The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently renewed its National Emphasis Program (NEP) for warehouses and distribution centers.

The new NEP replaces the agency’s July 13, 2023, directive. Significant changes in the new directive include:

Removing coverage of high-injury-rate retail establishments;
Removing mandatory screening requirements for ergonomic and heat hazards;
Extending the NEP’s expiration date to five years from the July 31 effective date;

Workers across Southern California are facing extreme heat as the National Weather Service has issued Extreme Heat Warnings prompting Cal/OSHA to remind employers of required heat-safety measures.

The warnings cover Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Temperatures are expected to reach up to 112 degrees in some areas, with temperatures as high as 113 degrees possible in the Coachella Valley.

Under Cal/OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Standards, employers must protect workers from heat illness in both indoor and outdoor workplaces. Indoor employers must take protective measures when temperatures reach 82 degrees, including providing water, rest and access to cool-down areas.

Oregon OSHA has proposed a new workplace violence prevention rule to align Oregon OSHA regulations with statutory changes addressing violence in healthcare settings. Specifically, the rule would implement provisions of Senate Bill 537, enacted in 2025, which imposes workplace violence prevention requirements on specified healthcare employers. The proposed rule addresses covered employers’ obligation to conduct periodic security and safety assessments to identify workplace violence hazards, develop and implement a workplace violence prevention and protection program, and provide workplace violence prevention and protection training annually.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not have any specific standards addressing outdoor or indoor heat exposure, according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report updated on August 18. Instead, OSHA relies on a general enforcement tool to cite employers for heat-related violations.

Workers in construction, agriculture, bakeries, warehouses, and steel mills may be exposed to heat conditions that can result in heat stroke, organ failure, and chronic kidney disease. In 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 48 employment-related deaths due to environmental heat exposure, above the 42-year average of 42 deaths annually between 2011 and 2024.

OSHA has renewed its National Emphasis Program (NEP) for warehousing and distribution center operations, extending the initiative for five years and continuing its focus on reducing injuries in one of the nation's fastest-growing industries.

The renewed directive calls for comprehensive safety inspections at covered facilities, with compliance officers evaluating hazards commonly associated with warehouse and distribution center operations. OSHA said inspections will focus on powered industrial truck operations, material handling and storage, walking-working surfaces, means of egress and emergency exits, fire protection, heat hazards and ergonomic risks.

The updated program also provides additional guidance on OSHA's authority to expand inspections when fatalities, catastrophes, complaints or referrals involve establishments covered by the NEP. According to the directive, the changes are intended to provide greater continuity and consistency in the agency's enforcement efforts.

Walmart Inc. is testing new guidance for carts used in stores to collect items for online orders after a child was hit by one of them.

The company is making changes to improve visibility and safety of these carts, said people familiar with the matter. This includes shipping new wheels to stores and advising staff to pull the carts instead of pushing them, said the people who asked for anonymity discussing internal matters.

A Walmart spokeswoman said keeping employees and customers safe is always a top priority and that the company is constantly listening for feedback, reinforcing policies and making adjustments where needed to maintain a safe environment.

Cal/OSHA is reminding employers to implement required heat illness prevention measures as triple-digit temperatures persist across California.

Construction is among the industries subject to enhanced high-heat safety requirements when outdoor temperatures reach 95 degrees or higher. Employers must provide water, shade, rest breaks, employee monitoring and heat illness training.Indoor workplaces reaching 82 degrees must also implement heat illness prevention measures under state regulations.

David Keeling's career began at UPS as a package handler and evolved into global safety leadership, including roles at Amazon and now OSHA. His compliance background and industry experience position him to promote proactive safety measures and modernize regulations through consensus standards and technology.

OSHA aims to leverage predictive analytics, digital tools, and industry collaboration to prevent workplace incidents before they occur, especially in small and medium-sized businesses.
The agency emphasizes supporting employers' success by modernizing outdated standards and fostering a culture of safety sharing among large organizations.

Effective safety management involves building a strong business case, demonstrating ROI, and engaging stakeholders like insurance companies to prioritize safety investments.

A U.S. appeals court has ruled in a case involving Exxon Mobil that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cannot require businesses to document work-related mental illnesses reported by employees.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the ​New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said on Tuesday, opens new tab that a requirement in federal law that ‌employers periodically report work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses only applies to physical and not mental conditions.