ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Richard Fairfax, U.S. Department of Labor deputy assistant secretary, will be a presenter during March’s Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) Leadership & Legislative Conference in Washington.
Fairfax oversees the enforcement and construction directorates for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In his previous post as OSHA’s enforcement programs director, he offered opinions on various safety regulations of interest to the textile services industry, in particular, those dealing with bloodborne pathogens and lockout/tagout.
His March 28 presentation comes as OSHA increases fines, as the average levy per serious violation has risen from $1,050 to $2,200 in the agency’s last two fiscal years. OSHA also is moving forward with its Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2), an initiative that could see businesses revamping safety and health efforts.
