FordHarrison provides a broad range of legal services for workplace safety & health issues, from compliance assistance to litigation representation.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, all employers are required to provide a safe and healthy working environment for their employees.
The services our attorneys provide in workplace safety and health include:
Inspections and Enforcement Actions
- Representing employers in OSHA hazard alerts, inspections, informal conferences, and citation enforcement actions, including cases involved alleged willful, repeat, and egregious penalty cases.
- Preparing management and supervisory personnel in anticipation of, and during, OSHA inspections.
- Representing employers in all aspects of defense against whistle-blower claims, workplace fatalities, accidents, catastrophes, chemical spills and toxic tort claims.
Whistleblower and Retaliation Defense
- Representing companies in investigations and litigation involving allegations of whistle-blowing and retaliation under the Occupation Safety and Health Act and other whistleblower laws
Compliance Advice
- Conducting on-site safety and health audits for compliance with federal and state occupational safety and health requirements.
- Conducting workplace hazard assessments.
- Developing workplace safety programs and policies, training, and enforcement processes.
- Review compliance under OSHA record-keeping regulations.
- Evaluation of training and personal protective equipment for compliance with OSHA requirements.
- Review of employee handbooks and procedures.
Management/Supervisor Training
- Custom training on all aspects of workplace safety and health compliance issues for corporate safety departments, management, supervisors, foremen, team leaders and human resources professionals.
- Creation of written training materials and PowerPoint presentations that may be used in-house by employers in training personnel.
Press Releases and Responses Related to Inspections, Investigations, Litigation and Workplace Catastrophes/Fatalities
- Representing employers in their comprehensive response to workplace fatalities and disasters.
- Preparing press releases regarding the status of inspections, investigations, and litigation or workplace catastrophes/fatalities.
- Responding to requests for information and documents (Safety Data Sheets, exposure records, medical information, accident reports, investigative reports) from attorneys/representatives of employees or the estates of deceased employees.
- Assisting with federal and state compliance requirements with regard to production of documents and information to third parties.
Workplace Environmental Testing and Monitoring
- Overseeing workplace environmental testing for asbestos, silica, mold, and other airborne contaminants/potentially toxic substances.
- Evaluation for process safety management (ammonia) compliance.
- Assisting in responding to workplace complaints of occupational exposure to contaminants.