BOSTON – Robert Higgins and Kelvin Mattocks died on Oct. 21, 2016 in Boston, when the approximately 12-foot deep trench in which they were working collapsed, breaking an adjacent fire hydrant supply line and filling the trench with water in a matter of seconds.

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Great Lakes Construction Association
Lake County Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO

ATLANTA – Fatalities among workers in the landscaping industry are a growing concern in the Southeast. From 2012 to 2016, 64 people employed in the industry in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi died as a result of workplace injuries. In Florida, industry fatalities have nearly tripled since 2012.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced a delay in enforcement of the crystalline silica standard that applies to the construction industry to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers.

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered Wells Fargo Bank N.A. to compensate and immediately reinstate a former bank manager who lost his job after reporting suspected fraudulent behavior to superiors and a bank ethics hotline.

ATLANTA – The Federal Highway Administration, the state of Georgia, local government organizations and employers are partnering with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to sponsor one-hour events to train road workers on the dangers of distracted drivers, flying debris and other objects during National Highway Work Zone Awareness Week, April 3-7.

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Nebraska Safety Council
Great Plains Safety and Health Organization
National Safety Council Nebraska

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Apprenticeship and Skill Improvement Program, Operation Engineers, Local 150

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a delay in the effective date of the rule titled “Occupational Exposure to Beryllium,” from March 21, 2017, to May 20, 2017.

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

Associated Builders and Contractors Inc.-Heart of America Chapter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ‒ The U.S.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As residents recover from the damage caused by the recent tornadoes and severe storms in Missouri and Kansas, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration urges recovery workers, employers and the public to use caution during cleanup and recovery efforts. The agency urges all to be aware of hazards they may encounter, and steps needed to to stay safe and healthy.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—Barr & Barr Inc., a construction management company, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have signed a strategic partnership to enhance workplace safety and health during the construction of Amherst College’s New Science Center.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a proposed delay in the effective date of the rule entitled Occupational Exposure to Beryllium, from March 21, 2017, to May 20, 2017.

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration offices in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, and Allied Construction Industries, a trade association representing more than 500 member companies.

BOSTON – The National Railroad Passenger Corp., better known as Amtrak, retaliated against a supervisory special agent in its inspector general’s office when he raised concerns about railroad safety, fraud and abuse involving an Amtrak contractor and when he supported a fellow agent’s safety concerns during an internal investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In less than 10 days in 2016, two employees at a Green Bay muffler component manufacturer suffered severe injuries as they operated machinery without adequate safety guards and procedures in place, federal workplace safety investigators have determined.

COSHOCTON, Ohio – A follow-up inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found a casting and foundry facility operator continues to expose workers to machine and fall hazards at its Coshocton plant.

On Jan. 17, 2017, the agency issued SanCasT Inc. three repeated, and four serious safety violations carrying proposed penalties of $235,879. The agency cited the company for similar violations in both 2013 and 2014.

Employer name: BHC Northwest Psychiatric Hospital LLC, doing business as Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital

Inspection site: 7170 Lafayette Ave.
Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Citations issued: On Jan. 11, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations for four serious violations.

Employer name: County Concrete Corp.                                 

Inspection site: 64 Glenwood Pl.
East Orange, New Jersey

Citations issued: On Jan. 4, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations for one repeat and two failure-to-abate violations.