February 4, 2016

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending January 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 285,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 278,000 to 277,000. The 4-week moving average was 284,750, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 250 from 283,000 to 282,750.

February 3, 2016

Delaware county roofing contractor continues to expose workers to fall hazards, most recently at Conshohocken site

Employer name: DDP Roofing Services Inc., at 20 Conchester Road in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania

Inspection site: Commercial construction project at 225 Washington St. in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Citations issued: On Feb. 1, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations for one repeat and one serious safety violations.

February 3, 2016

OSHA: Washington County contractor, Pittsburgh staffing agency failed to protect temporary workers from potential trench collapse

Employers name: Kinsey Corp. Inc., 767 Debout Road, Venetia, Pennsylvania
Gillmann Services Inc., 1301 Beaver Ave., Suite 11, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Construction contractor Kinsey Corp. was contracted to install sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and other underground utility lines at the Settlers Pointe housing development in Pittsburgh. Kinsey contracted Gillmann Services to provide temporary employees for pipe installation work.

Inspection site: Near Ridge and McMichael Roads, Pittsburgh

February 3, 2016

Lancaster lawn care company cited for exposing workers to lawn mower safety hazards after employee has two toes amputated

Employer name: SNS Lawn & Landscape Services Inc., doing business as The Ground Guys, 716 Catherine St., Lancaster, Pennsylvania

February 2, 2016

Stratford contractor again exposes employees to fall, scaffold hazards

Employer name: Whole Life Construction Llc, 306 Bird Circle, Stratford, Connecticut

Citations issued: On Jan. 21, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Whole Life Construction Llc for five repeat and two serious violations of workplace safety standards at a residential roofing job at 121 Anson St. in Bridgeport.

February 2, 2016

$1.7M in incremental funding to provide reemployment services to dislocated military service members, workers in Texas

State: Texas

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant, Incremental

Incremental Amount Released: $1,739,427

Total Award Amount Approved: $4,131,089

Funding Awarded to: Texas Workforce Commission

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 1,120

February 2, 2016

OSHA cites performing arts employer after 21-year-old worker was fatally injured from a pyrotechnics explosion at a musical venue in Canyon, Texas

Employer name: Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation Inc., Canyon, Texas

Location: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, Texas

Citations issued: Jan. 28, 2016

February 1, 2016

Dollar General store endangers workers by blocking exit routes with trash

O’FALLON, Mo. – Federal safety inspectors found a 5-foot high, 15-foot long pile of trash between employees at a Missouri Dollar General store and an emergency exit, one of nine safety violations that put workers at the O’Fallon location at risk.

February 1, 2016

OSHA’s regional emphasis focuses on reducing illness, injury at high-hazard manufacturing facilities in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The increased likelihood that workers in high-hazard manufacturing industries – such as food, furniture, fabricated metal, nonmetallic mineral, machinery and computer products – will be injured on the job is leading federal safety and health inspectors in three Midwestern states to increase its focus on industry outreach and inspections to reduce injury and illness rates.

More than 340 workers died in fatal manufacturing incidents nationwide in 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.

February 1, 2016

Worker severely injured in 40-foot fall from crane at TimkenSteel

CANTON, Ohio ‒ A 39-year-old worker suffered multiple broken bones after he fell more than 40 feet while conducting maintenance on a crane at TimkenSteel’s Faircrest Plant. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the company failed to provide the worker adequate fall protection. The Aug. 7, 2015, injury was the second life-threatening injury at a TimkenSteel plant since May 2015.

February 1, 2016

US Labor Department files suit against International Association of Machinists’ pension plan, trustees for multiple fiduciary breaches

Date of Action: Jan. 24, 2016

Type of Action: U.S. Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against the International Association of Machinists National Pension Fund and its board of trustees for multiple violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

February 1, 2016

In rapidly evolving Silicon Valley economy, funds will help close skills gap for about 920 recently laid-off workers

State: California

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Total Amount Approved: $3,200,000

Initial Award Amount: $1,539,570

Awarded to: The NOVA Workforce Board

Number of Workers Served: About 920

February 1, 2016

Respirable coal mine dust rule enters second phase of implementation

ARLINGTON, Va. – Eighteen months after its landmark rule aimed at preventing black lung disease took effect, the Mine Safety and Health Administration is implementing Phase II.

January 29, 2016

US Labor Department obtains judgment to pay $1.1M to participants in Gruber Systems Inc. employee stock ownership plan in California

Date of action:  January 28, 2016

Type of action:  Consent Judgment and Order

Name of defendants: Gruber Systems Inc.; Gruber Systems Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan; and John Hoskinson, an individual

January 28, 2016

OSHA cites auto parts manufacturer for willfully exposing workers to amputations, other hazards at Alabama facility

Employer: Daeil USA Corp.

Inspection site: 1135 Towel Ave., Valley, Alabama 36854

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to the employer on Jan. 28 for one willful, five repeated, 10 serious and one other-than-serious safety violation. Daeil manufactures struts and other automobile parts for Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motor Co.

January 28, 2016

OSHA cites Colorado mattress spring manufacturer with willful, serious citations following worker injury at its Colorado Springs plant

Employer name: L&P Springs Manufacturing LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Citations issued: Jan. 27, 2016

January 28, 2016

OSHA cites auto parts manufacturer for willfully exposing workers to amputations, other hazards at Alabama facility

Employer: Daeil USA Corp.

Inspection site: 1135 Towel Ave., Valley, Alabama 36854

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to the employer on Jan. 28 for one willful, five repeated, 10 serious and one other-than-serious safety violation. Daeil manufactures struts and other automobile parts for Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motor Co.

January 28, 2016

US Mine Safety and Health Administration announces results of special impact inspections at 17 mines in December

Who: U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration

What: The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that federal inspectors issued 163 citations and five orders during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and seven metal and nonmetal mines in December 2015.

Where: MSHA conducted special impact inspections at mines in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

January 28, 2016

Statement by US Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2015 Union Membership report

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement on the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics report released today on union membership in 2015:

“With today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report, we are reminded again that the labor movement continues to be one of the most powerful forces for strengthening the middle class and providing economic stability, for members and non-members alike.

January 28, 2016

OSHA cites employer for exposing Katy, Texas workers to trenching hazards

Employer name: Hurtado Construction Co., Richmond, Texas

Inspection Site: Corner of Mae Street and Avenue D, Katy, Texas

Citations issued: Jan. 22, 2016