Insights Archive

Florida Issues Emergency Rules Implementing New COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Laws

On December 3, 2021, the Florida Department of Legal Affairs of the state attorney general’s office issued an emergency rule establishing the procedure for private employer vaccination mandate complaints under section 381.00317(3) and (4), Florida Statutes. The rule sets forth the complaint procedure, beginning with providing further clarification regarding key terms in the statute. The department also published a list of answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) that provides further information for employers.

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

Dee Anna D. Hays Tampa Author

New Florida Laws Restrict Workplace Vaccine Mandates and Begin State OSH Plan Process

On November 18, 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law measures that immediately prohibit workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private and public employers and begin the process for Florida establishing a state occupational safety and health plan.

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

Dee Anna D. Hays Tampa Author

Florida Special Session to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and State OSH Plan

On November 15, 2021, the Florida Legislature will convene a five-day special session under the proclamation issued on October 29, 2021, by Governor Ron DeSantis for the “Keep Florida Free” joint legislative agenda.

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

Dee Anna D. Hays Tampa Author

Fifth Circuit Again Stays OSHA’s ETS … for Now

On November 12, 2021, a three-member panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a sweeping order continuing its initial November 6, 2021, stay of the emergency temporary standard (ETS) that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued on November 4, 2021.

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

OSHA’s COVID-19 National Emphasis Program and Enforcement Response Plan: 10 Q&As for Employers Who May Need to Comply

In what is likely the final predicate for issuing a COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS), on March 12, 2021, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) “targeting specific high-hazard industries or activities” in which there is a “hazard of contracting SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the cause of COVID-19.” The NEP also “includes an added focus to ensure that workers are protected from retaliation.” The NEP is effective immediately and will remain in force no longer than a year from March 12, 2021.

Eric E. Hobbs Milwaukee Author

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

OSHA Issues COVID-19 Guidance for the Oil and Gas Industry

On July 7, 2020, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued COVID-19 control and prevention guidance for oil and gas industry workers and employers. The guidance supplements OSHA’s interim guidance for the general workforce.

John F. Martin Washington D.C. Author

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

OSHA Issues Inspection Guidance for Enforcement of Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard

On June 25, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued Inspection Procedures for the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standards. The new procedures, 124 pages in length, went into effect immediately.

John F. Martin Washington D.C. Author

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

Tampa Bay’s New Face-Covering Requirements—We’ve Got You Covered

COVID-19 cases in Florida continue to increase, particularly in the Tampa Bay area. In an effort to slow the spread of the virus, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties have enacted ordinances requiring face coverings in most indoor settings where social distancing (of at least six feet between persons) cannot be maintained.

Dee Anna D. Hays Tampa Author

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

Beltway Buzz, May 29, 2020

The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C. could impact your business.

James J. Plunkett Washington D.C. Author

OSHA Issues Updated COVID-19 Guidance for Construction Industry Employers

On May 27, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated its guidance for employers performing construction work of all types. The agency’s guidance is not a standard or regulation, so it is not legally binding. Nonetheless, construction industry employers may want to consider OSHA’s recommendations when developing and updating their workplace safety and health plans, for two reasons. First, the guidance indicates which measures OSHA might allege are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s General Duty Clause, just as it has done with heat stress, workplace violence, and other hazards for which it has no specific standard. Second, the document may indicate what employees may expect their employers to do as more people get back to work.

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

Arthur G. Sapper Washington D.C. Author

What Six-Foot Rule? OSHA Construction Fall Standard Forces the OSH Review Commission to State It Does Not Exist

The debate has raged for years. Is there a six-foot rule triggering fall protection requirements when an employee is within six feet of an unprotected edge? A construction fall protection standard adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not expressly state there is such a six-foot rule, but many employers, industry safety experts, and even some OSHA inspectors have followed one as a rule of thumb.

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

Arthur G. Sapper Washington D.C. Author

OSHA Issues COVID-19 Compliance Guidance for Construction Workforces

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a series of tips tailored to construction work to help reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

Arthur G. Sapper Washington D.C. Author

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

What Is OSHA? When Might OSHA Pay a Visit? And What Is at Stake for Employers?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) authorizes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor to conduct inspections at worksites within its jurisdiction to enforce the safety and health laws promulgated pursuant to the OSH Act.

Phillip B. Russell Tampa Author

Dee Anna D. Hays Tampa Author

Zika and the Hospitality Employer: Evolving Concerns as the Virus Comes to the U.S.

We’ve previously answered some basic questions that employers may have when their employees work in or visit locations where exposure to Zika virus is a risk. With recent news concerning the first cases of transmission of the virus by mosquitoes in the Miami, Florida area, hospitality employers are becoming increasingly concerned about how the virus will affect their businesses.

Charles E. Engeman St. Thomas
Boston
Philadelphia
Charlotte Author

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