Until earlier this year, no court had addressed the issue of determining the correct method for calculating actual workplace exposure to silica under regulations issued by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is part of the Department of Labor.

Many businesses in the ceramic industry are now subject to a new and extensive government reporting requirement if they use lead, or products containing lead, in their operations.

A Supreme Court decision is expected to prompt a movement toward arbitration clauses in employment contracts and greatly expand the use of arbitration processes in general.

On November 13, 2000, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its final regulations mandating ergonomic standards in the workplace.

A major legal issue with respect to B2Bs is whether they promote or retard competition. If the latter is true, then some real problems may arise under the antitrust laws.

California's Proposition 65 has been a continuing problem for various segments of American business, including the ceramic industry.

A recent appellate court decision, arising from the transfer of property in Ohio, will help protect unknowing buyers from attempts by the EPA to impose cleanup liability on land purchasers.

Chinese-made ceramic products are increasingly available in the United States and other countries, and U.S.-based producers of ceramic manufacturing equipment sell their equipment in China. This dichotomy produces a conflict for certain segments of the U.S. ceramic market—how to compete against inexpensive imports yet also make sales of equipment and supplies.

Imports into the U.S. have been growing at a rapid rate for the last several years, far exceeding the growth of exports. Some U.S. based producers of ceramic goods have looked into ways of preventing or inhibiting the import of competing products.

What has a 1,000-page preamble and 300 pages of regulations in fine print? No, it’s not the bureaucracy from Mars—it’s the recently proposed workplace rules on ergonomics published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).