This week we will provide information on some newer initiatives by OSHA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

OSHA recently issued a bulletin to inform employers of OSHA injury/illness record-keeping responsibilities for temporary workers. The link to the bulletin is here: https://www.osha.gov/temp_workers/OSHA_TWI_Bulletin.pdf
In nearly all cases it is the host company’s responsibility to log injuries and illnesses on its OSHA 300 log for temporary employees . The deciding factor involves supervision. If the host supervises any of the work performed by the temporary employee, it is responsible for recording the injury.

OSHA is also moving forward on it’s proposed silica rule. This rule reduces the permissible exposure levels significantly for crystalline silica. The rule will impact many industries including any manufacturer that performs sand blasting. Another affected industry is construction especially trades that perform sand blasting, concrete cutting, and concrete mixing to name a few tasks. The agency is in the public hearing phase of the process. We will keep you posted as the rule evolves.

A national fall protection “stand down” day is being promoted by OSHA. During the stand down which is scheduled between June 2 and June 6, employers area asked to pause during one of the days to discuss fall hazards with workers. Roofing, ladders and scaffolds are areas OSHA recommends be addressed. We will provide further information regarding this program. For details, please check out this link https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25755

As has been expected over the last few years, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is re-proposing a rule to require interstate trucking and bus companies to install electronic logging devices on their vehicles. The FMCSA touts the new rule as saving the trucking industry billions of dollars in expenses relating to paper logging and will enhance safety by eliminating the opportunity for drivers to cheat by completing bogus logs or maintaining multiple log books.

The new proposed rule addresses issues the Court of Appeals had relating to driver privacy and potential harassment issues. Publication dates and the comment period have yet to be determined.