OSHA watch

Comment period on 20 proposed regulatory reforms extended

The comment period on 20 of the 25 proposed rules published on July 1 that are part of a Trump administration regulatory reform package was extended by 60 days to Nov. 1. Labor unions and other stakeholders had requested more time to evaluate proposed changes to rules relating to respirator standards, the General Duty clause, and other safety requirements.

The comment period was not changed for proposed rules on adding a column to the OSHA 300 log on work-related musculoskeletal disorders, house falls in marine terminals, open fires in marine terminals, a rescission of coordinated enforcement regulations for migrant farmworkers, and safety color code markings for physical hazards in textiles, sawmills and shipyards and ended Sept. 2.

Spike in trench-related deaths triggers call for safe practices during trench and excavation work

Eleven trench-related fatalities reported in 2025 and a recent series of trench collapses in the Midwest, have triggered a call for workplaces to take the necessary steps to safeguard workers from well-known industry hazards.

Resources for upcoming events

September is Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Preparedness Month

September 22-27 is National Farm Safety and Health Week

Pathway to Safety and Health Success launched

In August, Amanda Wood Laihow, acting Assistant Secretary of Labor, announced A Pathway to Safety and Health Success initiative as an extension of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). The pathway features six steps:

• Increasing outreach to more companies, especially smaller businesses
• Transitioning the OSHA Challenge into a more robust Safety Champions program to facilitate mentorship at VPP worksites and applicant locations
• Expanding the voluntary Special Government Employees program, which engages qualified employees to leverage limited resources and support on-site evaluations, outreach, and compliance functions
• Using leading indicators to help demonstrate the effectiveness of injury prevention interventions and other workplace health and safety strategies
• Creating VPP Elite, a new level of distinction for VPP worksites that have maintained a level of excellence for at least 15 years
• Expanding VPP Safety and Health Management Systems

For more information, find an on-site consultant near you or call 800-321-OSHA.

Standard interpretations clarify recordkeeping requirements for paraffin wax and red light therapy wrap treatments

In response to the question, "Is the use of paraffin wax as a form of topical heat application considered medical treatment beyond first aid for OSHA recordkeeping?", the Standard Interpretation notes when heated paraffin wax is used alone to treat a work-related injury or illness, the treatment is considered first aid, and the injury or illness is not recordable. However, heated paraffin wax is often used in combination with other methods to treat work-related injuries and illnesses. If those methods meet the general recording criteria, then the use would be recordable.

In response to a question on whether the use of LED (light emitting diode) red light therapy and red light therapy wraps constitute first aid and if it could be added to the list of first aid treatments, the Standard Interpretation notes the LED red light therapy and red light therapy wrap technology do not constitute first aid for purposes of recordkeeping regulations. It is not on the list of first aid treatments and light therapy differs from hot therapy, which is on the list. Any change to the list would need to go through notice-and-comment rulemaking and there are no plans to initiate rulemaking to add LED red light therapy to the first aid list.

MSHA
Compliance Assistance in Safety and Health (CASH) webpage launched

The newly launched webpage provides compliance assistance in a centralized website.

The CASH program offers support materials such as:

• Direct contacts for compliance assistance
• A toolkit for new operators and miners
• Printable resources and compliance guides
• Access to the MSHA Information Hub which provides easy navigation to items commonly searched on the website
• One-pagers explaining MSHA program areas
• Ongoing updates and future materials

State Plans

Cal/OSHA
Domestic workers employed by businesses now protected
Effective July 11, domestic workers employed by businesses, including house cleaners, caregivers and gardeners, now receive the same workplace safety and health protections as other employees when working for business entities. Covered employers must establish injury and illness prevention programs, inspect workplaces to identify hazards, ensure workers have safe tools and equipment, provide required personal protective equipment, and report serious injuries and fatalities immediately. Individual homeowners or renters who hire domestic workers aren't considered employers and remain exempt from these requirements in most cases.

New actions contemplated to reduce worker exposure to crystalline silica
Despite regulatory and enforcement efforts, there have been increases in cases of silicosis, and deaths from the disease. Stronger enforcement of safety rules and support for legislation requiring criminal charges against negligent shop owners are being discussed.

IL OSHA
New law aims to counter potential rollbacks in federal protections
To counter potential rollbacks in federal protections, The Illinois Workers' Rights and Worker Safety Act (S.B. 1976) bars state agencies from changing worker safety rules to make them less stringent than federal law as it existed on Jan. 19. It also directs the Department of Labor to replace any repealed federal occupational safety standard with a similar state standard.

Fact sheet of top water and sewer department violations
The fact sheet provides a summary of the top 20 safety violations identified during water and sewer department inspections in 2023 -2024 and offers corrective recommendations that municipal departments can use to improve workplace safety and health.

MIOSHA
New Hazard Bulletin on struck-by hazards
A new Hazard Bulletin addresses a troubling rise in struck-by fatalities, which account for almost half of all workplace deaths investigated in 2025.

Agency Instructions Issued
Aug. 8, 2025 - Warehousing and Distribution Center Operations - National Emphasis Program (NEP)
Aug. 8, 2025 - Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard

Available consultative services
The Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division offers employers free, no-penalty services designed to strengthen workplace safety and health. These include hazard surveys, guidance on rules, workplace conditions, or safety questions, tailored training sessions, and self-help programs that provide technical assistance to small employers. For more information.

Upcoming events
Webinar on conducting respectful and effective workplace investigations
The final webinar, Building respectful and inclusive organizations: Combating mistreatment at work in this mental health series will take place Thursday, Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. For more information and recordings of past webinars.

Coffee with MIOSHA
In conjunction with Bay College, this program will take place Sept. 24, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. 2001 North Lincoln Rd., Escanaba, MI. To register. For more information, contact Renée Lundberg at lundberr@baycollege.edu or 906-217-4200.

Training Calendar

MNOSHA
DLI releases report on PTSD claims in workers' compensation system
The study, "Evaluating PTSD claims in Minnesota's workers' compensation system: Findings and recommendations," provides a comprehensive examination and analysis of PTSD claims in the system. High initial denial rates of 90 percent, significantly higher than any other category of injury not related to COVID-19, are attributed to uncertainty about the date of injury and requirements that do not align with current statutory timelines. Return-to-work rates were lower among presumption occupation workers, dropping to below 60 percent after the presumption, particularly among police officers. Recommendations include standardizing the date of injury for PTSD, aligning PTSD claim timelines around the diagnosis date, broadening provider access, and expanding the types of acceptable treatment.

Pipeline events and industry forums
Discover resources to support on-the-job training and partnerships with educational providers. More information.

Fatality, serious-injury investigation summaries online

TOSHA
Training seminar schedule

Recent fines and awards

California

• California Ranch Foods, a subsidiary of Golden West Food Group, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts after being criminally charged for the 2020 deaths of two workers fatally exposed to nitrogen gas. The criminal referral by Cal/OSHA's Bureau of Investigations (BOI) followed an investigation that found critical failures in safety procedures and training related to the handling of pressurized gas systems. Under the plea agreement, California Ranch Foods must make $1.6 million in safety improvements at its plant, pay a $1 million criminal fine, donate $4 million to local food banks, and pay $50,000 to the BOI to support enforcement efforts. Previously, the company reached a $35 million civil settlement with the victim's families.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board upheld citations related to late reporting, training, and lockout-tagout against Primula Mozzarella LLC Dba Angelo and Franco, The Mozzarella Guys. A worker suffered fractures to her right arm and thumb as well as nerve damage to her right arm after her arm was pulled into a mold machine.

Florida

• Concrete Product Manufacturing of Orlando is contesting fines of $59,108, for a repeat violation related to failure to remove forklifts that had damaged strobe lights, exposed electrical wires, broken hydraulic hose, and broken windshield. Serious violations were issued for material handling storage and a missing data plate on a forklift.

Georgia

• Southern Forest Industries, Inc., a sawmill based in Forsyth, is contesting eight serious citations, totaling $82,751 in penalties following the death of an employee who was crushed while attempting to clear a jam in a sorter bay. Violations relate to lockout/tagout, machine guarding, and fall hazards.
• Mejia Construction LLC, Savannah-based framing contractors, faces $81,922 in penalties for two repeat and one serious violation for failure to use eye and face protection, lack of fall protection, and improper extension of side rails on a ladder.

Illinois

• Concrete Construction Company, a Glen Ellyn-based site preparation contractor, faces ten serious violations related to exposure and management of asbestos during demolition operations. An informal settlement offer would reduce initial penalties of $56,748 to $24,000.

Minnesota

• Bix Produce Company LLC, Saint Paul-based Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers, was fined $48,000 under the state's 182.677 ergonomics standard for a repeat violation related to training and a serious violation for failing to have and implement an effective written ergonomics program and a serious violation of the wiring methods standard.

Missouri

• Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc., General Warehousing and Storage of Cape Girardeau faces $45,708 in penalties for using body belts as part of a personal fall arrest system, unsecured tire stacking frames, and failure to train and evaluate operators of powered industrial trucks properly.

New York

• Olsen's Landscaping and Tree Service of Greenwood Lake faces fines of $50,978 issued for lack of falling object and head protection, failure to conduct a workplace hazard assessment, and lack of an escape/retreat path during tree felling operation. An employee was allowed to manually fell an approximately 70' tree while non-involved workers were within the drop zone and several sustained serious injuries.

Wisconsin

• Progressive Converting, an Appleton-based paper products manufacturer was cited for three repeat, 13 serious, and three other-than-serious violations, with proposed penalties totaling $280,110. Three investigations concluded that the company failed to properly guard machinery, lacked energy control procedures, and did not provide adequate training for employees engaged in service and maintenance.

For more information and other enforcement cases with penalties above $40,000, visit https://www.osha.gov/enforcement/toppenalties .