By Randy C. Sparks Jr., Labor & Employment

In response to a change mandated by its federal counterpart, OSHA, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) promulgated a new administrative regulation regarding reporting of injuries and enhanced anti-retaliation procedures. Highlights of the new regulation include:

• Effective January 1, 2017, employers must post a new OSHA poster. The new poster may be accessed on the Federal OSHA website, but keep in mind that, to be compliant with applicable law, the poster must be at least 8.5 by 14 inches.
• Under the new regulation, employers will be required to submit injury and illness reports electronically. This requirement will be phased in over a period of two years. And, some of the data reported to OSHA in employer reports will be publicly posted on OSHA’s website.
• OSHA/VOSH previously would only respond to retaliation if alleged in a formal complaint by an employee. Effective January 1, 2017, retaliation may also be cited — just as other safety and health violations — when uncovered during a routine inspection or even from an employee complaint regarding an unrelated matter.

These and other employment law updates will be discussed at Kaufman & Canoles’ upcoming 33rd Annual Employment Law Update on April 20th at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. In addition, attendees will be provided with a copy of the new OSHA poster to assist in their compliance efforts. There is still time to register for this program and you can do so online at our Events page or by contacting Andrea King at 757-624-3232.

The contents of this publication are intended for general information only and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on specific facts and circumstances. Copyright 2024.