Volume 17 - Issue 2 - Mar 2017 - Health and Safety Newsletter

Sep 26, 2026

Health and safety newsletter covering recent trends and updates relevant to workplaces, with emphasis on regulatory actions and workplace injury awareness. Highlights include OSHA-related developments, a description of investigation findings involving a teen worker’s fatal injuries, and a U.S. Department of Labor announcement on interim final rules adjusting civil penalties for inflation under the 2015 federal law. Includes a call for safety professionals in Hawaii, detailing qualifications, certifications, and required training, plus benefits information.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Volume 17 | Issue 2 Mar 2017

Health and Safety Updates and Regulatory Changes

Hiring: Raising the Standard Consulting (USA) Inc.

Volume 17 | Issue 2 Mar 2017 This newsletter is to inform you of recentchanges and trends regarding health and safety. The Turning Point is a monthly newsletter covering topics from various industries and sectors. The Turning Point will respond to your inquiries and inform you of current services and updates regarding Raising the Standard Consulting Inc. could this happen AT YOUR WORKPLACE? OSHA Cites Wisconsin Metal Fabrication Company Investigation of Teen Worker's Fatal Injuries, 2-weeks after Starting Job WASHINGTON, DC- In 2015, Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act to advance the effectiveness of civil monetary penalties and to maintain their deterrent effect. The new law directs agencies to adjust their penalties for inflation each year using a much more straightforward method than previously available, and requires agencies to publish “catch up” rules this summer to make up for lost time since the last adjustments. As a result, the U.S. Department of Labor announced today two interim final rules to adjust its penalties for inflation based on the last time each penalty was increased.“Civil penalties should be a credible deterrent that influences behavior far and wide,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “Adjusting our penalties to keep pace with the cost of living can lead to significant benefits for workers and can level the playing field responsible employers who should not have to compete with those who don’t follow the law.”The first rule will cover the vast majority of penalties assessed by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, and Wage and Hour Division. The second rule will be issued jointly with the Department of Homeland Security to adjust penalties associated with the H-2B temporary guest worker program. Under the 2015 law, agencies are directed to publish interim final rules by July 1, 2016. The department will accept public comments for 45 days to inform the publication of any final rule. The new method will adjust penalties for inflation, though the amount of the increase is capped at 150 percent of the existing penalty amount. The baseline is the last increase other than for inflation. The new civil penalty amounts are applicable only to civil penalties assessed after Aug. 1, 2016, whose associated violations occurred after Nov. 2, 2015. The rules published under the 2015 law will modernize some penalties that have long lost ground to inflation: * OSHA’s maximum penalties, which have not been raised since 1990, will increase by 78 percent. The top penalty for serious violations will rise from $7,000 to $12,471 . The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $70,000 to $124,709 . * OWCP’s penalty for failure to report termination of payments made under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, has only increased $10 since 1927, and will rise from $110 to $275. * WHD’s penalty for willful violations ofthe minimum wage and overtime provisions ofthe Fair Labor Standards Act will increase from $1,100 to $1,894 . Retrieved from: [https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_](https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_)[document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=32745.](document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=32745.) 1 DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TOBE A PART OF ONEOF HAWAII’S PREMIER SAFETY CONSULTING FIRMS Raising the Standard Consulting (USA) Inc. (RTSC) is actively seeking safety professionals to join our team. RTSC has made its mark in the professional field of environment, health and safety through the utilization of advanced problem-solving methods and personalized consulting. RTSC will “raise the standard”of environment, health & safety (EH&S) in our clients’ organizations through the development, implementation and monitoring of st

FAQs

What regulatory change did the U.S. Department of Labor announce in this newsletter?

It announced two interim final rules to adjust civil penalties for inflation based on when each penalty was last increased.

How does the newsletter describe the new penalty adjustment method?

Penalties are adjusted for inflation, with increases capped at 150% of the existing penalty amount, and new civil penalty amounts apply after Aug. 1, 2016 for covered violations.

What qualifications does Raising the Standard Consulting (USA) Inc. ask for from construction safety professionals?

The newsletter requests at least 5 years of continuous construction safety experience, relevant certifications such as STS/CHST/CSP (or a track to attain them), and documented formal safety training plus copies of certain competent person certifications and current safety/first-aid credentials.

Sep 26, 2026

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