OSHA

14 Stories

US Steps Up Dollar General's Workplace Safety Punishment

OSHA puts 'severe violator' label on chain, which allows random inspections

(Newser) - Inspectors have found 111 workplace safety violations in visits to more than 270 Dollar General stores since January 2017. In that time, the company has been fined more than $15.5 million by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. That record has landed the retailer in the agency's Severe...

Caterpillar to Blame for Worker's Fall Into Molten Iron

OSHA proposes $145K fine over Steve Dierkes' death in June

(Newser) - A worker had been on the job a little over a week when he fell into a pot of molten iron that ABC News reports was "twice as hot as lava." Steve Dierkes, a melting specialist at a Caterpillar foundry in Mapleton, Illinois, was "immediately incinerated" by...

After 'Life-Changing Injury' at USPS Facility, Possible Big Fines

Worker has arm amputated after accident at NC mail facility; OSHA finds 'serious safety violations'

(Newser) - A US Postal Service worker lost an arm after an accident involving a machine at a North Carolina mail processing center, and now the agency could face fines of more than $170,000, reports WGHP . Per a release from the US Department of Labor, the mechanic at the USPS' Greensboro...

Federal Appeals Court Puts Biden Mandate Back in Play

6th US Circuit Court of Appeals frees up vaccine, testing rule for businesses with 100-plus workers

(Newser) - As some states continue to push back on the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for private employers, the president saw a victory on that front Friday after a federal appeals court reinstated the vaccine and testing requirement for businesses, reports CNBC . The ruling by the 6th US Circuit Court of...

Firm Cited for 23 Violations After Robot Kills Bride-to-Be

Auto parts plant cut safety corners to meet high targets: OSHA

(Newser) - Federal authorities have announced nearly two dozen safety violations issued to an auto parts manufacturer after a bride-to-be who worked at its Alabama plant was crushed to death by a robotic machine. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday announced 23 violations after investigating the death at the...

Senator Seeks Answers on Man's Sugar-Plant Death

Bob Casey tells OSHA number of incidents is unacceptable

(Newser) - The chief the Senate's workplace safety subcommittee says he is concerned about the rising number of deaths involving temp workers—and he is "particularly troubled" by the death of Janio Salinas, who was buried alive in sugar last year after a plant removed a safety device that was...

Walmart Safety Violations Prompt Fixes at 2.8K Stores

It will also pay $190K fine as part of Labor Dept. agreement

(Newser) - More tough press for Walmart: The megastore will pay a $190,000 fine after "repeat and serious" health and safety violations affecting employees were uncovered at a Rochester, New York, store in 2011. But the second part of the deal, announced yesterday, is far more wide-reaching. The chain...

Farms See Record Number of Grain Bin Deaths

OSHA has increased inspections

(Newser) - Grain bins are innocuous-seeming, necessary parts of big agriculture—but they're proving deadly for a record number of farm workers, and OSHA is taking notice. A worker trying to clear damp clots of corn or soy beans can quickly find himself in a sinkhole, his chest compressed by hundreds of...

BP to Pay Record $50M Fine Over 2005 Explosion

Blast killed 15 at Texas refinery

(Newser) - Beleaguered oil giant BP has agreed to pay a record $50.6 million fine for failing to correct safety hazards at its Texas City oil refinery after a 2005 explosion killed 15 workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it is still working to collect another $30 million from...

BP's Safety Record Murky
 BP's Safety Record Murky 

BP's Safety Record Murky

Refinery blast, pipeline spill, safety violations

(Newser) - As the Gulf of Mexico turns into an oil-slicked environmental disaster, BP is quick to point the finger at Transocean, the owner and operator of the doomed Deepwater Horizon. But, as the New York Times reports, the oil giant itself has a history littered with spills, blowouts, safety violations, and...

Green Nail Salons Smell a Trend

Workers suffer through long exposure to toxic chemicals, carcinogens

(Newser) - The booming nail salon business has a booming subcategory: green salons. Besides helping the planet, the ecofriendly establishments are healthier than traditional salons for manicurists and other workers, who are exposed to a multitude of toxic chemicals used in their work. “The cost of course is more,” says...

UCLA Fined for Fatal Lab Explosion
UCLA Fined
for Fatal Lab
Explosion

UCLA Fined for Fatal Lab Explosion

Untrained young aide also lacked protective gear, OSHA finds

(Newser) - UCLA has been fined $31,000 for serious safety violations linked to a fire that killed a lab assistant early this year, reports the Los Angeles Times. Sheri Sangji, 23, had not been properly trained and was not wearing protective clothing when an experiment exploded, seriously burning more than 43%...

OSHA Gutted by Bush White House
OSHA Gutted by
Bush White House

OSHA Gutted by Bush White House

Safety standards eased in response to industry pressure

(Newser) - Under President Bush, political appointees at OSHA caved to industry pressure by withdrawing or watering down workplace health and safety regulations, the Washington Post reports. From 2001 to 2007, the agency issued 86% fewer "economically significant" rules than it did under Clinton. It's "like turning a ketchup bottle...

New Shower Curtains Smell Like Cancer

PVC products linked to wide-ranging and long-lasting ills

(Newser) - Ever wonder about that smell given off by new shower curtains? Well, according to a new study, it’s poisonous. An independent organization has found that PVC shower curtains on shelves at Wal-Mart, Target, Sears and others may give off measurable amounts of dangerous, volatile organic compounds that could linger...

14 Stories