October 31, 2022

Federal court denies health provider’s bid to limit US Department of Labor’s OSH Act enforcement authority

NEW YORK – The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has denied a Staten Island health provider’s attempt to prevent the U.S. Department of Labor from pursuing damages for a COVID-19 whistleblower whose private state whistleblower claim was dismissed.

October 31, 2022

Philadelphia contractor’s history of exposing workers to deadly fall hazards continues, US Department of Labor proposes $269K in penalties

PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia framing contractor faces $269,594 in proposed penalties after the company was again found exposing employees to deadly fall hazards at a residential worksite in the city’s Roxborough section on April 21, 2022.  

October 27, 2022

Ohio manufacturer faces $1.2M in penalties after 7th worker in 5 years suffers severe injuries when caught in machine employer failed to lock out

FOSTORIA, OH – An Ohio vinyl tile manufacturer faces $1,232,705 in proposed penalties after U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors responded when a worker suffered severe injuries as a result of being caught in a machine on April 28, 2022.

October 18, 2022

US Department of Labor cites developer, subcontractors for exposing workers to dangerously energized power lines

PATERSON, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor has issued citations to three New Jersey contractors who willfully exposed employees to potentially lethal dangers by allowing them to work near energized power lines at a Paterson worksite.

October 17, 2022

US Department of Labor initiates technical support; worker safety, health outreach in areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian

ATLANTA – In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has initiated efforts to provide on-site technical assistance and outreach in the areas of Florida hardest hit by the storm to protect workers involved in the recovery and response and to prevent any further injury or loss of life.

October 14, 2022

US Department of Labor cites framing contractor who ignored OSHA’s safety hazard notification, directed workers onto roof without fall protection

RIVER GROVE, IL – While federal workplace safety inspectors are used to some employers’ disregard for workplace safety, the response of a Chicago-area carpentry company’s site supervisor to a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspector’s notification at the site about workers without fall protection exposed to the construction industry’s most lethal hazard – falls from elevation – was especially blatant.

October 13, 2022

Chicago’s Power Construction receives ‘Star’ level designation for exemplary workplace safety, health programs

CHICAGO ­– Employing interactive online reporting tools, virtual job planning sites and new employee orientations with a commitment to safety are some of the hallmarks of the Power Construction Co.’s innovative safety and health program.

October 13, 2022

US Department of Labor, South Dakota Safety Council align to promote workplace safety, health programs

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

What: Workplace safety alliance

October 12, 2022

Missouri Slope earns ‘Star’ level designation for exemplary workplace safety, health programs at North Dakota’s largest nursing facility

WHO:  Missouri Slope, Bismarck, North Dakota   

WHAT:  Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program Star Level Designation

October 12, 2022

US Department of Labor cites Savannah space remediation company after 32-year-old lead repair technician suffers fatal electrocution

SAVANNAH, GA – A federal workplace safety investigation into how an employee suffered a fatal electrocution while digging a shallow drainage trench under a home has found that a Savannah crawl space remediation company might have prevented the incident by following required safety standards.

October 7, 2022

US Department of Labor orders ExxonMobil to reinstate terminated employees suspected of leaking information to Wall Street Journal

IRVING, TX The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered ExxonMobil Corp. to immediately reinstate two employees and pay them more than $800,000 in back wages, interest and compensatory damages. A federal whistleblower investigation found the company terminated them illegally after suspecting them of leaking information to the Wall Street Journal.

October 6, 2022

US Department of Labor again cites Appleton roofing contractor for exposing unprotected workers to a deadly industry hazard – falls from elevation

APPLETON, WIBacilio Rios, an Appleton roofing contractor who has shown callous disregard for employees’ safety and scoffed at federal safety requirements since 2009, now faces $301,512 in penalties after a U.S.

October 6, 2022

US Department of Labor finds Pennsylvania manufacturer prioritized safety, health at one facility, while hazards at New Jersey site led to 21 violations

MILLVILLE, NJ – A Pennsylvania-based metal coatings company that enacted a comprehensive safety and health program to protect workers at its corporate headquarters failed to do the same for employees at a manufacturing facility it opened in the fall of 2021 in Millville, a federal workplace safety investigation has found.

October 6, 2022

Ohio contractor continues to defy federal fall protection safety rules, cited for egregious willful violations, faces $1M in fines after workplace inspection

WHEELING, WV – A Millersburg, Ohio, contractor with a long history of disregarding workplace safety standards now faces more than $1 million in penalties after an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found their employees working at dangerous heights without fall protection, this time at a West Virginia work site.

October 5, 2022

US Department of Labor cites Missouri Contractor in fatal Dudley trench collapse

DUDLEY, MO ‒ A federal workplace safety investigation alleges that a Dexter construction contractor might have prevented a pipelayer’s fatal injuries in a trench collapse on April 8, 2022, if the company had used trench safety protection measures as required by law.

The worker was installing storm water drainage in an 8-foot-deep trench along Old Highway 60 in Dudley when the tragedy occurred.

September 30, 2022

READOUT: At US Department of Labor, Workers’ Voice Summit stresses collaboration in addressing workers’ rights concerns

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Labor officials gathered with workers, union representatives and labor organizers from a range of industries to discuss the value of building relationships and collaborating on ideas to address workers’ concerns at its Workers’ Voice Summit, Sept. 27-29, 2022.