Enforcement updates

In a February 13, 2026 decision, Cedar Springs Hospital v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), No. 24-9519 (10th Cir. 2026), the Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reaffirmed the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) authority to cite healthcare employers for workplace violence under the OSHA’s General Duty Clause. The court upheld OSHA citations issued to a Colorado psychiatric hospital, as well as related penalties against the hospital’s management company based on common ownership. The court rejected three main arguments posited by the hospital.

On Monday, April 4, 2022, OSHA released a new memorandum to regional administrators regarding enforcement of OSHA’s rule requiring electronic submittal of injury and illness records.

Each week, the agency will be running a computer program to identify employers who might not be complying. While OSHA originally predicted almost half a million employers would need…

Today, Virginia’s new and detailed COVID-19 regulation takes effect. The rule, an “emergency temporary standard” (ETS), was adopted July 15th by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI). Unlike general guidance and recommendations issued by CDC and federal OSHA, the Virginia rule requires all employers regulated by DOLI to develop, implement, and enforce COVID-19 prevention and mitigation measures. Read on for a detailed summary of the rule’s requirements.

All bets are off as regulatory agencies are tugged in every direction in pandemic world. Normally, an election year probably would not have seen particularly aggressive enforcement or rulemaking. For a while, COVID-19 health precautions and furloughed work sites meant reduced inspection activity. But, enforcement may be picking up, and a battle over new regulations is brewing. Here’s your full update.