On May 2, the Trump Administration issued its budget proposal for federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The administration proposes a $582,381,000 budget for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which would be a 7.9% ($49,928,000) decrease from OSHA’s adopted 2025 budget of $632.3 million (the Biden Administration had proposed $655.5 million; I wrote about it HERE). The remainder of this note summarizes the Administration proposal.
Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog
Trump Administration proposes limited cuts in OSHA budget
Posted by Jon Elliott on Fri, Jul 18, 2025
Tags: OSHA, workplace safety, Trump, Trump Administration, Workplace Safety Guidelines, Regulatory Compliance, Safety Standards, FY 2026 Budget, Federal Budget Proposal, Occupational Safety
The US federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted its twelfth annual “National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction” during May 5-9, 2025. The Stand-Down focused on fall hazards and fall prevention, emphasizing safety demonstrations, trainings and hazard recognition activities. Falls are a leading cause of workplace injuries and deaths in construction, and can also be important hazards in non-construction locations where workers use ladders or work in elevated locations. The remainder of this note summarizes approaches to fall hazards and fall protection.
Tags: Health & Safety, OSHA, Safety and Health at Work, workplace safety, Cal/OSHA, Injury, Safety Regulations, Worker Safety, Risk Management, Fall Prevention
California guidance for worker protection during post-wildfire cleanups
Posted by Jon Elliott on Wed, Apr 23, 2025
In the aftermath of January’s massive southern California wildfires, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has recompiled and highlighted its guidance for post-wildfire cleanup. Although this guidance is not unique (I’ve written about similar websites HERE), it provides a timely reminder to organizations in areas that may be subject to wildfires, and to other harmful incidents as well. The remainder of this note summarizes Cal/OSHA’s latest compilation.
Read MoreTags: workplace safety, Cal/OSHA, Fire Safety, Wildfire Cleanup, Occupational Health, Hazard Assessment, Environmental Health and Safety, Wildfire Preparedness, Health Hazards, Safety Regulations, Fire Risk Management, Emergency Response, Worker Safety, Post-Wildfire Recovery, Workplace Safety Guidelines
New Hampshire becomes latest state to require employers to allow guns at work
Posted by Jon Elliott on Fri, Mar 07, 2025
One important issue for employers to consider in their workplace safety and workplace violence prevention efforts is whether to allow employees to bring weapons to work, and if so whether to place limitations on their storage or handling – locked in an employee’s vehicle, for example. Many employers prohibit weapons on workplace premises, including the US Postal Service via its regulations (39 CFR 232.1.) In recent years, however, increasing numbers of states restrict or even prohibit employers from limiting employee weapons, at least in parked vehicles. Most recently, on January 1, 2025 New Hampshire became the latest state to block employer restrictions.
Read MoreTags: OSHA, Workplace violence, Compliance Safety, workplace safety, Gun Laws
WorkSafeBC has amended its regulations to enhance requirements that employers in British Columbia provide first aid in their workplaces. These changes to BC’s Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Regulation were effective November 1, 2024. The remainder of this note summarizes first aid requirements, highlighting the latest enhancements to direct requirements and to procedural requirements.
Read MoreTags: Health & Safety, Safety and Health at Work, workplace safety, Healthcare, Health and Safety Compliance, WorkSafeBC, OSH
Radon gas is released naturally by radioactive decay within rock formations, from where it can percolate to the surface and infiltrate basement and trenching, and then produce hazardous concentrations if trapped or spread throughout the structure by the ventilation system. Because of its radioactive origin, radon can pose health risks – it’s the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers extensive information programs, which encourage in-building testing (especially in housing), and provides guidance for hazard reduction. EPA’s authority derives primarily from the Indoor Radon Abatement Act of 1988 (codified as Title III of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)). In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers radon a type of ionizing radiation subject to worker protection requirements. The remainder of this note provides background to radon hazards and their management, referencing information from EPA, OSHA and other agencies and professional organizations.
Read MoreTags: OSHA, Environmental risks, Environmental, EPA, workplace safety, Environment, Environmental Policy, Hazardous Chemicals
EPA guidance on indoor ventilation protections against viruses
Posted by Jon Elliott on Wed, Nov 20, 2024
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) program offers guidance how to use ventilation to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses in “indoor public spaces” including offices and commercial locations. As north America approaches winter months when more people spend more time indoors, it’s a good time to review these suggestions. The rest of this note summarizes EPA guidance.
Read MoreTags: EPA, clean air, workplace safety, Indoor Air Quality, Health and Safety Compliance, IAQ, Ventilation Strategies, Respiratory Virus Prevention
OSHA issues safety standards for the design and use of portable powered tools and other handheld equipment items. (29 CFR 1910.242 – 1910.244). These standards focus on safe use of powered hand tools, as well as on safety features such as lock-outs and guards. The standards define general requirements for all equipment defined as powered hand tools, including specific definitions for following: explosive-actuated; fastening tools; abrasive wheels; and jacks. The remainder of this note summarizes these requirements.
Read MoreTags: Health & Safety, OSHA, Safety and Health at Work, workplace safety
New York adopts workplace violence requirements for retailers
Posted by Jon Elliott on Thu, Sep 26, 2024
On September 5, New York’s governor Kathy Hochul signed the Retail Worker Safety Act (A8947-C/S8358-C) to require employers to take steps to protect employees in retail stores from workplace violence (NY Labor Law sec. 27-e). The new law assigns the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) to develop model policy and training documents for use by employers. Most requirements are effective as of March 4, 2025. These retail workplace violence prevention (WVP) requirements are comparable to public sector employer requirements in place since 2007 (NY Labor Law sec. 27-b), which are also administered and enforced by NYDOL. The rest of this note describes these new requirements.
Read MoreTags: Health & Safety, Workplace violence, Safety and Health at Work, workplace safety, safety violations
While the world adapts to the ongoing presence of COVID-19 and its hazards, other potential pandemic diseases continue to cause concerns. One example is avian influenza, also known as bird flu. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) note that avian influenza H5N1 was first seen in the U.S. in migratory birds in 2015, and in agricultural poultry stock beginning in 2022. Since then, a few mammal infections have been confirmed, and in April 2024, a dairy farm worker tested positive for avian influenza A (H5N1). This history confirms a slow expansion of pathways to infection, and at-risk species extending to include humans. There have not yet been confirmed human-to-human transmissions, which could trigger the next pandemic if they began to proliferate (just as COVID-19 did a few years ago). As these concerns rise, in August 2024 OSHA gathered and updated safety information about Bird Flu, which I summarize below.
Read MoreTags: Health & Safety, OSHA, Safety and Health at Work, workplace safety