OR-OSHA anticipates delay in adopting COVID-19 vaccine or test standard

When the federal emergency temporary standard, which requires employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their employees are either fully vaccinated or subject to COVID-19 testing at least once per week, was issued on November 4, 2021, Oregon OSHA had only 30 days to adopt its own standards. However, in light of a stay order, OR-OSHA recently updated its website to state that it does not anticipate adopting a rule by December 4, 2021. It is not clear whether or when Oregon OSHA will adopt its own version of the ETS, writes Paul E. Cirner of Ogletree Deakins. National Law Review

Family of man killed in explosion files wrongful death suit against company

A lawsuit on behalf of the family of a who who died in an explosion November 12 at a Lubbock, Texas chemical plant has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company alleging the employer failed to carry workers’ compensation coverage. Everything Lubbock

Washington L&I fines employer $140K for COVID-related issues

The Washington Department of Labor & Industries has fined an employer $140,000 for allegedly failing to protect employees from COVID-19 and failing to report COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths after an inspection earlier this year found 15 employees who worked at the same machine tested positive for COVID-19, and of the 15, one died and two others were hospitalized from complications of the virus. The Daily News

Administration asks appeals court to reinstate vaccine mandate

The Biden administration is asking the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to wipe away an order from another appeals court blocking the vaccine mandate. Several lawsuits were brought challenging the Fed-OSHA mandate, and last week the cases were consolidated in the right-leaning Sixth Circuit. ABC 12