Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
Plain Writing Act Compliance Report
April 13, 20201
I.Senior Agency Official for Plain Writing:
Amanda Wood Laihow, Chief Counsel to Chairman James J. Sullivan, Jr.2
Plain Writing Contact:
John X. Cerveny, Executive Secretary
Contact Information:
II.Explain what specific types of agency communications you have released by making them available in a format that is consistent with the Plain Writing guidelines.
|
Type of communications of document or posting. List how this is made available to the public |
Who is the intended user and approximate number of potential users |
What has changed by using Plain Writing |
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Guide to Review Commission Procedures
Available on OSHRC Website
|
Employers who may or may not be represented by legal counsel |
The documents are clearer and more self-explanatory |
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Employee Guide to Review Commission Procedures
Available on OSHRC Website
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Employees who wish to participate in a Commission proceeding or who are contesting a proposed abatement period
|
|
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Guide to Simplified Proceedings
Available on OSHRC Website
|
Employers who may or may not be represented by legal counsel |
|
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The Freedom of Information Act Reference Guide
Available on OSHRC Website |
Anyone who is interested in submitting a FOIA request to the Commission |
|
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Press Releases
Available on OSHRC Website
|
Anyone who is interested in Commission news and events |
|
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Commission Briefing Notices
Available on OSHRC Website
|
Anyone who is interested in the issues in cases at the Review Commission level |
|
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Commission Subpoenas
Issued as necessary by Commission Administrative Law Judges |
Anyone who is requested to testify or provide evidence at Commission hearings |
|
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E-Filer User Guide
Available on OSHRC Website |
Parties intending to file OSHRC case documents electronically |
The documents are clearer and more self-explanatory |
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E-filer User Guide OSHA Area Offices
Available on OSHRC Website
|
OSHA Area Offices intending to file OSHRC case documents electronically |
|
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@OSHRC_Chairman Twitter account
Available at: https://twitter.com/OSHRC_Chairman
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Anyone who is interested in Commission news and events |
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E-Alert Service
Available by subscription through the OSHRC Website
|
Anyone who is interested in Commission news and events |
III.Inform agency staff of Plain Writing Act’s requirements:
On June 24, 2011, the Senior Agency Official for Plain Writing informed all Commission personnel by e-mail of the Plain Writing Act and its requirements. The email included links to various plain writing resources, including material posted on the Commission’s network.
IV.Training
Since the last Plain Writing Act Compliance Report was published on April 13, 2019, the Review Commission provided the following training:
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Type of Training |
Employees trained |
Date |
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Webinars and online training provided by plainlanguage.gov and hosted on the Commission’s network. |
Available to all Commission employees |
Ongoing |
|
Legal Writing for Paralegals: Common Mistakes to Avoid |
One employee |
August 29, 2019 |
|
Legal Ethics of Email and Social Media |
One employee |
September 11, 2019 |
|
Effective Writing Workshop |
One employee |
September 24 and 25, 2019 |
|
Advanced Legal Writing and Editing |
One employee |
September 26, 2019 |
V.Ongoing compliance/sustaining change
The Commission will stay in compliance with the Act by incorporating plain language considerations in all documents that the Commission issues to the public.
VI.Agency’s plain writing website
a. Website address: https://www.oshrc.gov/plain-writing/
b. Implementation of the Act:
The Commission will be using plain writing in any updates to documents most often read by the general public, such as our Guide to Review Commission Procedures, Guide to Simplified Proceedings, Employee Guide to Review Commission Procedures, The Freedom of Information Act Reference Guide, and Commission announcements and notices.
c.Link to Compliance Reports: Compliance reports will be available on the Commission’s Plain Writing website: (https://www.oshrc.gov/plain-writing/).
d.More information on Plain Writing may be obtained at the Plain Language website (http://www.plainlanguage.gov).
VII.Customer Satisfaction Evaluation after Experiencing Plain Writing Communications
The Commission set up an e-mail address (plain@oshrc.gov) through which the public may contact us to let us know if they have trouble understanding our documents or the pages on our website. The Commission will monitor that e-mail address and will take appropriate action on all correspondence received.
1 Report updated on April 13, 2021.
2 Amanda Wood Laihow assumed the role of Commissioner on January 21, 2020