GAINESVILLE, Fla. — An employee of R.E. Arnold Construction Inc. was trapped when the wall of an excavation he was working in collapsed around him. The incident occurred as the employee removed dirt from a storm filtration system at the company's work site, and the local fire and rescue team had to remove the employee, who left the scene in critical condition. As a result, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited R.E Arnold with one willful and two serious safety violations.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Sterilite Corp., doing business as Sterilite of Alabama LLC, and Marathon Staffing Corp. Inc., for 13 safety and health violations. OSHA initiated the January 2013 inspection at Sterilite's plastics manufacturing facility in Birmingham as part of its National Emphasis Program on Amputations and regional emphasis program to limit worker exposure to high noise levels.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today issued the following statement regarding Congressional approval of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act:

"Congress has taken a strong, decisive bipartisan step forward with the passage by both the Senate and the House of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. I applaud the members from both sides of the aisle who led the way to forge this compromise.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Two workers were killed after falling approximately 90 feet while working on the construction of the I-85 interchange Outer Loop overpass. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited R.R. Dawson Bridge Co. LLC with four safety violations following its January 2014 investigation of the fatalities.

NEW YORK — Workers demolishing a three-unit, three-story residential building in Brooklyn's Prospect-Lefferts Gardens section were exposed to potentially fatal falls due to their employer's failure to provide and ensure the use of lifesaving fall protection. As a result, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed $45,200 in penalties against Brooklyn contractor US Demco of Brooklyn Inc. for one willful and seven serious violations of workplace safety standards.

MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into an agreement with McKees Rocks Industrial Enterprises Inc. and James T. Lind, the company's president, resolving a lawsuit alleging the illegal termination of a general laborer. The worker raised safety concerns at the company's McKees Rocks work site, which serves as both an industrial park and a terminal facility, resulting in an inspection by the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Violations exposed miners to black lung, explosion hazards

ARLINGTON, Va. — An impact inspection at the Rhino Eastern LLC's Eagle Mine 3 in Wyoming County, West Virginia, found conditions that put miners at risk of developing black lung disease and that increased the potential for deadly explosions, underscoring the importance of mine safety vigilance and the need for continued improvements in controlling coal dust.

Violations exposed miners to black lung, explosion hazards

ARLINGTON, Va. — An impact inspection at the Rhino Eastern LLC's Eagle Mine 3 in Wyoming County, West Virginia, found conditions that put miners at risk of developing black lung disease and that increased the potential for deadly explosions, underscoring the importance of mine safety vigilance and the need for continued improvements in controlling coal dust.

TAMPA, Fla. — Burgos Construction Corp. has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for four willful, one repeat and two serious safety violations after OSHA inspectors observed employees performing residential construction without using a fall protection system at four work sites in Lithia, Tampa, Riverview and Land O' Lakes. The company was hired to build a new apartment complex in Tampa and work on three new residences.

WASHINGTON — U.S Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the June 2014 Employment Situation report released today:

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — An employee of Nueces Electrical Co-op in Corpus Christi has received $46,920 in back wages and damages after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found the company in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

BOSTON — Donald Pottern, doing business as Crown Furniture, will pay a former employee $12,500 and take other corrective action to resolve an anti-discrimination lawsuit filed in May by the U.S. Department of Labor.

SMYRNA, Ga. — Jose M. Hernandez Cruz, doing business as JA Siding Construction Services LLC, of Marietta, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for three repeat and four serious safety violations. Citations were issued to the employer for exposing workers to falls and other hazards while employees were installing siding at a new residence on Westwood Road SE in Smyrna. OSHA began its inspection in February 2014 as part of the region's emphasis program on falls in construction. Penalties total $42,240.

HARTFORD, Conn. — An inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found that workers at the TLD Ace Corp. manufacturing plant in Windsor were exposed to potential falls, burns and electric shock due to missing or inadequate safeguards at the company's manufacturing plant.

BRAINTREE, Mass. — Employees at the Dollar Tree Stores Inc. location in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood repeatedly faced the dangers of blocked exits and hazardous conditions in the store's stockroom, according to an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Dollar Tree Stores faces a total of $177,800 in proposed fines following a complaint inspection by OSHA's Braintree Area Office.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Although improvements in roof control technology have led to a significant decrease in accidents related to roof and rib (wall) falls, such accidents are still a leading cause of injuries in underground coal mines, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has established an alliance with Project BEST (Building Efficiency by Striving Together) to help protect construction workers from four hazards: falls, struck-by, caught-in and electrical.

MINNEAPOLIS — A consent judgment entered in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota has returned a total of $203,212 to clients of the Pro Systems Corp. Group Health Plan. The company provided health care services for clients of Detroit Lakes-based Pro Systems, PRO Resources and MICROPRO. The judgment resolves a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act for failing to disclose to clients that some fees collected for insurance costs were used for nonhealth plan purposes.

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordering the restaurant chain Manna's to pay a total of $956,482 in back wages and liquidated damages to 85 low-wage workers following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division. The restaurant chain, owned by Betty Park, Kenny H.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Two Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack of Delaware Inc. work sites in Aurora and Lone Tree were cited for two repeat and one serious violation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to abate previously cited violations and continuing to expose workers to hazards from dangerous equipment. OSHA began its inspection of the automotive service centers in December 2013 after receiving a worker complaint. Proposed penalties total $58,300.