New webpage makes it easier for workers to access information on their rights

OSHA has redesigned its Worker Rights page to create a better experience for workers looking for information about their rights and what to do if they have concerns about safety and health at their workplace. The new page divides the key information into three parts: Know Your Rights, When to File a Complaint, and Contact OSHA, with links to all necessary forms and email addresses. Also posted are Frequently Asked Questions and related publications and blogs. Worker Rights is consistently ranked among the top 10 pages visited on OSHA's website.

Employers must post 300A injury/illness summary form February through April

OSHA is reminding covered employers to post OSHA's Form 300A which summarizes the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses logged during 2015. The summary must be posted between Feb. 1 and April 30, 2016, and should be displayed in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted.

Employers with 10 or fewer employees and employers in specific low-hazard industries are normally exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements. Due to changes in OSHA's recordkeeping requirements that went into effect Jan. 1, 2015, certain previously exempt industries are now covered. Lists of both exempt and newly covered industries are available on OSHA's website. Visit OSHA's Recordkeeping Rule webpage for more information on recordkeeping requirements.

Top Story OSHA's free On-site Consultation Program helps nearly 30,000 employers create safer workplaces in 2015

OSHA's On-site Consultation Program provided free and confidential safety and occupational health advice to 27,871 small and medium-sized businesses across the country in 2015. The program recognizes that while most employers want to keep their workers safe and healthy on the job, smaller businesses often lack the resource of an on-site safety professional to find and fix hazards. Last year, 87 percent of consultations were conducted at businesses with 100 or fewer employees.

Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing injury and illness prevention programs. Priority is given to high-hazard worksites in industries such as manufacturing and construction. In 2015, consultants identified and helped employers eliminate more than 140,000 total hazards, protecting an estimated 3.5 million workers from possible injury, illness or death.

On-site Consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Visit OSHA's website to find the local On-site Consultation Program office in your state or territory.

Fact sheet now available on farm vehicle backover hazards

OSHA has developed a new fact sheet that identifies the key causes of backover incidents on farms. The fact sheet outlines safety measures to prevent farmworkers from being struck by vehicles* including worker training, driving alternate routes and using hand signals or spotters when noise or distance is a factor.

Injury reporting webpage simplified, online filing now available

To help employers comply with new requirements to report severe worker injuries, OSHA has created a streamlined reporting webpage and now offers the option of reporting incidents online. The expanded requirements took effect in January 2015. Now, in addition to reporting any worker fatality within 8 hours, employers must report within 24 hours any severe injury – defined as an amputation, hospitalization or loss of an eye. In the first year of the new requirement, OSHA received about 12,000 reports. The agency plans to release complete numbers and a full analysis of the Year One reports soon.

Bronx hair salon must pay $165K to fired employee who warned co-workers of formaldehyde hazards

A receptionist fired illegally at a Bronx hair salon in June 2012 for telling her colleagues about the hazards of a formaldehyde-containing straightener the salon used will be compensated for unlawful retaliation, and her former employer will take corrective action, according to a federal consent judgment obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The judgment orders the defendants to pay the former employee $65,000 in lost wages and $100,000 in compensatory damages for pain and suffering. It also requires Salon Zoe to expunge the employee’s personnel records of all references to this matter and her termination and, upon request, provide a written, neutral job reference.

Third-Annual National Safety Stand-Down to be held May 2-6

OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Center for Construction Research and Training will hold the third annual National Safety Stand-Down May 2-6, 2016, to raise awareness of the serious risk of falls in the workplace. Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and lack of proper fall protection remains the most frequently cited violation by OSHA.

More than 4 million workers have participated in the last two years, dedicating themselves to on-the-job safety. This year the stand-down will highlight the safe use of ladders and encourage employers to pause during their workday for topic talks, demonstrations and training on how to prevent falls. For more information on the success of last year’s stand-down, see the final data report. Visit the 2016 National Safety Stand-Down webpage for more updates.

OSHA "It's the Law!" poster now available in 10 languages

OSHA's free Job Safety and Health: It's the Law! poster is now available online in French*, Arabic*and Vietnamese*. This is in addition to the versions that were already available  in English*,Chinese*, Korean*, Nepali*,Spanish*, Polish* and Portuguese*. The poster informs workers of their rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. All covered employers are required to predominantly display the poster in their workplaces where workers can see it. For more information about the poster and how to get copies in the various languages, visit OSHA's workplace poster webpage.

New webpage offers resources for protecting healthcare workers from workplace violence

OSHA has developed a new webpage that addresses workplace violence prevention in healthcare settings. The webpage, part of OSHA’s Worker Safety in Hospitals webpage website, contains tools to help healthcare facilities design a violence prevention program using core elements including: management commitment and worker participation; worksite analysis and hazard identification; hazard prevention and control; safety and health training; and recordkeeping and program evaluation. The page also provides real-life examples from healthcare facilities that have integrated successful workplace violence prevention programs, as well as models of how a workplace violence prevention program can enhance an organization’s strategies for compliance, accreditation and a culture of safety. For more information, read the news release and visit the Preventing Workplace Violence in Healthcare page.

Strong public approval for government efforts to improve workplace safety

A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that more than three-quarters of the public thinks the federal government is doing a good job of setting fair and safe workplace standards. In contrast, the poll also found that overall trust in the government and political leaders are near historic lows. Despite the public’s professed cynicism for government programs in general, many voiced strong support in specific areas, with setting safe standards for workplaces the 2nd highest rated. And the support was bipartisan: According to the Pew report, “Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans say [the government] does a good job of responding to natural disasters (82% and 78%, respectively) and setting fair and safe standards for workplaces (79% and 77%, respectively).” The poll results were based on more than 6,000 interviews conducted between August 27 and October 4, 2015.