General Duty Clause Concern Much Ado About Nothing?

• This July, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed modifications to its General Duty Clause to limit its application in inherently risky operations.
• The response to this proposal has been strongly negative, reflecting an “inherent misunderstanding” of the proposal, a law firm asserts.
• The proposal emphasizes that the agency will focus on employers’ “reasonable efforts” to reduce risks.
• The GDC reform would not affect enforcement in the traditional four-element test for general industry, construction, maritime and agriculture.
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Home Builders call for heat standard to consider construction

• The National Association of Home Builders is calling on Fed-OSHA to use a “flexible, performance-based” alternative to its heat illness prevention proposal.
• The association has provided public testimony urging OSHA to omit “impracticable requirements” that would affect residential construction.
• The currently proposed requirements are not sufficiently tailored to heat hazard mitigation, the association argues.
• NAHB wants the agency to ensure that any eventual standard gives employers the flexibility to continue what it says are successful awareness and training programs.
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Postal Worker Found Dead in Michigan Mail Handling Machine

• A Detroit, Michigan-area postal worker was found dead after becoming stuck in a mail-handling machine.
• The employee, in his 30s, was found after being trapped for up to eight hours at the Network Distribution Center in Allen Park.
• Firefighters discovered the body after his fiancé turned up at the workplace when he hadn’t returned home from his shift.
• An investigation is underway to determine whether safety protocols were followed, and if there were mechanical failures in the machine.
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