Recent News – Smith & Griffith Legal Blog

OSHA bulletins lay out employer, staffing agency responsibilities The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released bulletins that indicate host employers and staffing agencies have shared responsibility for the safety of temporary workers. Specifically, the bulletins address protections from noise and respiratory hazards. Because OSHA is a federal agency, its rules and regulations apply in…

OSHA on noise and respiratory protection for temp workers OSHA has released two bulletins reminding staffing agencies and host employers that they must protect temporary workers from noise exposure and respiratory hazards. This is part of OSHA’s Temporary Worker Initiative, so employers in South Carolina should take note. Regarding respiratory hazards, OSHA upholds its Respiratory…

How drivers can avoid accidents on the road Like every other state, South Carolina sees its fair share of auto accidents. Local drivers will want to guard themselves against any negligent behavior so that they can avoid causing or being involved in a crash. Before even getting on the road, for example, one will want…

Sleep is the only way to overcome drowsiness A South Carolina motorist who has been awake for 18 hours drives like someone who has a blood alcohol content of .05 percent. If that same driver has been awake for 24 hours, it is similar to having a blood alcohol content of .10 percent. Those who…

Precautions needed to help limit accidnts using machinery South Carolina workers, especially those who work with machines, know that safety is of utmost importance in the workplace. They may not be aware, however, that there are measures they or their employers can take to maintain a safe working environment. Using equipment can speed up the…

How data analysis and new tech reduce distracted driving Distracted driving is more prevalent than some people in South Carolina may think. According to data analytics firm Zendrive, 60 percent of drivers in America use their phones behind the wheel at least once a day. This is only the beginning as drivers can distract themselves…

Petition to OSHA details provisions for heat stress standards South Carolina, like most states, has not instituted any protective heat standards for indoor and outdoor workers. OSHA has established no federal standards either, but 130 groups recently came together petitioning the organization to begin the rulemaking process for such standards. The groups also laid out…

BLS: trucking incurs the most fatalities of any industry in 2016 The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report in December 2017 that provides some important data on fatal work injuries during the year 2016. Truck and sales drivers in South Carolina should know that the industry they work in experienced the highest number of…

Truck drivers see more fatalities than any other industry According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released in December 2017, there were 5,190 work fatalities in the U.S. in 2016. This represents a 7 percent increase from 2015. As for which industries were the most hazardous, the Bureau found that the trucking…

Fast production in meat plants linked to high worker injury rates When consumers in South Carolina sit down to a meal of beef or pork, the labor that went into slaughtering and processing the meat is invisible to them. Currently, workplace regulations limit pork plants to processing 1,106 pigs per hour, but government regulators are…