Michael Rubin

CONSTRUCTION

• Represented a general contractor after an employee suffered a leg amputation—OSHA withdrew the entire citation
• Represented a contractor in a fatality matter involving an employee who fell from a height—OSHA re-classified all violations from “serious” to “other-than-serious”
• Represented a roofer cited for multiple “repeat” and “willful” fall protection violations—OSHA withdrew/re-classified all violations and reduced the penalty over 70 percent
• Managed multiple additional OSHA inspections/enforcement proceedings in complex fatality matters involving falling objects, fall protection hazards, and trench cave-ins

CRANE INDUSTRY

With deep and hands-on experience in all phases and aspects of construction, Michael is exceptionally well versed in matters pertaining to the crane and rigging industry, where he focuses a significant portion of his practice. He is a proud member of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), where he serves on the Insurance and Risk Management Committee, and he has presented on OSHA at multiple national crane conferences.

Michael has successfully taken the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) written “telescopic boom” crane operator examinations, in addition to completing OSHA-30s in both construction and general industry. Beyond construction and the crane and rigging industry, Michael has handled OSHA matters involving energy, education, railroads and transportation, recycling and waste management, and various types of manufacturing.

• Represented a crane company after a fatal forklift accident—OSHA withdrew the entire citation
• Represented a crane company cited for various hazard communication and inspection violations—OSHA withdrew the entire citation
• Represented a crane company cited for multiple load chart and inspection violations—OSHA withdrew the entire citation
• Represented a crane company cited by OSHA after its crane tipped over—OSHA withdrew the citation

GENERAL INDUSTRY AND MANUFACTURING

• Represented a subcontractor in a matter involving multiple fatalities in a confined space at a power plant—no citations were issued
• Represented a railroad contractor after an employee was struck by a motor vehicle and suffered serious injuries—no citations were issued
• Represented a manufacturer cited for multiple machine guard, lockout/tagout, and PPE violations—negotiated for the withdrawal of multiple violations and a reduction of over 70 percent in penalties
• Represented a manufacturer after an employee suffered serious injuries in a “Butterfly” machine—negotiated for a 45 percent reduction in penalties

OTHER SECTORS

• Represented a recycling company during a months-long, programmed OSHA inspection—negotiated for the withdrawal of multiple violations and a reduction of over 50 percent in penalties
• Represented a school in an investigation related to alleged asbestos exposure—no citations were issued
• Represented a construction manager in a whistleblower investigation—the complaint was voluntarily discontinued

Education

• J.D., Seton Hall University School of Law, 2000
• B.A., University of Delaware, 1993

Admission to Practice

• New York
• North Carolina
• New Jersey
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
• U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of New York
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey

• Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. (ABC)
• Carolinas Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association, Inc.
• Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA)

TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
• Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST)
• OSHA 510: Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry
• Department of Labor OSHA-30 Construction Training
• Department of Labor OSHA-30 General Industry Training

• Workplace Safety Symposium (moderator) – “Intersections and Connections: Safety Meets Drug Testing, Civil Liability, Whistleblower Statutes, and More” – New Orleans – December 5, 2024
• Workplace Safety Symposium – “Beyond the Blame Game: Best Practices for Accident Investigations” – New Orleans – December 4, 2024
• Workplace Safety Symposium – “Demystifying the Demands: OSHA’s Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements” – New Orleans – December 4, 2024
• Workplace Safety Symposium – “Our “Real” OSHA Trial: You Be the Judge!” – Austin – December 8, 2023
• Workplace Safety Symposium – “Employer Expectations of Management and Supervisors Before, During, and After an OSHA Inspection” – Austin – December 7, 2023
• Workplace Safety Symposium – “Just Say “No”(When You Can): Employer Rights in Inspections” – Austin – December 7, 2023
• Workplace Safety Symposium – “OSHA State Plans: Tips for Multistate Compliance and Avoiding Pitfalls” – Austin – December 6, 2023
• Ogletree Deakins Podcast – “Dirty Steel-Toe Boots, Episode 21: Trials Before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission” – October 23, 2023
• Workplace Safety Symposium – “Creating Safety Program Documents That Support Your Goals” – Tampa – December 7, 2022
• Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association – “Practical Tips from an Attorney on How to Boost Your OSHA Compliance” – August 21, 2019
• Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Safety Summit – “OSHA Update 2019” – Salt Lake City – June 12, 2019
• DiVal 2019 Safety Summit (co-presenter) – “Managing an OSHA Inspection – How to Assert Your Rights in the Field” – Niagara Falls – June 5, 2019
• DiVal 2019 Safety Summit (co-presenter) – “Addressing the OSHA ‘Low Hanging Fruit’ in Manufacturing – What You Need to Know” – Niagara Falls – June 4, 2019
• DiVal 2019 Safety Summit (co-presenter) – “Understanding the OSHA Recordkeeping Regulations ” – Niagara Falls – June 4, 2019
• NBIS Webinar (co-presenter) – “OSHA and the Crane and Rigging Industry: Minimize and Eliminate Exposure During Inspections” – January 30, 2019
• Annual Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes Region EH&S Professional Development Conference (co-presenter) – “Conducting a Rapid Response Accident Investigation — Considerations for Counsel and Safety Professionals” – Rochester – December 5, 2018
• Annual Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes Region EH&S Professional Development Conference (co-presenter) – “Managing an OSHA Inspection — Lessons Learned in the Field” – Rochester – December 5, 2018
• Annual Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes Region EH&S Professional Development Conference (co-presenter) – “OSHA Interviews and Depositions — What You Need to Know” – Rochester – December 5, 2018
• Annual Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes Region EH&S Professional Development Conference (co-presenter) – “Unpreventable Employee Misconduct — Exploring this Defense to an OSHA Citation, and How to Avoid Having to Raise It” – Rochester – December 5, 2018
• Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association 2018 Crane & Rigging Workshop – “An Attorney’s Point of View: Playing Offense with OSHA” – Louisville – September 27, 2018
• Tower Cranes North America Conference & Reception – “OSHA Update and Minimizing Contractual Risks” – Miami – June 19, 2018
• DiVal 2018 Safety Summit – “How to Prepare for and Manage an OSHA Inspection” – Niagara Falls – June 13, 2018
• DiVal 2018 Safety Summit – “Preventing Construction’s Fatal Four Hazards” – Niagara Falls – June 12, 2018
• Safety Executives of New York – “Accident Investigations: Understanding How to Conduct a Timely and Preserved Investigation” – New York – May 18, 2018
• 2018 DRI Construction Law Seminar – “Safety First – A Primer on the New OSHA Regulations” – Nashville – April 27, 2018
• BLR 2018 Safety Summit – “Fall Protection: Complying with New Requirements for General Industry Under OSHA and ANSI Z359” – Orlando – April 17, 2018
• BLR 2018 Safety Summit – “Recordkeeping: Navigating OSHA’s Requirements” – Orlando – April 16, 2018
• Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) 2018 Spring Safety Summit – “Best Practices for Conducting a Rapid Response Investigation and Managing an OSHA Inspection” – Cincinnati – April 11, 2018
• Columbia University Construction Safety Presentation – “NY Construction Accidents: The Interplay of Workers’ Compensation Claims, Third-Party Claims, the New York Labor Law, Risk Shifting, and OSHA” – New York City – February 20, 2018
• Genesee Valley/Finger Lakes Region EH&S Professional Development Conference – “2017 OSHA Year in Review” – Rochester – December 6, 2017
• DiVal 2017 Safety Summit – “OSHA Mid-Year Report: the Impact of the Trump Administration and What to Expect Looking Ahead” – Niagara Falls – June 7, 2017
• DiVal 2017 Safety Summit – “How to Stay in Compliance with OSHA’s New Injury Tracking Rule: Incentive Programs, Post-Accident Drug and Alcohol Testing, and a Whole Lot More!” – Niagara Falls – June 6, 2017
• DiVal 2017 Safety Summit – “OSHA Training: To Record or Not to Record (Occupational Injuries and Illnesses)” – Niagara Falls – June 5, 2017
• Associated Builders and Contractors – “OSHA Electronic Recordkeeping and Anti-Retaliation Rules” – Rochester – April 19, 2017
• Associated Builders and Contractors – “OSHA and the Construction Industry: What Employers Need to Know” – Buffalo – April 18, 2017
• Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) 2017 Spring Safety Summit – “OSHA Update 2017: Electronic Injury and Illness Reporting, Anti-Retaliation (… and more)” – Cincinnati – April 12, 2017
• BLR 2017 Safety Summit – “First Aid or More? How to Comply with Injury & Illness Reporting to Ensure that Medical Treatment Is Properly Categorized and Accounted for in OSHA Filings” – Austin – April 5, 2017
• BLR 2017 Safety Summit – “From Zero to Hero – OSHA-Compliant Safety Incentives that Work” – Austin – April 4, 2017
• Associated Builders and Contractors – “OSHA Update 2017: the Trump Administration, New Regulations, and What You Need to Know” – Syracuse – March 30, 2017
• ABC Workforce Week 2017 – “The Cost of an Injury and the Value of Using Leading Indicators” – Fort Lauderdale – March 1, 2017
• Safety Executives of New York (SENY) Professional Development Conference – “Utilizing the Unpreventable Employee Misconduct Defense as a Roadmap for Your OSHA Compliance and Safety” – New York – March 2017
• Construction Exchange Safety Services – “Your Safety Culture and Compliance: Making and Keeping Safety Resolutions for 2017” – Buffalo – January 2017
• American Society of Safety Engineers – “OSHA and the New York State Industrial Code Rules: Two Sets of Safety Requirements for Contractors in NY” – Buffalo – October 2016
• BLR Webinar – “OSHA’s New Injury and Illness Electronic Reporting Requirements: Your Roadmap to Full Compliance Ahead of the November 1 Deadline” – September 2016
• EHS Today Safety Leadership Conference – “Preparing Your Best Defense to an OSHA Citation … Before OSHA Shows Up!” – Pittsburgh – September 2016
• American Society of Safety Engineers Professional Development Conference – “Legal Considerations for Safety Professionals: More than Safety?” – Skaneateles – June 2016
• Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) 2016 Spring Safety Summit – “OSHA 2016 Regulatory Update: Cranes, Confined Spaces, Silica (… and more)” – Cincinnati – April 2016
• Associated Builders and Contractors – “Best Practices on OSHA – Before, During, and After an Inspection” – Syracuse – September 2015
• Associated Builders and Contractors – “Understanding OSHA: Practice Pointers for Inspections and Citations” – Buffalo – September 2014
• Home Builders & Remodelers of Central New York – “OSHA Training: Confronting an Inspection and Strategies for Minimizing Risk and Responding to Citations” – March 25, 2014

• August 2019 – Modern Contractor Solutions (co-author) – “OSHA and the Roofing Industry: Fall Protection”
• March 2018 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “NYC Local Law 196: Coming to a Town or City Near You?”
• February 2018 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “ASME B30 – Hoisting Your Crane Safety and Compliance Higher”
• January 2018 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “OSHA and Hazard Assessments: Electrical Hazards in the Workplace”
• December 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “Contesting an OSHA Citation”
• November 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “Minimizing OSHA Exposure”
• October 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “How Your Voluntary Safety Audits Can Help (or Hurt) When OSHA Shows Up”
• September 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “Minimizing OSHA Liability: More Than an Ounce of Protection”
• August 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “OSHA and the Trump Administration: The First 200 Days”
• July 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “OSHA’s Multi-Employer Citation Policy and Construction Sites: Who Is An Employer?”
• Summer 2017 – The Voice – “OSHA and Owners: Defining and Mitigating Risk on Construction Projects”
• May 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “Preparing for an OSHA Inspection 101”
• April 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “OSHA Interviews: Understanding and Exercising Your Rights”
• February 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “Does Settling an OSHA Citation Make Good Business Sense?”
• January 2017 – Modern Contractor Solutions – “Establish a Strong OSHA Defense Before an Inspector Shows Up”
• December 31, 2015 – IndustryWeek (co-author) – “Groundbreaking OSHA Developments in 2015 to Directly Impact 2016 — and Beyond”
• December 4, 2015 – Buffalo Law Journal – “OSHA Ups the Ante in U.S. Workplace”
• July 21, 2015 – IndustryWeek – “Demystifying the Process of Contesting an OSHA Citation”
• February 2, 2015 – Buffalo Niagara Partnership Persepctives – “Best Practices Should OSHA Come Knocking”
• April 4, 2014 – IndustryWeek – “Exploring the Limits of OSHA’s Inspection Authority: A Precursor to Exercising Your Rights”
• February 10, 2014 – IndustryWeek – “Minimizing OSHA Liability Through (More Than) an Ounce of Prevention”
• April 2013 – Progress! Under Construction, Vol. 2, No. 1 – “When OSHA Comes Knocking: Now What?”

• May 16, 2024 – SHRM – “Plan What to Do When an OSHA Inspector Arrives”
• April 2016 – Intelivert – “16 Legal Tips: Handling OSHA Citations the Right Way”

• AV Preeminent Peer-Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
• Upstate New York Super Lawyers (2015-2019)
• Business First’s Legal Elite of Western New York (2018)

* No aspect of this communication has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. For methodology for selection for one of the honors above, please click on the link.