OSHA/MSHA

Pile of documents with Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA.

With any industry that has grown as quickly as renewable energy, safety is sometimes overlooked. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) classifies those working in the renewable energy industry as having a “green job.” The hazards of green jobs vary across the renewable energy field, whether in wind, solar, geo-thermal, or biofuel power generation companies. Ultimately, renewable energy companies must address both common workplace hazards and the emerging challenges unique to this developing industry.

Hands of a meat factory worker gathering packed meat on a convey

On October 16, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced expanded guidance for animal slaughtering and processing industry inspections (NAICS 3116). Notably, this new guidance document supersedes OSHA’s previous inspection guidance specific to a subset of this NAICS, poultry slaughtering and processing establishments (NAICS 311615).

OSHA states that the goal of the update is to significantly reduce injuries and illnesses resulting from occupational hazards through a combination of enforcement, compliance, assistance, and outreach.

Back in November, MSHA head David Zatezalo indicated that MSHA’s initiative to “blur the lines” between coal and M/NM enforcement had ended. As an apparent follow-up, in late December MSHA released a new, unified M/NM and coal inspection handbook, and has now started training investigators on the new handbook.

Last week, OSHA published its new “Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs,” which advises employers to establish comprehensive internal safety and health programs and provides extensive guidelines and resources for doing so. In releasing the updated recommendations, OSHA argues that employers adopting such programs could reduce injuries and illnesses and promote sustainability.