Fifth Circuit Voids OSHA Mental-Illness Recording Rule in Exxon PTSD Case
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg Law · Jul 23
Fifth Circuit Voids OSHA Mental-Illness Recording Rule in Exxon PTSD Case
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg Law · Jul 23
Summary
A Fifth Circuit panel vacated both an OSHA citation against Exxon Mobil and the underlying rule requiring employers to record work-related mental illnesses.
The case centered on a process technician who developed PTSD after responding to a refinery explosion, which OSHA said had to be logged under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The court held OSHA exceeded its authority because the Act’s reference to “illnesses” covers only physical ailments, relying on statutory context and contemporaneous dictionary definitions.
The ruling narrows OSHA’s recordkeeping reach for workplace-related mental health conditions and removes the citation tied to the Exxon incident.