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Copyright 2026 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.
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NewsEnforcement and Audits - OSHACERCLA, SARA, EPCRAToxics Release Inventory ReportingVideoMonthly Roundup VideoCAA ComplianceInjury and Illness RecordkeepingEnglishOSHA Violations and PenaltiesAir ProgramsIndustry NewsSafety & HealthGeneral Industry Safety300-A Annual SummaryEnvironmentalFocus AreaAir ProgramsUSA
EHS Monthly Round Up - January 2023
In this monthly roundup video, we’ll review the most impactful environmental, safety, and health news.
Hi everyone! Welcome to the monthly roundup video, where we’ll review the most impactful environmental, safety, and health news. First, let’s take a look at what’s happening in safety and health.
If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to post your OSHA 300A Summary. Employers are required to post the Summary in a conspicuous place from February 1st through April 30th.
As required by law, OSHA increased its penalties for inflation in mid-January. Penalties went up 7.7 percent, effective January 17th.
Also in January, OSHA released its long-awaited Fall 2022 regulatory agenda. Along with numerous proposed rules in the works, three major final rules are slated for 2023 – COVID-19 in healthcare, Injury and Illness tracking, and an update to the hazard communication standard.
OSHA recently released two new letters of interpretation, which address exit signs and lockout/tagout. Specifically, OSHA states that the International Standards Organization emergency exit symbol can be located beside the mandatory EXIT text on an existing sign.
The second letter addresses the applicability of lockout/tagout and the maintenance and operations of cathodic protection rectifiers when working on pipelines.
New York’s Warehouse Worker Protection Act was signed into law in December and takes effect in late February. It protects warehouse distribution workers from undisclosed or unlawful work speed quotas and includes protections for workers who fail to meet these quotas.
In 2021, a worker died every 101 minutes from a work-related injury, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A total of 5,190 fatal work injuries was recorded in the U.S. in 2021, an 8.9 percent increase over 2020.
Turning to environmental news, EPA automatically added nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to the Toxics Release Inventory, or TRI, list. Four PFAS were added since they are no longer claimed as confidential business information.
EPA released its Fall 2022 regulatory agenda in early January. Included are major regulations impacting the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, waters of the United States, and modifications to the Risk Management Program under the Clean Air Act.
There are also a number of rules related to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants in various rule stages.
And finally, beginning with model year 2027, heavy-duty trucks will be required to meet clean air standards that are 80 percent more stringent than current requirements.
EPA says this final rule is aimed at reducing smog- and soot-forming emissions, increasing the life of governed vehicles by up to 250 percent, and increasing emissions warranty periods up to 450 percent.
Thanks for tuning in to the monthly news roundup!
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NewsIndustry NewsEnforcement and Audits - OSHAOSHA InspectionsSafety & HealthGeneral Industry SafetyMonthly Roundup VideoFocus AreaUSAHazard CommunicationHazard CommunicationEnglishOSHA Violations and PenaltiesVideo
EHS Monthly Round Up - October 2023
In this monthly video, we'll review the most impactful environmental, health, and safety news.
Hi everyone! Welcome to the monthly news roundup video, where we’ll review the most impactful environmental, health, and safety news. Please view the content links in the transcript to take a deeper dive into the topics I’ll be covering today. With that said, let’s get started!
OSHA’s hazard communication final rule is under review at the Office of Management and Budget. This process typically takes 90 to 120 days, which means we’ll likely see the final rule in early 2024.
A performance audit found that OSHA did not adequately address the high number of injuries and illnesses at warehouses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the high rate of injury and illness, OSHA only conducted a small number of inspections.
An OSHA investigation found a fulfillment center was exposing employees to ergonomic hazards which could lead to musculoskeletal disorders. The company also failed to provide adequate medical care for workers who had sustained head injuries, some of which were traumatic.
Workplace overdose deaths have increased 536 percent since 2011. A National Safety Council survey found that 75 percent of employers reported opioid use has impacted their workplace, but only 17 percent said they felt prepared to deal with the problem.
And finally, turning to environmental news, EPA finalized its PFAS reporting and recordkeeping rule. It expands the definition to include 41 additional PFAS of concern, among other changes.
Thanks for tuning in to the monthly news roundup. We’ll see you next month!
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2026-10-19T05:00:00Z
NewsWage and HourChange NoticesChange NoticeWage and HourAssociate Benefits & CompensationAssociate RelationsHR GeneralistMinimum WageHR ManagementEnglishSouth DakotaFocus AreaHuman Resources
South Dakota minimum wage to increase
Effective date: January 1, 2027
This applies to: Employers with employees in South Dakota
Description of change: Effective January 1, 2027, the South Dakota minimum wage will increase from $11.85 to $12.30 per hour. The minimum wage for tipped employees will increase from $5.95 to $6.15 per hour on that date, as well.
View related state info: Minimum wage – South Dakota
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2026-10-19T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsHR PoliciesPolicies and ProceduresAssociate RelationsHR GeneralistIn-Depth ArticleUSAHR ManagementEnglishFocus AreaHuman Resources
Is your handbook due for an update?
A company handbook is a guardrail for both employees and management. It helps people navigate the complexities of the workplace by providing a reference for expectations, policies, and procedures.
A handbook isn’t effective, however, if it’s not kept up to date. Employers must periodically review the handbook and update it when legal, operational, or workforce changes make existing language inaccurate or irrelevant.
Do an annual review, but don’t rely on the calendar alone
Employers should review handbooks at least once per year, comparing their policies with current federal, state, or local employment laws that apply to their location(s). They should also review benefit programs currently provided, workplace practices, and organizational needs. The review might reveal policies that are confusing, inconsistent, or difficult to administer that would benefit from an update.
An annual review is just a baseline, however, and not the only time a handbook needs HR attention. Employers should review it whenever there are:
- Changes to applicable laws,
- A company expansion into a new city or state,
- Operational or workforce changes, and
- Complaints or questions from employees that reveal a policy gap.
If a policy is inaccurate or conflicts with current law or practice, it should be addressed promptly. Affected employees and managers should receive clear, prompt notice, and depending on the revision, an update or addendum should be incorporated into the handbook during the next full review.
6 other handbook areas to review
Handbooks cover topics not specifically prescribed by law. Those areas should still be reviewed to make sure they align with current operations and include:
- Reporting: Confirm that complaints and accommodation procedures provide workable reporting options and identify current contacts. Employees need clear guidance on reporting concerns, such as harassment, especially when a supervisor is involved or unavailable. Employers should offer more than one reporting path without promising an outcome or response time the organization can’t consistently meet.
- Conduct rules: Policies covering workplace conduct should address key expectations without creating conflicting standards.
- Technology: Handbook language should reflect current communication platforms, personal devices, remote access, cybersecurity, data storage, social media, and protection of confidential information. If the organization uses electronic monitoring, artificial intelligence, biometric systems, or similar tools, employers must decide whether the handbook or a separate notice should address these rules. Requirements may vary based on the technology and where employees work.
- Remote and hybrid work: These policies should reflect current work practices, including eligibility, approval, work hours, timekeeping, overtime, equipment, information security, expenses, communication, and job performance. Separate agreements can address role-specific details. Also employers should review policies on flexible work schedules, attendance, and severe weather practices. Manager discretion should be balanced with enough consistency to reduce uneven application.
- Benefits, leave, and employee well-being: Policies should include descriptions of benefits, paid time off, leave, employee assistance resources, wellness initiatives, and perks match current rules and practices. In the handbook, it’s best to summarize benefits at a high level and direct employees to plan documents for details. Because leave requirements can overlap, the handbook should explain how employees start the process, where requests go, and what notice or documentation may be needed.
- Training, emergency procedures, and organizational changes: Operational changes can make handbook language obsolete even when the law hasn’t changed. Employers should review training, emergency procedures, workplace locations, reporting contacts, career-development programs, and organizational values.
Review and rollout
HR will likely coordinate the review, but legal counsel should be brought in to assist in areas like payroll and benefits, information technology, safety, and operations. Managers may also need to participate. Managers can flag unclear or inconsistently applied provisions, while experts can confirm alignment with related documents and procedures. Legal review may be especially important for multistate requirements, employee rights, and any language that is potentially contractual or discriminatory.
Approving revised language is only part of the process. Employers also need a reliable way to distribute, explain, and document changes. As part of the rollout, employers should:
- Record the effective date;
- Communicate changes in plain language, and provide updated handbook; information in accessible formats when appropriate;
- Obtain and retain acknowledgments; and
- Train managers before revised policies take effect.
Remember that having employees sign a handbook acknowledgment form doesn’t replace clear, regular communication from managers. It also doesn’t replace employee training or resolve every legal or contractual issue. But an up-to-date handbook can help improve the overall work environment for everyone.
Key to remember: An annual review provides a useful baseline, but handbook maintenance should be ongoing.
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2026-10-19T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsFleet SafetyIn-Depth ArticleCMV Parts and MaintenanceParts and Accessories - Motor CarrierFocus AreaMaintenance and periodic inspectionsEnglishVehicle maintenanceTransportationUSA
Stay ahead of repairs: Building a systematic maintenance program
A compliant vehicle maintenance program and keeping vehicles safe involves more than completing an annual inspection and relying on driver inspections. Federal regulations require carriers to have an ongoing process for identifying maintenance needs, correcting defects, and keeping vehicles in safe operating condition throughout the year. That is the purpose of a systematic inspection, repair, and maintenance program.
Under 49 CFR 396.3, motor carriers must “systematically inspect, repair, and maintain” vehicles under their control. Parts and accessories must also be kept in safe and proper operating condition at all times.
What does “systematic” mean?
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provides carriers with a lot of flexibility to design their maintenance program. Because vehicle use varies from fleet to fleet or even individual vehicles in a fleet, maintenance intervals can vary. For this reason, FMCSA does not establish a universal maintenance interval. Instead, they provide carriers with guidance stating “systematic” generally means a regular or scheduled program designed to keep vehicles in a safe operating condition.
Vehicles used in long haul, interstate transit will need a different schedule than a local delivery truck making frequent stops and starts. The important thing is that the carrier establishes a regular schedule and follows it.
How does FMCSA verify compliance?
One of the primary ways compliance is demonstrated is through a carrier's maintenance records. Any vehicle controlled by a motor carrier for 30 consecutive days must have maintenance records identifying the vehicle, make, serial number, and year.
The records must show the nature and due date of inspections and maintenance operations to be performed. They must also document the actual date and type of inspection, repair, or maintenance that was actually performed.
In short, a carrier should be able to demonstrate:
- What maintenance is required,
- When it is due, and
- When it was completed.
Producing a folder with invoices and receipts may show that a vehicle was repaired, but a well-documented program demonstrates that maintenance is being proactively managed.
Recordkeeping requirements
These maintenance records generally must be retained where a vehicle is housed or maintained for a period of one year and then for six months after the vehicle leaves the carrier's control.
Systematic maintenance isn't about creating more paperwork. It’s about developing a repeatable process that keeps vehicles safe, identifies problems before they become more serious, and documents the work performed.
This information can also help carriers evaluate whether their current preventive maintenance intervals are appropriate for the equipment and how it is being used.
Systematic maintenance can save money
A good preventive maintenance program isn't just about satisfying a regulation. Identifying worn brakes, tire problems, fluid leaks, or other problems before they result in a failure is critical to reducing roadside breakdowns, emergency repairs, towing expenses, service disruption, and even unplanned downtime.
Preventive maintenance also gives carriers control over when repairs occur. A defect discovered during scheduled shop time can be addressed more efficiently, and at a lower cost than the same problem discovered on the side of the road.
This information can help carriers evaluate whether their current maintenance intervals are appropriate for the equipment and how the equipment is being used.
Key to remember: FMCSA requires you to keep records. Good records can help you run a better, less expensive maintenance program.
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2026-10-19T05:00:00Z
NewsSexual HarassmentSexual HarassmentUSAHR ManagementEnglishAssociate Benefits & CompensationIndustry NewsIndustry NewsDiscriminationTitle VII (The Civil Rights Act of 1964)DiscriminationRetaliationHostile environmentHR GeneralistAssociate RelationsFocus AreaHuman Resources
Restaurant chain settles sexual harassment, retaliation suit for $3 million
On October 13, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it settled a $3 million sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against an Italian restaurant chain with 15 locations in California and Nevada. The EEOC brought the suit on behalf of a class of female employees.
Both supervisors and employees at multiple locations repeatedly subjected female employees, many of whom were teenagers, to sexual harassment, the EEOC suit alleges.
The harassment included inappropriate workplace behaviors, such as explicit references to sexual activities, among other wrongdoings that violated the law.
Female employees complained to their employer about the harassment, but the restaurant didn’t stop it and retaliated against many of them. As a result, several female employees resigned.
“Sexual harassment continues to be a widespread issue in the restaurant industry, and during this case, we learned of at least 100 women negatively affected by [the restaurant’s] work environment,” said Beatriz B. Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District.
The alleged conduct that occurred throughout the restaurant chain violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits a hostile workplace environment based on sex, including sexual harassment, as well as retaliation against individuals who complain about sexual harassment or engage in other protected activity.
Key to remember: Restaurant settles federal lawsuit alleging it created a sexually hostile work environment and retaliated against more than 100 female employees.
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Copyright 2026 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.