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Labor-law compliance pre-assessment now available to federal contractors

The Department of Labor offers labor-law compliance pre-assessments to all current or prospective federal contractors to help them meet new disclosure requirements in the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order. The process is designed to answer questions from employers expecting to compete for federal contracts worth at least $500,000.

This is a proactive and voluntary way for current and prospective government contractors to be reviewed on labor compliance history. Participating in Preassessment:

Pre-assessment is ongoing, and employers may complete request intakes after the first phases of the final rule go into effect on Oct. 25.



Every webpage is now available in Spanish

Every page on OSHA's website can now be translated into Spanish by going to the Spanish link at the top right corner of the webpage to have the text instantly translated.



New guidelines for whistleblower settlements prevent employers from silencing workers

There are new guidelines for approving settlements between employers and employees in whistleblower cases to ensure that they do not contain terms that could be interpreted to restrict future whistleblowing.



Final rule addresses whistleblower protections for seamen

A new final rule aims at improving protections for seamen who inform the government about violations of maritime safety laws or regulations. The rule, published in the Sept. 15 Federal Register, institutes procedures and time frames for managing retaliation complaints under the Seaman's Protection Act.



MIOSHA launches state emphasis program targeting blight removal projects to protect workers from asbestos and other hazards

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has launched a state emphasis program on blight removal projects to address hazards such as asbestos and lead that pose health threats to workers. During the yearlong program, MIOSHA will inspect mostly residential blight removal jobsites for hazards associated with asbestos, lead and cadmium, as well as all other serous hazards.



Recent fines and awards

California

Georgia

Florida

Illinois

Indiana

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

New York

Pennsylvania

Wisconsin



Detailed descriptions of the citations above and other OSHA citations can be found here.