FLORENCE, KY – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered Freight Rite Inc. – based in Florence, Kentucky – to reinstate a truck driver terminated after he refused to operate a commercial motor vehicle in hazardous road conditions caused by inclement winter weather. OSHA ordered the company to pay the driver $31,569 in back wages and interest, $100,000 in punitive damages, $50,000 in compensatory damages, and reasonable attorney fees, and to refrain from retaliating against the employee.

JERSEY CITY, NJ - An administrative law judge with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) has issued a decision affirming all safety and health citations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) against Jersey City Medical Center. OSHA cited the medical center – based in Jersey City, New Jersey – for electrical hazards after a maintenance employee's fatal fall after receiving an electric shock. The judge also affirmed OSHA's proposed penalties totaling $174,593.

GLENDALE HEIGHTS, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Hudapack Metal Treating of Illinois Inc. – based in Glendale Heights, Illinois – for 21 serious health and safety violations. The company faces penalties of $181,662.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor will hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) on July 17-18, 2019, in Washington, D.C.

The tentative agenda includes updates from OSHA directorates and a discussion of proposals to add a reference to the definition of "confined space" that applies to welding activities in construction and clarify the requirements for the fit of personal protective equipment in construction.

DALLAS, TX – As temperatures rise in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminds employers to protect their employees from the dangers of working in hot weather.

OSHA's message is simple: Water. Rest. Shade. Employers should encourage workers to drink water every 15 minutes, and take frequent rest breaks in shaded areas. Employers should:

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited the Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc. for exposing employees to workplace safety hazards at the Jacksonville, Florida, zoo. The animal park faces $14,661 in proposed penalties.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Woodgrain Millwork Co. – operating as Woodgrain Distribution Inc. – for exposing employees to chemical and struck-by hazards at the company's distribution facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The company faces $125,466 in penalties.

MIAMI, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited GA&L Construction Corp. Inc. and The Rinaldi Group of Florida LLC for failing to protect employees from fall hazards at a construction worksite in Miami, Florida. The two companies face $87,327 in penalties. 

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has signed a two-year alliance with the National Utility Contractors Association of South Florida (NUCA of South Florida) to reduce employee exposure to trenching and excavation hazards. OSHA signed the alliance to coincide with Trench Safety Stand-Down Week, June 17-21, 2019. Learn more about the stand-down.

OAK CREEK, WI – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has signed a strategic partnership with Ryan Companies US Inc., the Milwaukee Building & Construction Trades Council, and Wisconsin Safety and Health Consultation Program to promote worker safety and health during the construction of a two million-square-foot Amazon Distribution Center in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

CANTON, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Ohio Gratings Inc. – a manufacturer of aluminum, stainless steel, and carbon products based in Canton, Ohio – for exposing employees to respiratory, chemical, and other hazards. OSHA cited the company for 17 serious and five other-than-serious safety and health violations, and faces penalties of $183,748.

NAPOLEON, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Silgan Containers Manufacturing Corp. after an employee suffered a broken arm while servicing a machine at its Napoleon, Ohio, facility. The company faces proposed penalties of $106,080 for one repeat and three serious safety violations.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited national discount retailer Dollar Tree Store Inc. for exposing employees to safety hazards at its store on Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, Florida. The company faces $104,192 in penalties.

AUBURN, AL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited automobile parts manufacturer Donghee Alabama LLC and two staffing agencies – J & C Enterprise LLC and Jian Enterprise LLC – for exposing employees to safety hazards at its facility in Auburn, Alabama. The companies collectively face $145,438 in penalties.

FORT WORTH, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Southern Tire Mart LLC – based in Columbia, Mississippi – for failing to protect employees from serious safety hazards after a worker suffered fatal injuries while attempting to mount a monster truck tire rim at the company's retreading facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The company faces $341,195 in fines.

AUGUSTA, ME – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Shawn D. Purvis, owner of Purvis Home Improvement Co. Inc. for egregious willful, repeat, and serious workplace safety violations. Purvis - a Saco, Maine, roofing contractor - faces a total of $1,792,726 in penalties. The enforcement action follows the death of an employee in Portland, Maine, on December 13, 2018.

KANSAS CITY, MO ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is seeking to raise awareness of hazards in the electrical industry in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. OSHA wants employers to work to reduce the number of serious injuries, illnesses, and fatalities among engineers, electricians, and other professionals who perform electrical operations including work on overhead lines, cable harnesses, and circuit assemblies.

LAKEWOOD, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Navy Contractors Inc. for exposing employees to fall hazards at a work site in Lakewood, New Jersey. The company faces $84,183 in penalties for repeat and serious safety violations.

NEW CASTLE, DE – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Croda Inc. after a chemical release at the New Castle, Delaware, manufacturing plant exposed workers to ethylene oxide. The company faces $262,548 in penalties.

KEY WEST, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Evoqua Water Technologies LLC – based in Thomasville, Georgia – for failing to protect employees working in excessive heat. The company faces $21,311 in penalties, including the maximum penalty allowed by law for the heat-related violation.