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Aug 03 2021
OregonSafety and Health

OREGON: Wildfire smoke and more heat rules effective August 9, 2021

On August 2, 2021, Oregon OSHA issued two new temporary emergency regulations, one addressing outdoor workers’ exposure to wildfire smoke, and another addressing high heat in employer-provided housing. Both rules take effect on August 9, 2021, although employers have until August 16, 2021, to train outdoor workers on wildfire smoke hazards. These temporary rules will…

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Jul 22 2021
OregonSafety and Health

OREGON: Oregon OSHA offers heat illness prevention resources

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA) is offering educational and training resources to help employers comply with its recently adopted temporary rule to prevent heat illness, on which we recently issued an Alert. The resources include a fact sheet summarizing the rule; a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) infographic for employers on…

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Jul 22 2021
Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: L&I offers heat stress resources

Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) offers numerous training and education resources on its Be Heat Smart webpage, to help employers comply with emergency heat stress regulations that took effect on July 13, 2021. Resources include a customizable outdoor heat exposure prevention plan, a self-paced training module (which you should supplement with any company-specific…

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Jul 22 2021
COVID-19CaliforniaSafety and Health

CALIFORNIA: Keep an eye on local mask mandates for your area

As local jurisdictions in California grapple with rising infection rates from COVID-19 (coronavirus), many are strongly recommending wearing masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, and at least two have made it mandatory. Los Angeles County issued an order requiring face coverings in businesses and public indoor spaces, even for those who are fully vaccinated against…

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Jul 19 2021
Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON ALERT: Wildfire smoke regs issued, effective immediately

Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) issued emergency regulations on July 16, 2021, requiring employers to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke. The rules took effect immediately, but enforcement of new obligations to implement exposure controls and provide respiratory protection is delayed until July 23, 2021. Enforcement of training requirements is delayed until August…

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Jul 12 2021
Safety and HealthWashington

ALERT: Washington heat illness rules expand as of July 13, 2021

Expanded requirements for protecting Washington workers from outdoor heat exposure take effect on July 13, 2021. Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) announced the changes on July 9, 2021, stating that these emergency rules are necessary immediately to enhance protections against heat illness for outdoor workers. Washington already has outdoor heat exposure rules for…

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Jul 09 2021
OregonSafety and Health

ALERT: Oregon heat illness rule applies now

On July 8, 2021, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA) issued a temporary rule intended to prevent heat illness in workers on hot-weather days. The new Oregon heat illness prevention rule applies to all Oregon employers, including employers in the agriculture industry. Among other requirements, the new rule may require additional paid…

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Jul 07 2021
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Workers’ comp FAQs from June

Got workers’ comp questions? We’ve got answers. It’s hard to keep track of all the Workers’ Compensation acronyms, definitions, best practices and more! So we’re sharing a few frequently asked questions we recently received from our Vigilant Manufacturing Retro members. What is Standard Premium; is it the same premium I pay to L&I? Standard premium…

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Jul 01 2021
COVID-19OregonSafety and Health

OREGON: Workplace mask and distancing rules lifted

Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order rescinding mask, distancing, and other COVID-19-related restrictions for the general public in Oregon, effective Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Also on June 30, Oregon OSHA published its revised Rule Addressing Covid-19 Workplace Risks, which eliminates the requirements for workplace masks and distancing (regardless of employees’ vaccination status), with certain…

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Jul 01 2021
COVID-19CaliforniaLeave Laws

CALIFORNIA: City of Los Angeles requires paid vaccine leave

On June 24, 2021, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued two orders granting paid time off for workers in the city to obtain COVID-19 vaccines and recover from any effects. Both orders allow you to require verification that an employee received a vaccine. One order, Vaccine Paid Sick Leave Due to COVID-19, is brand new…

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Jul 01 2021
Labor RelationsSafety and HealthWage and Hour

Supreme Court bolsters employers’ right to exclude union organizers

On June 23, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court helped to protect employers’ property rights by striking down a California regulation that required agricultural employers to grant union organizers access to their property for one hour before work, one hour at mealtimes, and one hour after work for up to 120 days per year. Agricultural workers…

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Jul 01 2021
Uncategorized

Q&A: Do we need to provide Juneteenth as a paid holiday?

Question: Now that Juneteenth has officially been made a federal holiday, do we need to give people the day off? Answer: Although June 19 has been designated as a federal holiday, as with all federal holidays, most private employers aren’t legally required to observe them. Whether you observe the new Juneteenth holiday will depend on…

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