OSHA/Workplace Safety

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Team Leaders

Team Leader

Overview

Steptoe & Johnson’s Workplace Safety Team provides a full range of occupational safety and health law services. Industries served include oil and gas, chemical, manufacturing, health care, construction, and transportation. Team members understand the legal issues and know the agencies and people involved in the safety matters important to our clients. They integrate with other firm teams, including Environmental and Emergency Response, to provide 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year coverage for time sensitive client needs. 

 

Representative Experience

Team lawyers have advised, litigated, and resolved citations for employers in multiple industries and throughout OSHA’s area of regulatory oversight. Examples include:

  • Chemical exposure involving arsenic, chlorine, caustic, ammonia and many more
  • HAZCOM standard application and training, labeling of containers and piping and use of MSDSs (now SDSs)
  • Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for fall protection, face protection, and foot protection and regarding locations and application of eyewashes, etc.
  • Process safety management (PSM) compliance
  • Machine-guarding involving mixers, trash compactors, motor shafts, overhead gears, power presses, etc.
  • Walking and working surfaces, floor holes, fall protection, housekeeping, blocked exit and blocked aisleways, and the like
  • Forklift use, inspection, charging, and retraining
  • Crane use, maintenance and repair in industrial settings
  • Electrical compliance involving substations, outlets, lock out tag out (LOTO), use of flexible cord sets (extension cords), fixed wiring, panel boxes, etc.
  • Bloodborne pathogen compliance, including needlesticks, handling and disposal of sharps, training, renewal of Exposure Control Plans, inoculations for HEPc, sterilization of instruments, maintaining 300 logs regarding sharps injuries or exposure to BBP
  • Confined space procedures, monitoring and signage
  • Noise and respirator compliance
  • Scaffolding and elevated working surfaces
  • Fire extinguisher placement, training and auditing, and blocked exits and numbers of exits
  • Recordkeeping on 300 logs and specific content and recordability
Highlights
  • Advise in the aftermath of accidents, regarding reporting and other requirements and in preparation for potential follow-on litigation
  • Assist and prepare clients for inspections
  • Provide guidance regarding all aspects of interfacing with OSHA
  • Represent clients in all phases of enforcement proceedings, including negotiation and litigation
  • Train regarding OSHA rules, initiatives and proposed best practices

Team Members