August 2, 2016

OSHA fines mobile home trailer axle manufacturer, recycler for exposing workers to amputations

Employer name: Lone Star Wheel Components Inc.

Inspection site: 3129 East Highway 31, Corsicana, Texas 75110

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 2, 2016

OSHA cites Missouri machine shop after welder electrocuted, dies

MARTHASVILLE, Mo. – Federal investigators found the electrocution death of a 43-year-old welder could have been prevented if his employer had de-energized conductors and followed electrical safe work practices at its Missouri machine shop.

August 2, 2016

US Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division to offer free compliance seminar in West Virginia on Sept. 8

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division will offer a comprehensive compliance seminar for employers, representatives of community rehabilitation programs, family members and guardians of workers with disabilities and other stakeholders on rules governing the payment of workers with disabilities under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

August 2, 2016

Two OSHA inspectors find North Jersey company exposes workers to more than two dozen serious crane, chemical hazards

Employer name: RCS Construction LLC

Inspection site: 265 Pennsylvania Ave., Hillside, New Jersey 

August 2, 2016

OSHA finds workers exposed to falls, electric shock, other hazards at pre-cast concrete structure manufacturer following complaint, injury

Employer name: The Turner Company LLP

Inspection site: 11049 South U.S. Hwy 287, Rhome, Texas 76078

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 2, 2016

OSHA cites Rohm-Haas Electronics Material for exposing employees to fire, explosion hazards; finds 11 workplace safety violations

Employer name: Rohm-Haas Electronics Material, LLC, doing business as Dow Chemical Co.
60 Willow St., North Andover, Massachusetts a manufacturer of specialty chemicals.

What prompted OSHA’s inspection: On Jan. 7, 2016, an explosion occurred as plant employees were engaged in the trimethyl aluminum cylinder reclamation process. The process involves purging the cylinders of residual amounts of trimethyl aluminum, a substance that can ignite spontaneously in air. Four employees were injured as a result of the explosion.

August 2, 2016

OSHA fines Lamoure grain company $104K for violations after worker caught in sweep auger, injured

FREDONIA, N.D. – An investigation into a 36-year-old worker’s injuries at a North Dakota grain facility found multiple violations of federal safety standards for grain handling and confined space entry, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

August 2, 2016

OSHA finds hazards at two Kansas Dollar General stores; retailer cited for more than 100 safety violations at its stores nationwide

WICHITA, Kan. – Federal safety inspectors have again found blocked exits and other hazards at stores operated by national discount retailer, Dollar General – this time in Wichita and Clay Center.

August 2, 2016

OSHA finds Tyson employees exposed to occupational noise, other hazards at two Holcomb, Kansas, facilities

Employer name: Tyson Fresh Meats Inc.
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. a division doing business as Tyson Hides and Tannery
Holcomb, Kansas

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Wichita Area Office cited Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. and Tyson Hides and Tannery for a total of two repeated, five serious, and one other than serious safety and health violations.

August 2, 2016

ERISA Advisory Council to discuss cybersecurity, other benefit plan issues at Aug. 23-25 meeting in Washington

WASHINGTON – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council, will meet at U.S. Department of Labor headquarters Aug. 23-25, 2016 to hear testimony from invited witnesses and receive an update from the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The council has scheduled the EBSA update tentatively for the morning of Aug. 25.

August 2, 2016

Name change or not, Nebraska builder continues his callous disregard for protecting workers from falls, the leading cause of construction worker’s deaths

ELKHORN, Neb. ‒ Rich Tiller might have changed his company’s name, but the Nebraska construction company owner has not changed his callous attitude toward his employees’ safety and well-being.

August 2, 2016

Roofing company did not provide adequate fall protection to worker who died after 33-foot fall at Watertown Community Center project

WATERTOWN, S.D. ‒ Federal investigators found a 24-year-old roofing worker, who fell more than 33 feet to his death lacked an adequate fall protection system and his employer failed to train him to work safely at heights.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the man, who was installing roofing materials, was outside of a warning line placed on the roof when he fell off the roof of the Watertown Community Center.

August 2, 2016

Massachusetts companies to pay $2.4M in overtime, damages to 478 workers, most intentionally misclassified as independent contractors

BOSTON – A Lunenburg construction company and a Framingham company it used to avoid its legal responsibilities as an employer have been ordered to pay a total of $2,359,685 in back wages and liquidated damages to 478 employees and take other corrective actions to prevent future violations of federal labor law. Under a consent judgment they will also pay $262,900 in civil money penalties due to the willful nature of their violations.

August 2, 2016

OSHA finds lack of adequate machine guarding after worker has three fingers crushed at Chicago steel drum manufacturer

Employer name: Meyer Steel Drum Inc.
2000 S. Kilbourn Ave.
Chicago, Illinois

Citations issued: July 27, 2016

August 2, 2016

US Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez announces appointments, new members and chairperson for Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship

WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announced membership changes to the national Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship. The changes include the appointment of seven new members, the reappointment of 23 current members and the appointment of a new chairperson.

August 1, 2016

Worker’s death leads OSHA to fine Nucor-Yamato Steel for poor loading operations at Arkansas steel mill

Employer name: Nucor-Yamato Steel Inc.

Inspection Site: 5929 E. State Highway 18, Blytheville, Arkansas 72315

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 1, 2016

OSHA fines utility contractor $46K in fatal March 2016 crane failure at highway construction project in Arkansas’ Hope County

Employer name: B C Main Construction Inc., doing business as MAIN

Inspection Site: 22500 SR 7 North, Dover, Arkansas 72837

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 1, 2016

Houston tortilla factory faces $106K in federal penalties for exposing employees to amputation, machine, fall and extreme heat hazards

Employer name: La Espiga de Oro Inc.

Location: 1202 W 15th St., Houston, Texas 77008

Citations issued: Aug. 1, 2016

August 1, 2016

OSHA cites Georgia Swifty Car Wash after worker suffers amputation

Employer name: Swifty Athens LLC, doing business as Swifty Car Wash LLC

Inspection site: 2434 W. Broad St., Athens, Georgia 30606

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to Swifty Car Wash on July 30 for 10 serious and one other-than-serious safety violations.

August 1, 2016

Mississippi contractor exposes workers at Mobile apartment complex to dangerous falls; OSHA proposes $42K in penalties

Employer name: Anthony Smith, doing business as Center Stage

Inspection site: 3901 Michael Blvd., Mobile, Alabama 36609           

Citations issued: Citations were issued to the employer on July 29.