WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have developed a checklist for human and animal food manufacturers to consider when continuing, resuming or reevaluating operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

MELBOURNE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered U.S. Corrections LLC – headquartered in Melbourne, Florida – to reinstate an employee for reporting personal and commercial motor vehicle safety concerns. OSHA also ordered the company to pay more than $70,000 in back wages, $30,000 in punitive damages, $7,341 in compensatory damages, $30,000 in emotional distress damages and reasonable attorney’s fees.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has signed an alliance with the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) to provide information, guidance and access to training resources for protecting workers in the meatpacking and processing industry from exposures to the coronavirus.

COLUMBUS, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will present a webinar for Ohio area employers and human resources professionals on the paid leave requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and safety guidance for returning to work and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment.

NEW YORK, NY – An administrative law judge with the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission has upheld citations and penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) against Timberline Hardwood Floors LLC, a custom hardwood-flooring manufacturer that falsely claimed to have corrected previously cited hazards. The judge’s decision also orders the company to pay $166,265 in penalties for all violations.

CLEVELAND, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited healthcare company OHNH EMP LLC for violating respiratory protection standards following an inspection initiated after the company reported the coronavirus-related hospitalization of seven employees.  

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered JHOS Logistics and Transportation Inc. to reinstate an employee terminated for refusing to drive what the employee reasonably believed to be an overweight vehicle at the company’s Wilmington, California facility. OSHA also ordered the company to pay more than $190,000 in back wages, $25,000 in punitive damages, $5,000 in compensatory damages and attorney’s fees.

DE SOTO, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Triple S Communications Inc. for violations of OSHA’s trenching and excavation standards after an employee was fatally injured in a trench collapse at a De Soto, Georgia, worksite. The Moultrie, Georgia, telecommunications installation contractor faces $58,025 in penalties.

BOYNTON BEACH, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Camaney Services of Central Florida Inc. – based in Lake Worth, Florida – for exposing employees to fall hazards at two worksites in Boynton Beach, Florida. The contractor faces $49,930 in penalties.

MOULTRIE, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Southern Wood Components LLC – based in Moultrie, Georgia – for exposing employees to hazardous energy and caught-by hazards after an employee fatality at the company’s saw mill. The wood product manufacturer faces $55,326 in penalties.

NEW YORK, NY – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Nonwovens Corp. – a home and personal care fabric products manufacturer based in Long Island, New York – will address and correct hazards at their five manufacturing facilities in New York, and pay $200,000 in penalties to resolve safety violations.

MOBILE, AL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Miller & Co. Inc. for failing to protect employees from struck-by hazards after a worker was fatally injured at the company’s Selma, Alabama, facility. The lumber and flooring manufacturer faces $218,192 in penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a new poster listing safety tips employers can follow to help protect meat packing, poultry and pork workers from exposure to coronavirus.

COLUMBUS, OH ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Jerry Turnbaugh – a roofing contractor based in Dublin, Ohio – for exposing employees to falls at three separate residential home sites in Pickerington, Ohio. Turnbaugh faces penalties of $148,430 for five willful safety violations.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released coronavirus-related guidance to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for oil and gas workers.  

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has undertaken a public service messaging effort to remind workers that the agency is committed to ensuring their safety and health during the coronavirus pandemic.

HOUSTON, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Alpha Technical Services (ATS) – doing business as Quala Rail and Specialty in Pasadena, Texas – for exposing employees to confined space hazards after two employees were fatally overcome by fumes while cleaning a tank trailer. The company faces $499,134 in penalties.

CHICAGO, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Chicago-based Ferrara Candy Company for violations of OSHA’s machine safety standards after employees suffered severe injuries in two separate incidents at the Bellwood, Illinois, facility. The company faces $485,008 in penalties, and OSHA has placed them in the agency’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

BOTKINS, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Boomerang Rubber Inc. – based in Botkins, Ohio – with two willful and six serious violations for exposing employees to machine and electrical hazards. The company faces penalties of $330,269.