In April, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a new initiative targeting employee safety when the heat index exceeds 80°F. The National Emphasis Program (NEP) for Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards expands on the agency’s ongoing heat-related illness-prevention initiative by adding a targeted enforcement component, emphasizing compliance assistance and increasing outreach efforts.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the average manufacturer in the United States pays $19,564 per employee per year to comply with federal government regulations.

Reports surfaced the week of April 5 that Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh asked OSHA to further review its pending Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) prior to release.

Rumors had long circulated throughout Washington, D.C. that the incoming Biden administration would take steps to create a new workplace safety policy with uniform OSHA guidelines for employers. On January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order directing OSHA to issue revised guidance to employers on workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic and an Emergency Temporary Standard, if necessary, by March 15.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed penalties of $1,326,367 to Dowa THT America Inc. – a metal heat-treatment company based in Bowling Green, Ohio – after the company exposed employees to atmospheric, thermal, electrical and mechanical hazards as they performed maintenance inside heat-treating furnaces. In addition to the penalties, OSHA placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

The costs of adhering to new and changing safety regulations, maintaining up-to-date protective equipment and covering employee injuries are increasingly burdensome for many companies, including those in the refractory installation business.