WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today awarded $8 million in Susan Harwood Capacity Building Grants to 45 organizations, including nonprofit and community/faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, and colleges and universities. The grants will assist these organizations in providing safety and health training, and educational programs for workers and employers.

PHENIX CITY, Ala. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited MDLG, doing business as Phenix Lumber Co., for 53 safety and health violations following the death of one worker and the critical injury of a second at its Phenix City facility. Proposed penalties total $439,400.

BLANDON, Pa. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to Kief Industries Inc., doing business as Excelsior Brass Works. The citations allege the company knowingly exposed workers to lead hazards and violated federal workplace safety and health standards at its Blandon facility. Proposed penalties total $550,400.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been petitioned by Public Citizen, a national advocacy organization, as well as other groups and individuals, to issue regulations that would limit the work hours of resident physicians. In response to the request, the assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, Dr. David Michaels, today issued the following statement:

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today fined Whitesell Corp. $3,071,500 and cited the company with 72 safety and health violations for exposing workers to amputation hazards and other problems at its manufacturing plants in Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals, Ala.

HOUSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued Goodman Manufacturing Co. LP 83 willful citations for failing to record and improperly recording work-related injuries and illnesses at the company's Houston air conditioning cooling facility. Proposed penalties total $1,215,000.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published interim final rules that will help protect workers who voice safety, health and security concerns. The regulations, which establish procedures for handling worker retaliation complaints, allow filing by phone as well as in writing and filing in languages other than English.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to E.N. Range Inc. in Miami, Fla., alleging the company knowingly neglected to protect employees who clean gun ranges from serious overexposure to lead. It also provided, without medical supervision, non-FDA-approved treatments for lead exposure. The company was cited for more than 50 violations of the lead standard and others, with total proposed penalties of $2,099,600.

ORLANDO, Fla. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited SeaWorld of Florida LLC for three safety violations, including one classified as willful, following the death of an animal trainer in February. The total penalty is $75,000.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has received numerous complaints from workers taking part in the Gulf Coast oil spill cleanup whose employers are refusing to provide them with a certificate following their completion of training under the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, or HAZWOPER, standard. OSHA interprets the standard as prohibiting covered employers from withholding written certificates from workers who have successfully completed such training.

Company fined $374,500 for willful and serious safety violations at Whitewater and Genoa City

Federal agency warns natural gas power plant operators against deadly practice

Penalty stems from 2005 explosion at Texas City, Texas, refinery

OSHA issues warning letter to industry following series of similar incidents including suffocation last week of 2 teenagers in Illinois grain elevator

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced that it is issuing a new rule addressing the use of cranes and derricks in construction, which will replace a decades-old standard. Approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental and crane certification establishments employing about 4.8 million workers will be affected by the rule published today.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels, today issued the following statement:

"If someone is at a beach that has been impacted by the oil spill, they may see workers wearing protective clothing to prevent their skin from coming into contact with weathered oil. Skin contact with weathered oil can cause dermatitis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced it has resolved litigation with Imperial Sugar Co. stemming from the February 2008 explosion at its Port Wentworth, Ga., plant and subsequently discovered safety and health violations at the company's Gramercy, La., facility.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels today issued the following statement regarding training for Gulf Coast oil spill clean-up:

"Employees hired to be supervisors in the onshore and marine cleanup are required to receive extensive training. A rigorous 40-hour program is required under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response Standard.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is soliciting applications for $2.75 million in Susan Harwood Targeted Topic Training Grants to provide training and education programs on safety and health for workers and their employers. For fiscal year 2010, the program offers 28 targeted topic areas including crane safety, combustible dust, maritime, oil and gas, and eye safety.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's solicitor today filed a complaint against the U.S. Postal Service for electrical work safety violations. The complaint, which asks the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission to order USPS to correct electrical violations at 350 facilities, marks the first time the department has sought enterprise-wide relief as a remedy.