OSHA Unveils New HazCom Enforcement Procedures
Effective July 9, 2015, OSHA has taken a new stance on the enforcement of its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Publication of the final rule...
Don’t Borrow Trouble … or Scaffolds
A Georgia stucco contractor learned the hard way that borrowing another subcontractor’s defective scaffolds can result in some heavy OSHA penalties. In the July...
“Shoulda, Coulda, … OSHA-Style”
The Occupational Safety and Health Act defines what is needed for OSHA to prove a serious violation in court. The Act states: “a serious...
You Gotta Fight… for Your Right… to Early Completion
In Gilchrist Constr. Co., LLC v. Louisiana Dep’t of Trans. and Dev., a Louisiana appellate court recently confirmed that a contractor was able to...
Uncle Sam Wants YOU
The federal government is taking aim at occupational safety and health violations from a different perspective: criminal prosecution. On December 17, 2015, a joint...
When Lawyers Use Safety Rules Against You
Safety is always important to a responsible contractor. Concrete work in particular presents hazards including exposure to caustic cement materials and the use of...
OSHA’s “Nudge” on Workplace Safety
In May 2016, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) published its Final Rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. This rule...
OSHA & MSHA Penalties Significantly Raised
On July 1, 2016, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued an interim final rule raising civil penalties by nearly 80 percent in some...
Be Wary of Over-Reliance on AIA Form Contracts
The construction industry is full with complex, multi-faceted, and multi-party transactions that often feature heavily negotiated legal documents. Typically, each party involved, whether the...
Zika is Now an OSHA Issue
In August 2016, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed that there are now cases of the Zika virus, which were locally acquired from...