December 22, 2016

OSHA cites roofing contractor for exposing workers to falls, other hazards at North Jersey work sites in East Rutherford, Wallington

Employer name: Hackensack Roofing Co. Inc.
83 First St.
Hackensack, New Jersey

Inspection sites: 297 Carlton Ave.
East Rutherford, New Jersey

3100-3400 Nelkin Drive
Wallington, New Jersey

Citations issued: On Dec. 16, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to the company for one serious and three repeat safety violations.

December 22, 2016

John Deere agrees to settle whistleblower allegations, will pay former employee $275K in back wages, damages

MOLINE, Ill. – Under terms of a settlement agreement, a pipefitter previously employed by John Deere will receive a total of $204,315 in back wages and “front pay” and $70,685 in other damages.

December 21, 2016

OSHA cites 4 Florida contractors as worker dies after falling through unprotected floor opening; proposes $91K in penalties

MIAMI – If Southern Chills, a Homestead-based contractor, had not ignored the construction industry’s most dangerous hazard, Leonardo Javier Lopez-Montelo might be alive today.

The 33-year-old laborer fell nearly 11 feet through an unprotected stairway opening as he performed punch-list activities at the Kendall Square housing complex construction site in Miami, and suffered fatal injuries.

December 21, 2016

OSHA cites well operator, two servicing companies after one worker dies, 3 others severely injured while servicing North Dakota well

WATFORD CITY, N.D. – An operator and two servicing companies’ failure to control a North Dakota oil well properly led to a flash fire that killed a 52-year-old worker and burned three other workers severely at a Watford City well site, federal investigators have found.

December 16, 2016

OSHA cites numerous hazards at Missouri sheet metal manufacturer after court orders employer to let inspectors investigate safety complaints

EL DORADO SPRINGS, Mo. – A federal workplace safety inspection – that occurred only after a federal court ordered an El Dorado Springs sheet metal manufacturer to allow inspectors to respond to complaints of unsafe working conditions and employee injuries – led to the discovery of more than a dozen repeated and serious violations and an assessment of $138,430 in proposed fines.

December 15, 2016

OSHA cites contractor after another Idaho worker falls to his death

BOISE, Idaho – Brandon Horine’s first day at work removing shingles from a residential roof in Nampa was also his last. Without required fall protection equipment in place, the 42-year-old worker fell to the ground on Sept. 12, 2016 – suffering severe brain trauma that ended his life several days later.

December 15, 2016

OSHA cites New Jersey commercial laundry for workplace safety hazards

Employer name: Star Laundry Inc.
421 and 436 East 16th St.
Paterson, New Jersey                     

Citations issued: On Dec. 7, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations against Brite Services Inc., doing business as Star Laundry Inc., for seven repeat, two serious and three other-than-serious violations.

December 15, 2016

OSHA fines USPS $178K after inspectors find workers exposed to safety hazards at Merrifield distribution center

Employer name: U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center

Inspection site: 8409 Lee Hwy, Merrifield, Virginia

December 14, 2016

Alabama auto parts supplier to Kia and Hyundai, staffing agencies face $2.5M in fines after robot fatally crushes young bride-to-be

CUSSETA, Ala. When she wasn’t employed as a temporary worker at a Cusseta manufacturer that stamps metal parts for Hyundai and Kia vehicles, Regina Allen Elsea was making final plans for her wedding and looking forward to a new life with her future husband.

December 14, 2016

Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning cited for fall protection violation as worker falls in Lexington from roof as unprotected foreman stands on another

ANDOVER, Mass. – An employee of Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning and General Contracting of Massachusetts Inc. was injured when he fell 9 feet from a garage roof in Lexington on Oct. 24, 2016. It was the second such incident in Massachusetts in less than a year for the New Jersey-based company that specializes in cleaning gutters and roofs. On Nov. 29, 2015, another employee fell 26 feet from a roof in Newton.

December 14, 2016

OSHA cites Massachusetts packaging company for serious safety, health hazards following injury to temporary worker

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found a Dudley contract packager failed to inform the agency as required that a temporary worker needed hospitalization after he sustained a serious injury on May 26, 2016. Even worse, the employer failed to contact emergency medical services immediately when the injury occurred.

December 12, 2016

OSHA cites, fines Crystal Finishing Systems following fatality investigation

MOSINEE, Wis. – A federal investigation, prompted by the death of a 51-year-old chemical technician at a coatings company’s facility in Mosinee, has resulted in multiple safety violations.

December 12, 2016

OSHA inspects Selbyville poultry processor after worker suffers finger amputation

Employer name: Mountaire Farms Inc.

Inspection site: 55 Hosier Street, Selbyville, Delaware

Corporate address: P.O. Box 1320, Millsboro, Delaware

December 8, 2016

OSHA cites global commercial laundry equipment manufacturer after second worker suffers amputation injury in less than two months

RIPON, Wis. – For the second time in less than two months, federal safety and health inspectors found an employee at one of world’s leading commercial laundry equipment manufacturers suffered an amputation injury because a machine lacked adequate safety guarding.

December 8, 2016

OSHA cites global food company after 2 workers suffer severe injuries at Melrose Park, Illinois, processing facility

MELROSE PARK, Ill. – Just six weeks after a machine amputated a maintenance worker’s left hand as he cleared jammed material stuck in a machine at its Melrose Park bread products facility, the company reported a second worker’s right forearm suffered multiple fractures as he cleaned another machine. Federal safety inspectors investigating the injuries found, in both instances, the company allowed employees to service machinery without isolating operating parts, a process known as lockout/tagout.

December 8, 2016

OSHA emphasis program finds 22 violations at Texas feed manufacturer

Employer’s name: CPE Feeds Inc.
2102 Lubbock Road
Brownfield, Texas

Citations issued: Nov. 28, 2016

December 7, 2016

Central Transport agrees to enhanced safety measures at over 100 freight terminals in US Labor Department settlement

BOSTON – For several years, inspections by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration identified a disturbing pattern of defective forklifts being used to move, handle, load and unload freight in at least 11 Central Transport LLC shipping terminals in nine states.

December 6, 2016

Stucco contractor fails to properly protect employees from fall, silica hazards

EVANSTON, Ill. ‒ A Burbank contractor failed to provide employees remodeling a home in Evanston with adequate protection from falls and the personal protective equipment and training needed to work safely with silica and portland cement.

December 6, 2016

OSHA finds workers exposed to machine, electrical hazards

Employer name: NN Metal Stampings Inc.
510 Maple St.
Pioneer, Ohio

Citations issued: Dec. 2, 2016

December 5, 2016

OSHA finds flooring subcontractor workers exposed to dangerous falls at construction site; Dallas-area employer faces $87K in fines

Employer Name: Subfloor Systems Inc.
10509 Tube St.
Hurst, Texas

Citations Issued: Nov. 8, 2016