Safety alert addresses seasonal preparation incidents

A front-end loader operator died when caught between the bucket of an excavator and the conveyor frame as he attempted to move at a sand and gravel operation.

Ambrosia Fragrance LLC fined more than $67K for federal workplace violations

Employer name: Ambrosia Fragrance LLC, 7 Turner Place, Piscataway, New Jersey.

Citations issued: On Sept. 30, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for 19 serious violations.

Employer name: Tri-State Roofing and Sheet Metal Co., PO Box 1231, Charleston, West Virginia. The inspection site was the State Capitol Complex, Building 3, in Charleston.

Citations issued: On September 25, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the company one general duty clause citation for exposing employees to heat stress conditions, and one serious citation.

MORGANTOWN, Pa. — A 27-year-old furnace worker was killed in an explosion when a boiler lid 20 feet in diameter flew off inside the TIMET titanium manufacturing plant on 900 Hemlock Road in Morgantown. The lid struck Jacob Lopez and injured three other employees in the March 27, 2015, incident.

Date of Action: Sept. 29, 2015

Type of Action: Decision and Order

Name of Defendant: Matsu Alabama Inc., doing business as a division of Matcor Automotive Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of automotive parts to various companies, including General Motors, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the September 2015 Employment Situation report released today:

Funds provide U.S. mine workers with safety and health training

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration will hold four public hearings on its proposed rule for Proximity Detection Systems for Mobile Machines in Underground Coal Mines.

Employer name: Southwest Center for the Developmentally Disabled Inc.

Investigation site: 8009 Terry Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40258

Employer name: Enterprise Masonry Corp., 3010 Bellevue Ave., Wilmington, Delaware. The inspection site was The Flats, 4th and Union Street in Wilmington.

Citations issued: On September 23, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the company one general duty clause citation for exposing employees to heat stress conditions, and one other-than-serious citation.

Employer name: VCNA Prairie Inc. operating as Prairie Material, Bridgeview, Illinois

Citations issued: Sept. 29, 2015

LOS ANGELES — For years, women at The Home Depot in Southern California store found themselves funneled into cashier jobs while their male coworkers landed higher-paying sales jobs. As a federal contractor, however, the company is obligated to offer equal opportunities to all job applicants and employees.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration will hold four public hearings on its proposed rule for Proximity Detection Systems for Mobile Machines in Underground Coal Mines.

Funds provide U.S. mine workers with safety and health training

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration has awarded $8,441,000 in grant funding to 47 states and the Navajo Nation to reduce mining accidents, injuries and illnesses by supporting safety and health training courses and other programs.

Date of Action: Sept. 29, 2015

Name(s) of Defendants: Encorium Group Inc.

Allegations: Based on an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Secretary of Labor filed a complaint alleging the following:

Encorium Group Inc.’s predecessor, the Covalent Group, established a 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan in 1996 to provide a way for its employees to voluntarily save for their retirement years on a tax-free basis. The plan was funded by elective employee contributions and discretionary employer contributions.

CLARK, N.J. — What appeared to be a franchise opportunity for professional cleaners in New Jersey turned out to be an employer scheme to circumvent the law, leaving cleaning workers making less than federal minimum wage.

Employers' names: Corvac Composites LLC and Priority Personnel Inc. in San Marcos, Texas

Citations issued: Sept. 30, 2015

Investigation findings: Corvac Composites was cited for six serious violations for failing to:

Employers' names: Jose Miguel Charles, doing business as Pirul Trim Service, was the subcontractor and employer; and Blazer Building Inc. was the general contractor at an apartment construction site in New Braunfels, Texas.

Citations issued: Sept. 30, 2015