WASHINGTON — Kathy Pierce expected her son, Chad Weller, to come home on March 19, 2014, at the end of his shift as a cell tower climber. But Weller, always ready with a smile for his mother, never came back. He was sent up alone to fix a communication signal on top of a water tower in the rain while wearing a harness two sizes too big — and he lost his life in a fatal fall. Chad Weller is one of 11 workers who have lost their lives in 2014 while constructing or repairing cell towers.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced it is launching a national dialogue with stakeholders on ways to prevent work-related illness caused by exposure to hazardous substances. The first stage of this dialogue is a request for information on the management of hazardous chemical exposures in the workplace and strategies for updating permissible exposure limits.

HAVERHILL, Ohio — Following the death of an employee at Haverhill Chemicals LLC, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the manufacturer for 21 serious and two other-than-serious safety violations. Many of the violations involve OSHA's Process Safety Management Standards, which contain specific requirements for managing highly hazardous chemicals used in work. The company has been placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

ANDOVER, Mass. — FedEx Ground Packaging System Inc. failed to guard a conveyor belt properly at its Wilmington shipping distribution center and exposed its employees to potential injuries, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

TOLEDO, Ohio — Two employees of Industrial Power Systems were exposed to cave-in hazards while installing steam and chill water piping for the construction of a recreation center on the University of Toledo campus. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for one willful and one serious safety violation, carrying proposed fines of $75,000.

CINCINNATI — An employee was severely injured when he became caught in unguarded arbor rollers at Kloeckner Metals Corp. on April 22, 2014. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the Cincinnati manufacturing plant with one repeat and three serious safety violations, carrying proposed penalties of $56,000.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Manchester-based Rockville Construction LLC has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 25 serious violations of workplace safety and health standards. The contractor, responsible for the Hockanum Mill renovations in Rockville, faces $107,100 in fines for inadequate safeguards against lead exposure, respirator deficiencies, falls and electrical hazards.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — GP Roofing & Construction LLC and Archer Exteriors Inc. were cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 12 safety violations for exposing workers to falls and other hazards at two residential work sites in the Whisper Dunes subdivision of Panama City Beach and at one work site in The Davenport subdivision of Panama City.

HARTFORD, Conn. — West Hartford Stairs and Cabinets has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 16 serious violations of workplace safety and health standards at its 17 Main St. manufacturing plant in Newington. This follows inspections conducted by OSHA's Hartford Area Office in response to an April 14, 2014, incident in which an employee lost parts of two fingers in an inadequately guarded machine. The manufacturer of stairs and cabinets faces $60,200 in fines.

NEW YORK — Citations issued to MB Consultants Ltd., doing business as Murray's Chickens, for health and safety violations were affirmed by an administrative law judge from the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, upholding an earlier decision by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The violations occurred at the company's South Fallsburg chicken processing plant.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The death of a 28-year-old worker who fell 18 feet from a roof could have been prevented if proper fall protection safeguards had been used by M&M Roofing, of Wolcott, an inspection by the Hartford Area Office of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

MIAMISBURG, Ohio — A 48-year-old supervisor was fatally injured when he was struck by a metal door while performing maintenance at Certified Heat Treating Inc. in Miamisburg. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for 10 serious violations, many involving OSHA's confined space and lockout/tagout standards for the control of machinery and moving parts.

SOMERVILLE, N.J. — Custom-order cabinetry company Choice Cabinetry LLC exposed employees to safety and health hazards, many involving methylene chloride, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Initiated as part of its Site-Specific Targeting Program for industries with high injury and illness rates, OSHA's March 2014 inspection cited the Somerville company for 15 violations, including three willful. Proposed penalties total $136,290.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the past five years, 15 percent of all workplace fatalities investigated by the Kansas City Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration have involved vehicle accidents that struck employees in the workplace.

CONCORD, N.H. — Employees of Ken Stanley, doing business as A+ Roofing, were exposed to potentially fatal falls of up to 25 feet at a Somersworth job site due to their employer's failure to ensure the use of required fall protection. The Milton-based roofing contractor, who has been cited five times previously for the same hazard, faces $61,600 in proposed fines from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus Castings worker suffered a broken back, a collapsed lung and partial paralysis of his left leg after becoming pinned in a machine at the steel foundry on April 22, 2014. An investigation into the incident has resulted in the issuance of two repeat and two serious safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

DENVER — Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC retaliated against a Mandan, North Dakota, worker in December 2013 after he reported a work-related injury and submitted a physician's treatment plan, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA has ordered Fort Worth, Texas-based BNSF to pay more than $30,000 in back wages and damages and to take other corrective action.

CHICAGO — Workers renovating a historical 1887 firehouse in Chicago were exposed to asbestos and electrical hazards, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The inspection found Structure Development Midwest LLC failed to collect and dispose of asbestos-containing material in sealed, labeled and waterproof bags.

DECATUR, Ga. — Plaid Enterprises Inc. was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for six safety violations that involved amputation, electrical and other safety hazards following an April 2014 inspection at the company's craft paint production facility located on Mellon Court in Decatur. OSHA initiated the inspection in response to a complaint. Proposed penalties total $84,500.

HILLSIDE, Ill. — A complaint investigation found that Transport Tech LLC failed to provide employees with an effective training program, including information on appropriate handling and safe use of hazardous chemicals at its Hillside repair facility. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for five repeat safety violations, carrying proposed penalties of $66,400.