The following describes the NIOSH policy for determining the attenuation provided by hearing protection devices for individual workers. This statement updates the 1998 NIOSH Criteria for a Recommended Standard—Occupational Noise Exposure. RecommendationNIOSH recommends employers use individual, quantitative fit testing to evaluate the attenuation received by workers from their hearing protection...

The Standard entitled “Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories” (29 CFR 1910.1450; the “Standard”) applies to laboratories that use hazardous chemicals in accord with the Standard’s definitions for “laboratory use of hazardous chemicals” and “laboratory scale.” The Standard requires these laboratories to maintain worker exposures at or below the permissible exposure limits...

Question: If an employer has no recordable cases for the year, is an OSHA 300-A Annual Summary still required to be completed, certified, and posted? Answer: Yes. After the end of the year, employers must review the Log to verify its accuracy, summarize the 300 Log information on the 300A summary form, and certify the summary (a company executive must sign the certification). This information must...

At 11:50 a.m. on October 21, 2021, an employee, 51, was assisting his coworkers in troubleshooting the fresh hydrogen fluoride (HF) system to the vaporizer. The employee was looking at an actuator that was across from a whisping flange when the flange failed, and hydrogen fluoride was sprayed on him. The employee screamed, and his coworkers came to his assistance. They escorted the employee to a safety...

This is what drives me crazy! A water treatment plant that falls under EPA’s RMP and yet has made zero effort to comply with the standard gets 11 citations, and the fine was $13,500, which was “adjusted” down to $10,800. This is a PUBLIC entity handling Chlorine (Cl2) in a densely populated area (see Google map screenshot below). The facility failed to develop, implement and manage...

A hydrocarbon leak caused the fire at a California refinery on February 1, 2025. The leak occurred while two workers were opening equipment for maintenance. … HomeRead More »

It has been reported that OSHA issued a citation to a Railroad ( a subsidiary of one of the six Class 1 RR’s) after an employee experienced respiratory distress when they were told to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus during the process of disconnecting train cars at the derailment site. The employee had not been medically evaluated for use of an SBCA, the citation said. This took place...

I hate the phrase, “you can’t fix stupid.” It is offensive and mean; most importantly, that phrase is just wrong. Stop saying it. Stop using this phrase right now. “You can’t fix stupid” is serving you and your organization poorly. It colors your thinking, it makes you stop investigations too early, it sounds like something a “jerk” would say, and it pisses people off. “You can’t fix stupid” causes...

The Kentucky agency that oversees boiler safety claims the plant operated a vessel that exploded without a proper inspection permit. The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction found that the cooker that exploded was installed without a required permit that would have triggered a state inspection. https://www.wdrb.com/wdrb-investigates/criminal-charges-could-apply-to-inspecti...

B31.3 requires that each piping system be leak-tested to ensure tightness prior to initial operation [¶345.1]. B31 imposes certain restrictions on the types of leak tests which may be used, some general requirements for conducting leak tests, some preparation requirements for leak tests, some specific requirements for each type of leak test, and some record keeping requirements. The following six...

February 5, 2025 MEMORANDUM FOR: REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS STATE PLAN DESIGNEES THROUGH: SCOTT C. KETCHAM, Deputy Assistant Secretary FROM: ERIN P. GILMORE, Acting Director Directorate of Enforcement Programs SUBJECT: Enforcement Stay of the COVID-19 Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements under 29 CFR 1910.502 On June 21, 2021, OSHA adopted a Healthcare Emergency Temporary standard (Healthcare...