California’s Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited two contractors for multiple serious safety violations after a worker was fatally struck by a steel beam last August while working on a light rail tunnel project in San Francisco. The agency is seeking $65,300 in penalties.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reminded employers and workers that frostbite and hypothermia can occur when working in cold, wet, icy, or snowy conditions. And OSHA reminded employers about the carbon monoxide (CO) hazards of using portable generators.

OSHA has updated its policies and procedures for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to resolve whistleblower retaliation complaints. The OSHA directive, CPL 02-03-008, amends an earlier ADR directive, replacing CPL 02-03-006, issued August 18, 2015, and makes changes to terminology and confidentiality procedures for the ADR process.

January 25, 2019 (Final Rule) - To protect worker privacy, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) amended the recordkeeping regulation by rescinding the requirement for establishments with 250 or more employees to electronically submit information from OSHA Forms 300 and 301. These establishments continue to be required to maintain those records on-site, and OSHA will continue to obtain them as needed through inspections and enforcement actions. In addition to reporting required after severe injuries, establishments will continue to submit information from their Form 300A.