimentary 2020 OSHA Webinar Series includes monthly webinars presented by OSHA-specialist attorneys in the firm’s national OSHA Practice designed to give employers insight into developments at OSHA during this remarkable time in OSHA’s history.

To register for an individual webinar, use the registration links in the program descriptions below. To register for the entire 2020 Series, click here to send an email request, and we will register you. If you miss a program this year or missed any in prior years, click here for our webinar archive.

We are exploring CLE approval for this series. If you are interested in CLE or other forms of Continuing Education credits, click here to complete a survey.

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ANNOUNCING CONN MACIEL CAREY’S 2021 OSHA WEBINAR SERIES

See below for the full schedule with program descriptions, dates, times and links to register for each webinar event.

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See below for the full schedule with program descriptions, dates, times and links to register for each webinar event. Continue reading →

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ANNOUNCING CONN MACIEL CAREY’S
2021 OSHA WEBINAR SERIES

See below for the full schedule with program descriptions,
dates, times and links to register for each webinar event.

See below for the full schedule with program descriptions,
dates, times and links to register for each webinar event. Continue reading →