August 8, 2016

OSHA finds US Postal facility exposed workers to asbestos hazards; agency proposes more than $49K in fines

Employer name: U.S. Postal Service
8182 State Road 56
West Baden Springs, Indiana

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 8, 2016

US Department of Labor, CalVans partner to expand safe farmworker transportation plan at Fresno event

FRESNO, Calif. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and the California Vanpool Authority will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to expand the use of the authority’s CalVans fleet – based on the demand from growers, packers and farm labor contractors – to ensure safe and reliable transportation for Central Valley farmworkers to and from the fields every day. The event coincides with the anniversary of an infamous vehicle accident that killed 13 farmworkers in the region in 1999.

August 8, 2016

OSHA finds US Steel again exposed workers to asbestos hazards at Pittsburgh coke production facility, fines company $170K

PITTSBURGH – Twice in about a month, United States Steel Corp. gave seven employees tasks that exposed them to asbestos, a widely recognized hazard associated with serious and fatal health risks including lung cancer, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

August 8, 2016

Colorado residents should avoid unsafe, uninsured ‘storm chasers’ or risk further damage, injury liability, fatality lawsuits

DENVER – After hailstorms in residential areas, roofing contractors may come knocking – offering to make repairs on damaged roofs. Homeowners anxious to protect their property and their wallets should be aware that some companies put profits before their employees’ safety and well-being, and could wind up costing their customers even more.

August 8, 2016

OSHA finds New Jersey rifle manufacturer deemed a ‘severe violator’ in 2012 continues to expose workers to noise hazards at Bayonne facility

Employer name: Henry RAC Holding Corp.

Inspection site: 59 East 1st St., Bayonne, New Jersey        

August 5, 2016

Statement of US Labor Secretary Perez on July employment numbers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the July 2016 Employment Situation report released today:

August 4, 2016

Anchorage comic book, game retailer cited for child labor violations

Employer:  Bosco’s Inc.

Sites: 2301 Spenard Road, Anchorage, Alaska
800 E. Dimond Blvd., Suite #162, Anchorage, Alaska

August 4, 2016

Tubing manufacturer’s fall, electric shock, unguarded equipment and other safety hazards yield nearly $197K in proposed fines

Employer name: Golden Dragon Copper Inc., doing business as GD Copper USA Inc.

Inspection site: 405 GD Copper Drive, Pine Hill, Alabama 36769

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to GD Copper for two willful, one repeat, nine serious and two other-than-serious safety violations. 

August 4, 2016

OSHA finds Wisconsin foundry employees at risk for permanent hearing loss, respiratory illness, other dangers from exposure to noise, silica

Employer name: Waupaca Foundry Inc., 
1955 Brunner Drive, 
Waupaca, Wisconsin

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued two repeat and two serious safety violations to Waupaca Foundry Inc.

August 4, 2016

Maintenance technician crushed fatally when 4,000 pound machine part unintentionally moves during repairs at Warrensburg foundry

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – A 57-year-old maintenance worker was crushed fatally by a 4,000 pound machine part while performing maintenance inside of a sand core machine at a Warrensburg aluminum foundry.

August 4, 2016

OSHA fines South Jersey chemical facility $115K for exposing workers to flammable gas, other hazards; finds 3 repeat, 8 serious violations

Employer name: Solvay Specialty Polymers USA LLC

Inspection site: 10 Leonard Lane, West Deptford, New Jersey          

August 4, 2016

US Department of Labor, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry sign agreement to protect workers from misclassification

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

August 4, 2016

Citigroup Technology pays $1.8M in back wages to 882 employees in Florida after US Labor Department investigation

TAMPA, Fla. – A federal investigation into pay practices at a technology subsidiary of global banking giant Citigroup revealed the Florida company denied hundreds of employees’ overtime compensation and did not maintain time records, both violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

August 4, 2016

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending July 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 269,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 266,000. The 4-week moving average was 260,250, an increase of 3,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 256,500.

August 3, 2016

OSHA finds Osceola US Postal facility exposed workers to electrical, chemical hazards; proposes $44K in fines

Employer name: U.S. Postal Service, 104 S. Fillmore St., Osceola, Iowa

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 3, 2016

OSHA finds machine safety violations at Prairie State Generating Company four times in less than five years, company fined more than $67K

Employer name: Prairie State Generating Company
Marissa, Illinois

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 3, 2016

US Labor Department announces availability of $2M in grants for university-based labor research, evaluation

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $2 million in grants intended to support university-based research of labor policies and issues.

The department’s Chief Evaluation Office will administer these Labor Research and Evaluation grants – a total of up to 10 awards, ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 – to support evaluation and research on the following suggested topics:

August 3, 2016

OSHA finds Ohio metal coating plant continues to expose workers to risk of injuries, illnesses from acid, chemical, machine hazards

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Splashing acid and other serious hazards are putting employees at a Sylvania metal coating company in danger of serious and debilitating injuries because their employer is failing again to provide appropriate protective clothing and other safety equipment, federal safety and health inspectors have found.

August 3, 2016

Expansions may give former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory workers easier access to EEOICPA compensation for illnesses

Who: Former employees of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who worked at the Livermore, California, site may qualify for a presumption of causation if they are included in a designated Special Exposure Cohort class of employees, and have a diagnosis of one of 22 specified cancers.

August 3, 2016

Expansions may give former workers at two Idaho laboratories easier access to EEOICPA compensation for illnesses

Who: Former Argonne National Laboratory-West and Idaho National Laboratory employees in Scoville, Idaho, may qualify for a presumption of causation if they are included in a designated Special Exposure Cohort class of employees, and have a diagnosis of one of 22 specified cancers.