Date of action:                       July 21, 2023

Type of action:                      Stipulated settlement agreement

BEDFORD, OH – A federal workplace safety investigation into a Beford foundry explosion that caused the death of a maintenance supervisor and injuries to 15 other employees found the operator, I. Schumann & Co. LLC, failed to protect workers from the hazard of steam explosions.

Who:       U.S. Department of Labor’s

                 Occupational Safety and Health Administration

CLEVELAND – After several U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety and health investigations at the East Palestine, Ohio, site where a Norfolk Southern Corp. train derailed in February 2023, the train’s operator has entered into a settlement agreement with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Who:  U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

            Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. – Alabama Chapter

What:  Safety and health alliance, OSHA’s Safe and Sound Campaign, Aug. 7 -11, 2023. 

PEORIA, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a judgment in federal court requiring a Peoria dentist to pay $20,000 in back wages for unlawfully terminating a dental assistant who complained about the risk of coronavirus infection, refused a work assignment they believed to be a risk for contracting coronavirus, and discussed workplace safety issues with coworkers.

DEDEDO, GUAM – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has returned to normal enforcement operations throughout Guam in the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar.

LOGAN TOWNSHIP, NJ – A federal workplace safety investigation has again found workers at an Amazon fulfillment center exposed to ergonomic hazards, this time at a Logan Township facility.

HOUSTON – Despite an extensive history of serious and repeat violations dating back more than a decade, a Houston steel erection company again failed to correct fall protection systems hazards, a federal workplace safety investigation has found.

Who:  U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Region 4       

What:  Whistleblower protections webinar

When:  Aug. 16, 2023, 1-3 p.m. EDT  

MIAMI – The U.S. Department of Labor has found that a Miami excavation contractor with a history of federal workplace safety violations could have prevented the death of a 48-year-old diver – who drowned while removing debris in a canal in 8 feet of murky water – by having required rescue procedures in place.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a heat hazard alert to remind employers of their obligation to protect workers against heat illness or injury in outdoor and indoor workplaces.

WESTFIELD, IL ‒ A 43-year-old employee at a Westfield grain elevator found himself trapped for five hours in February 2023 as co-workers and emergency responders worked to remove hundreds of pounds of soybeans to pull him out. Thankfully, the worker suffered only minor injuries.

AUSTIN, TX – A federal investigation has found that, despite more than $21 million in penalties since 2017 for workplace safety failures, Dollar General continued to expose employees at an Austin store on East Rundberg Lane to the risks of blocked exits and fire extinguishers not maintained or mounted as required.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – A federal workplace safety investigation found a Jacksonville psychiatric health and substance disorder facility did not follow safety procedures, leaving workers vulnerable to injuries, including one who a patient reportedly kicked in the face.

Participants:  U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

                              Cardinal IG Waxahachie

BRAINTREE, MA – When U.S. Department of Labor inspectors returned to a Boston food plant in March 2023, they discovered the plant’s operator — Chinese Spaghetti Factory Inc. — still had not installed required safety guards on a dumpling machine’s rotating shafts, a dangerous hazard for which the company was cited for after an employee suffered serious injuries in 2022.

ANDOVER, MA – A pet supply store in North Andover operated by a subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest pet care companies routinely exposed employees to live and dead rodents as well as their droppings and urine, a federal workplace safety inspection has found.

GREEN BAY, WI ‒ Federal safety inspectors responded to a Green Bay rendering plant after an employee  suffered severe burns when a pump seal released steam and hot oil as workers tried to clear a blockage in January 2023.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify the personal protective equipment standard for the construction industry.