BILLINGS, Mont. — Following a major hailstorm on May 18 and a resulting increase in construction, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is extending enforcement activity and asks for Billings-area employers, workers and consumers to protect roofing and construction workers against fall hazards. The Weekend Work Initiative aims to increase workplace surveillance of construction fall hazards and other dangers to prevent employee injuries and fatalities.

NEWARK, N.J. — United Airlines Inc. has exposed ground operation workers at the Newark airport to hazardous conditions, prompting the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue 16 citations and propose penalties of $101,300.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Popular home improvement chain Lowe's Cos. Inc. has been cited for five repeat and one serious safety violation for exposing workers to electrical hazards and failing to provide information on respiratory protection to employees at its Zanesville store. OSHA initiated the inspection in March 2014 after the store reported a higher than average injury rate. Proposed penalties total $53,240.

OMAHA, Neb. — The Jan. 20 structural collapse of International Nutrition Inc.'s Omaha-facility, was caused by overloading nine storage bins on the building's roof level, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found. The collapse at the livestock feed supplement manufacturer caused the death of two workers and injuries to nine others.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Workers performing abrasive blasting during the renovation of an Easthampton mill were overexposed to lead and silica and faced other health hazards due to their employer's failure to supply basic, legally required safeguards. As a result, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Maher Industries, doing business as A Fast Blast, for 17 serious violations of workplace health standards.

PIQUA, Ohio — Nine employees of Piqua Champion Foundry Inc. were exposed to dangerous levels of silica dust, respiratory hazards and unsafe work conditions while grinding castings and relining a furnace. Silica exposure can cause silicosis, an irreversible lung disease, and other serious health hazards. Following its January 2014 inspection, the U.S.

PIQUA, Ohio — Miami Valley Polishing has been cited for continuing to expose workers to excessive noise levels at its Piqua metal polishing plant following a January 2014 inspection. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration previously cited the company in 2013 for the same violation. OSHA has proposed fines of $50,820 for the two repeat and three serious violations cited.

OSHA previously cited Ohio fabric manufacturing plant in October 2013

TECUMSEH, Neb. — Following the death of a truck driver at Midwest Farmers Cooperative's grain handling facility in Tecumseh, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for 12 serious safety violations. The driver, who was not provided a respirator or personal protective clothing, was overcome by anhydrous ammonia vapors while transferring the liquid from a semitruck to bulk storage tanks.

PONTIAC, Ill. — For the second time this year, Interlake Mecalux Inc. has been cited for exposing workers to amputation hazards by failing to have adequate guards on dangerous machinery. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found two repeat and two serious violations following a March 2014 inspection at the company's Pontiac plant.

BISMARCK, N.D. — Since January 2012, 34 North Dakota workers in the oil and gas and construction industries have died because of work-related injuries. During that period, their deaths accounted for 87 percent of all North Dakota fatalities investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

COOLVILLE, Ohio — Two workers were free climbing, or climbing without safety lines, a 195-foot communication tower under construction without adequate fall protection in Coolville. As a result, Morlan Enterprises has been cited for one willful and eight serious safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA has proposed penalties of $52,500.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Underwood Group Inc., along with seven subcontractors, was cited for safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to provide workers with required fall protection equipment. As a result, a worker fell 29 feet to his death at a condominium construction site in Canyon Lake. The proposed penalties total $53,480.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service on behalf of a maintenance employee at the St. Louis Network Distribution Center in Hazelwood, Mo., who reported unsafe working conditions and suffered reprisals, including false charges of making a terrorist threat.

HOUSTON — Sterling Shipyard LP was cited for 16 serious, repeat and failure-to-abate violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for continuing to expose workers to safety hazards, including dangerous machinery, high noise levels without appropriate hearing protection and falls from heights above 6 feet. Proposed penalties total $305,100.

SABINA, Ohio — Three employees of Sabina Farmers Exchange Inc. in Wilmington were found working inside a grain storage bin while a mechanical sweep auger, a machine used to push grain remaining at the bottom of a storage bin toward the bin's opening, was operating. This exposed the workers to severe injury and death by being engulfed in flowing grain. The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration has cited the company for three repeat and six serious safety violations at the company's grain bins in Wilmington and Sabina because of the complaint inspection.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Sterilite Corp., doing business as Sterilite of Alabama LLC, and Marathon Staffing Corp. Inc., for 13 safety and health violations. OSHA initiated the January 2013 inspection at Sterilite's plastics manufacturing facility in Birmingham as part of its National Emphasis Program on Amputations and regional emphasis program to limit worker exposure to high noise levels.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — An employee of R.E. Arnold Construction Inc. was trapped when the wall of an excavation he was working in collapsed around him. The incident occurred as the employee removed dirt from a storm filtration system at the company's work site, and the local fire and rescue team had to remove the employee, who left the scene in critical condition. As a result, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited R.E Arnold with one willful and two serious safety violations.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Two workers were killed after falling approximately 90 feet while working on the construction of the I-85 interchange Outer Loop overpass. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited R.R. Dawson Bridge Co. LLC with four safety violations following its January 2014 investigation of the fatalities.

MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into an agreement with McKees Rocks Industrial Enterprises Inc. and James T. Lind, the company's president, resolving a lawsuit alleging the illegal termination of a general laborer. The worker raised safety concerns at the company's McKees Rocks work site, which serves as both an industrial park and a terminal facility, resulting in an inspection by the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.