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Showing posts for: Safety and Health

Jun 10 2025
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Retro Group Assessments: Are You at Risk and How to Stay in the Refund Zone

Retro group assessments can turn expected refunds into unexpected costs. We’re breaking down why they happen, how to spot warning signs, and what you can do to stay in the refund zone. Why do Assessments Happen? Assessments don’t just happen out of the blue. They’re triggered when a Retro group’s claims and losses exceed what…

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May 28 2025
Safety and Health

It’s getting hot outside; time to prevent heat illness

Warm weather brings welcome relief from long winter months, but it also brings dangers for employees working outside. As summer approaches, it’s time to review your safety plans for protecting workers from heat illness hazards and to ensure compliance with state regulations. Cal/OSHA and Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) requirements depend on outdoor…

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May 20 2025
Harassment & DiscriminationSafety and HealthWage and Hour

Washington Governor signs 2025 legislation

The 2025 legislative session ended on April 27, 2025, with Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signing multiple employment-related bills into law. We separately reported on three of those bills in our last newsletter (expansion of the Fair Chance Act, paid leave for immigration proceedings, and prohibition of driver’s license requirements); today’s newsletter includes individual articles on…

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Apr 21 2025
Safety and HealthWashington

Washington L&I makes wildfire smoke AQI levels official

As promised, Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) updated its rules for protecting employees from wildfire smoke, incorporating changes the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made to its color-coded Air Quality Index (AQI) in May 2024. As we previously reported, when the EPA published its changes, DOSH immediately issued a directive authorizing employers…

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Mar 21 2025
Q&ASafety and Health

Q&A: Be prepared for an unannounced safety inspection

Question: A government safety and health inspector showed up to our company front office unannounced, asking to conduct a safety inspection of our plant. Can they do that? Can I ask them to reschedule to a more convenient time? What prompted their visit? Answer: Enforcement inspectors from federal OSHA or state safety and health agencies…

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Mar 07 2025
DisabilityHarassment & DiscriminationLeave Laws

Q&A: Obtain medical opinion to evaluate direct threat under ADA

Question: One of our production employees reportedly “blacked out” a few times last week. When I asked her about it, she said she has a seizure disorder, but she can work. Her job requires working with heavy machinery. Are we supposed to put her back to work and hope for the best? Answer: No, you…

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Feb 10 2025
Safety and Health

Submit OSHA injury and illness data by March 2, 2025

March 2, 2025, is the deadline for covered employers to submit injury and illness data to OSHA—for some employers, this just means their 300A Summaries, while for others, this means also submitting detailed data from their OSHA 300 Logs and OSHA 301 Forms. Covered employers must submit this information through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) website. Here…

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Jan 03 2025
Safety and Health

OSHA cites employer after over-stacked pallets cause fatality

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited a tire facility for 12 violations and proposed $288,299 in penalties after a forklift operator was fatally struck by a falling pallet of industrial truck tires. According to OSHA’s citation and press release, the inspectors determined that the three-tier rack storage system’s vertical supports were…

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Dec 20 2024
Safety and HealthTermination & ResignationWage and Hour

Employee complaint to customer is protected confirms Fifth Circuit

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently confirmed that an employee’s complaints to an important customer about wages and working conditions for herself and her coworkers were protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). After she was fired, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that her comments to the customer both on LinkedIn…

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Dec 20 2024
Safety and Health

Fit requirements finalized for construction PPE

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a final rule codifying proper fit requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE) in the construction industry. The new rules align the requirements for the construction industry with those for general industry. The changes are to the regulations at 29 CFR 1926.95(c) and state that employers must ensure all…

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Dec 09 2024
Harassment & DiscriminationHiringSafety and Health

Pre-existing conditions do not invalidate a claim

Building on our recent article about the basic elements of claim validation in the Washington workers’ compensation system, let’s explore a subject that can be particularly frustrating for employers: pre-existing conditions. Understanding Pre-Existing Conditions in Workers’ Comp Pre-existing conditions can complicate the assessment of workers’ comp claims by worsening the severity of an injury or…

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Dec 09 2024
Drug and AlcoholHarassment & DiscriminationSafety and Health

Holiday parties: HR tips to minimize company liability

The holiday season has returned, and many companies are planning holiday parties for their employees. While a holiday party can be a great way to reward employees, here are some tips and recommendations to enjoy the celebrations while reducing the liability for your organization. Stay healthy: Tell employees to please stay home if they don’t…

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