July 16, 2015

OSHA News Brief: Transformers Construction and Buildtronix in Jacksonville, Florida, continues to put employees at risk of dangerous falls and eye protection hazards [07/16/2015]

Employer name: Transformers Construction Services Inc. and Buildtronix LLC, owned by Leanna Richardson.

Inspection sites: 25 Molasses Court, St. Johns, Florida 32259 and 65 Morning Star Way, Ponte Vedra, Florida 32081

Date citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the employer citations on June 26.

July 16, 2015

EBSA News Brief: US Labor Department files lawsuit to recover more than $84,000 in missing retirement contributions from Denver area environmental engineering firm [07/16/2015]

Date of Action: July 16, 2015

Type of Action: Lawsuit

Name(s) of Defendant: Stewart Environmental Consultants LLC, located and doing business in Fort Collins, Colorado, and owner David Stewart

July 15, 2015

WHD News Brief: U.S. Labor Department finds federal contractor misclassified 151 workers as independent contractors [07/15/2015]

Employer name: Pegasso Construction & Floor Covering LLC

Investigation site: Office at 1746 Hazel Wood Drive, Marietta, Ga., 30067 and various jobsites including Ft. Gordon army base in Augusta, Ga.

July 15, 2015

OSHA News Release: Worker endures 3 surgeries after press crushes hand at seal manufacturer [07/15/2015]

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio — A hydraulic press crushed a 62-year-old machine operator's left hand at a seal and gasket manufacturer, resulting in multiple broken bones. The injured worker, a 15-year employee, has been unable to return to work and has endured three surgeries as a result.

July 15, 2015

OSHA News Release: Pacific Northwest trucking company retaliates against sick, tired drivers again [07/15/2015]

SEATTLE — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has again ordered Oak Harbor Freight Lines Inc. to stop retaliating against truck drivers who refuse to drive when they feel too ill or fatigued.

July 15, 2015

EBSA News Release: US Labor Department files lawsuit to recover $126K in missing plan assets from defunct Michelson Energy Co. in San Antonio [07/15/2015]

Date of Action: July 11, 2015

Type of Action: The U.S. Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against Michelson Energy Co. and three defendants in connection with the Michelson Energy Co. 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan to recover $126,000 in missing retirement funds affecting 26 workers.

July 15, 2015

WHD News Brief: US Labor Department and Kentucky Labor Cabinet sign three-year agreement to protect misclassified workers [07/15/2015]

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor, Kentucky Labor Cabinet

Description: Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Kentucky Labor Cabinet signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the goal of protecting the rights of employees by preventing their misclassification as independent contractors or other non-employee statuses. Under the agreement, both agencies may share information and coordinate law enforcement.

July 14, 2015

OSHA News Brief: OSHA cites Hugo's Roofing Contractors for exposing workers to fall hazards [07/14/2015]

Employer name: Hugo's Roofing Contractors Inc. 26889 Muenz Road Wright City, Missouri

Investigation site: 214 Arbor Meadows Court Fairview Heights, Illinois

July 14, 2015

EBSA News Release: Final judgment entered after three-year legal battle on behalf of Michigan and Iowa-based pension plans [07/14/2015]

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A consent judgement issued by a Kentucky federal court will recover nearly $300,000 for a pension plan in Michigan, and ban the defendants from serving as plan fiduciaries or service providers again.

July 13, 2015

US Labor Department files complaint seeking restoration of contributions to pension plan sponsored by Brunk Industries, Inc. in Fresno, California

Date of Action: June 29, 2015

Type of Action: Complaint

Names of Defendants: James Brunk, Brunk Industries, Inc. and the Contractors and Employees 401(k) Plan as sponsored by Brunk Industries, Inc. of Fresno, California

July 13, 2015

OSHA News Brief: Refrigeration company puts temporary and permanent workers at risk of ammonia exposure due to poor maintenance of coolant systems [07/13/2015]

Employer name: Commercial Warehousing Inc.

Inspection sites: 102 Industrial Boulevard, Winter Haven, Florida 33880

Date citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the employer citations on July 10, 2015. The January 2015 inspection was initiated as part of the agency's National Emphasis Program for Chemical Plants.

July 13, 2015

OSHA News Release: With long history of violations, El Paso, Texas, company faces more than $321K in federal fines [07/13/2015]

EL PASO, Texas — With a history of safety violations dating back 15 years, an El Paso metal stamping plant is no stranger to warnings from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

July 13, 2015

OSHA News Brief: Employees injured by violent clients at Birmingham, Alabama, social services center [07/13/2015]

Employer name: Gateway

Inspection site: 1401 20th Street South, Birmingham, Alabama 35205

Date citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to the employer on July 10, 2015. The inspection was initiated on January 13, 2015, after the agency received a complaint alleging workplace violence.

July 9, 2015

US Department of Labor files lawsuit to appoint an independent fiduciary for Ants Software Inc. abandoned 401(k) Plan in Dunwoody, Georgia

Date of Action: July 2, 2015

Type of Action: Complaint

Name of Defendants: Rik Sanchez, Ants Software Inc., and Ants Software Inc. 401(k) Plan

July 9, 2015

OSHA News Release: US Labor Department files suit to reinstate John Deere employee dismissed for reporting unsafe working conditions [07/09/2015]

MOLINE, Ill. — Job reinstatement, back wages and damages are sought for a pipefitter previously employed by John Deere, who was terminated from the Moline facility after reporting unsafe working conditions to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The department filed the lawsuit in federal court against Deere & Co., which operates as John Deere, on behalf of a pipefitter. The suit alleges John Deere violated the whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

July 9, 2015

OSHA News Release: Auto parts manufacturer ignores safety hazards, worker loses fingertip [07/09/2015]

CAROL STREAM, Ill. — An auto parts manufacturer's decision to ignore machine safety procedures led to the loss of a 58-year-old worker's fingertip, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors have determined.

OSHA inspected FIC America Corp. in January at its Carol Stream location after the employee suffered the fingertip amputation while servicing a machine. The agency cited the company on July 1, for one repeated, nine serious and one other-than-serious safety violation. Proposed penalties total $89,000.

July 9, 2015

EBSA News Brief: US Department of Labor files lawsuit to appoint an independent fiduciary for Ants Software Inc. abandoned 401(k) Plan in Dunwoody, Georgia [07/09/2015]

Date of Action: July 2, 2015

Type of Action: Complaint

Name of Defendants: Rik Sanchez, Ants Software Inc., and Ants Software Inc. 401(k) Plan

July 9, 2015

WHD News Release: More than 160 direct mail and printing workers will receive $1.4M in back wages, damages for overtime violations [07/09/2015]

PHILADELPHIA — More than 160 workers at a Philadelphia direct mail and printing company will receive $1.45 million in back wages and damages after a federal investigation found their employer and a staffing agency failed to pay overtime wages.

July 9, 2015

OWCP News Release: Change may give Grand Junction Facilities, Dow Chemical nuclear weapons workers easier access to EEOICPA compensation for illnesses [07/09/2015]

WASHINGTON — Former employees of the Grand Junction Facilities site in Grand Junction, Colorado, and the Dow Chemical Co. site in Pittsburg, California, may qualify for a presumption of causation if they are included in a designated Special Exposure Cohort class of employees and diagnosed with one of 22 specified cancers. The change comes after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services amended its Special Exposure Cohort in May 2015.

July 9, 2015

OWCP News Release: US Department of Labor to assist current and former Pennsylvania nuclear weapons workers at traveling resource center in Kensington [07/09/2015]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Labor representatives will host information sessions in Pennsylvania on July 22 in New Kensington to inform current and former nuclear weapons workers from 25 covered facilities in the state about the benefits available to them under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.