Government Reopens, OSHA to resume inspections soon

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives approved a measure on Wednesday that would reopen the government and allow federal agencies to resume operations once again. Lawmakers passed a continuing resolution that would fund the government into mid-January, while also agreeing to lift the government's borrowing limit, averting a financial crisis.

The passage of these measures means that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will soon begin performing its inspections and investigations that had been halted as a result of the shutdown. Ninety percent of the agency's staff had been furloughed, meaning that the country's main workplace safety regulator could not tend to any reports of violations or incidents.

It's unclear when OSHA will be back to its normal operations. The website hasn't been updated since September 30, although a message that had previously displayed on all pages indicating that the agency had been shut down is now gone. The New York Times reports that memos had been sent out to employees of many cabinet departments educating them on when and how they will return to work.

"We want to welcome you back and do everything possible to ease this transition," Rhea Suh, the Interior Department's assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, said in a memo to employees. "We appreciate your sacrifices through these difficult times and we understand that the lapse in government activities has imposed hardships on you, your families, and the people we serve."

Now that OSHA is likely to resume its operations soon, it is important that your company maintains its safety programs in order to protect workers and avoid receiving penalties for issues like not providing adequate safety clothing. If you're in need of such equipment, make sure to check out the latest deals at Safety Company.