September 1, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA cites Houston manufacturing company for hiding work-related injuries and illnesses; fines exceed $1.2 million

HOUSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued Goodman Manufacturing Co. LP 83 willful citations for failing to record and improperly recording work-related injuries and illnesses at the company's Houston air conditioning cooling facility. Proposed penalties total $1,215,000.

September 1, 2010

US Labor Departments OSHA issues fine exceeding $3 million against Whitesell Corp. for safety and health violations at 2 Alabama factories

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today fined Whitesell Corp. $3,071,500 and cited the company with 72 safety and health violations for exposing workers to amputation hazards and other problems at its manufacturing plants in Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals, Ala.

August 23, 2010

US Labor Departments OSHA cites SeaWorld of Florida following animal trainers death

ORLANDO, Fla. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited SeaWorld of Florida LLC for three safety violations, including one classified as willful, following the death of an animal trainer in February. The total penalty is $75,000.

August 23, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA cites E.N. Range Inc. in Miami, Fla., more than $2 million for exposing workers to lead and other hazards

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to E.N. Range Inc. in Miami, Fla., alleging the company knowingly neglected to protect employees who clean gun ranges from serious overexposure to lead. It also provided, without medical supervision, non-FDA-approved treatments for lead exposure. The company was cited for more than 50 violations of the lead standard and others, with total proposed penalties of $2,099,600.

August 18, 2010

Statement from US Department of Labor warns employers along Gulf Coast against withholding of HAZWOPER certificates

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has received numerous complaints from workers taking part in the Gulf Coast oil spill cleanup whose employers are refusing to provide them with a certificate following their completion of training under the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, or HAZWOPER, standard. OSHA interprets the standard as prohibiting covered employers from withholding written certificates from workers who have successfully completed such training.

August 17, 2010

Cooperative Plus Inc. fined again after US Labor Departments OSHA finds 25 safety violations at 2 other grain facilities in Wisconsin

Company fined $374,500 for willful and serious safety violations at Whitewater and Genoa City

August 5, 2010

US Labor Departments OSHA proposes $16.6 million in fines in connection with fatal Connecticut natural gas explosion

Federal agency warns natural gas power plant operators against deadly practice

August 5, 2010

BP to pay $50.6 million to resolve US Labor Department litigation

Penalty stems from 2005 explosion at Texas City, Texas, refinery

August 4, 2010

US Labor Departments OSHA fines Wisconsin grain cooperative $721,000 after worker is engulfed in frozen soybeans

OSHA issues warning letter to industry following series of similar incidents including suffocation last week of 2 teenagers in Illinois grain elevator

July 28, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA publishes final rule on cranes and derricks in construction

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced that it is issuing a new rule addressing the use of cranes and derricks in construction, which will replace a decades-old standard. Approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental and crane certification establishments employing about 4.8 million workers will be affected by the rule published today.

July 22, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA explains requirements for protective clothing during oil spill beach cleanup operations

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels, today issued the following statement:

"If someone is at a beach that has been impacted by the oil spill, they may see workers wearing protective clothing to prevent their skin from coming into contact with weathered oil. Skin contact with weathered oil can cause dermatitis.

July 7, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA assistant secretary concerned some oil spill workers not receiving proper training

WASHINGTON – U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels today issued the following statement regarding training for Gulf Coast oil spill clean-up:

"Employees hired to be supervisors in the onshore and marine cleanup are required to receive extensive training. A rigorous 40-hour program is required under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response Standard.

July 7, 2010

US Department of Labor announces Imperial Sugar will pay more than $6 million and implement extensive safety and health abatement measures

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced it has resolved litigation with Imperial Sugar Co. stemming from the February 2008 explosion at its Port Wentworth, Ga., plant and subsequently discovered safety and health violations at the company's Gramercy, La., facility.

July 6, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA seeks applications for $2.75 million in new targeted topic safety and health training grants

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is soliciting applications for $2.75 million in Susan Harwood Targeted Topic Training Grants to provide training and education programs on safety and health for workers and their employers. For fiscal year 2010, the program offers 28 targeted topic areas including crane safety, combustible dust, maritime, oil and gas, and eye safety.

July 6, 2010

US Department of Labor files worker safety complaint against USPS

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's solicitor today filed a complaint against the U.S. Postal Service for electrical work safety violations. The complaint, which asks the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission to order USPS to correct electrical violations at 350 facilities, marks the first time the department has sought enterprise-wide relief as a remedy.

June 22, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA to hold additional stakeholder meetings on worker injury and illness prevention rule

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has scheduled two additional stakeholder meetings, one in Washington, D.C., and one in Sacramento, Calif., to solicit comments in developing the Injury and Illness Prevention Program proposed rule. These additional meetings are part of a series of five.

June 10, 2010

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

WASHINGTON – The federal on scene coordinator for the BP Deepwater Horizon response and the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding concerning worker safety and health issues related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in the Gulf of Mexico.

June 10, 2010

OSHA deputy assistant secretary testifies before Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety on worker safety in energy production industries

WASHINGTON – Jordan Barab, deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, today testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. His statement, as prepared, appears below.

May 27, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA seeks applications for $8 million in new Susan Harwood Safety and Health Capacity Building Training Grants

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is soliciting applications for $8 million in Susan Harwood Safety and Health Capacity Building Training Grants. The grants are available to nonprofit, community and faith-based organizations to provide safety and health training educational programs for workers and employers.

May 27, 2010

US Department of Labor fines South Dakota Wheat Growers Association of Aberdeen, SD, more than $1.6 million for grain handling violations

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined the South Dakota Wheat Growers Association of Aberdeen, S.D., more than $1.6 million following the Dec. 22, 2009, death of a worker at the company's McLaughlin, S.D., grain handling operation. The worker suffocated after being engulfed by grain in one of the facility's bins. OSHA's investigation found that five additional workers were also at risk of being engulfed when they were sent into the bin to dig the victim out.