Safety news
Updated 01/18/12
Maine Bakery Fined Nearly $105K
Fed-OSHA has proposed fines of $104,700 for alleged workplace safety violations, including mechanical, electrical, fall and exit hazards, at a Biddeford bakery. Fed-OSHA said it cited International Brands in 2010 for similar hazards at plants in Columbus, Ga., and Schiller Park, Ill. Bangor Daily News
Advocates Call for Tougher Safety Regs in Wyoming
The Wyoming AFL-CIO and a law firm recently issued a media release calling for additional Wyoming OSHA employees and inspections, higher fines for employers who encourage not reporting workplace injuries and making company injury records public. Casper Star-Tribune
Hawaii Seeks to Fill Health and Safety Positions
The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is looking to immediately fill six positions in HIOSH, and hire more later this month. The positions were eliminated in 2008 when the division experienced a reduction in force from 39 to 16 employees due to statewide budget cuts. Pacific Business News
Wisconsin Excavation Contractor Fined $64K for Trench Hazards
Fed-OSHA has fined an Onalaska, Wisc., excavation and plumbing firm more than $64,000 for failing to protect workers installing sewer lines in a 6-foot deep trench from trench cave-ins at a Madison jobsite. LaCrosse Tribune
Michigan Shipyard Fined Nearly $148K
Fed-OSHA has cited a shipyard and boat fabricating facility in Escanaba, Mich., for 32 violations including five classified as repeat, with proposed fines of $147,840. The agency began the inspections as a follow-up to inspections conducted in 2008, which were initiated based on a referral from Michigan OSHA. Daily Press (Escanaba, Mich.)
Previous Safety News:
Frozen Pizza Maker to Appeal
The president of a Watertown, Wisc. frozen pizza maker plans to meet with Fed-OSHA officials next week and anticipates challenging citations and proposed fines of more than $76,000. A willful violation was issued for exposing workers to an oxygen deficient environment when processing pizzas in the liquid nitrogen cryogenic freezer. Watertown Daily Times
Connecticut Firm Fined $110K for Roofing Site Violations
A New London, Conn., contractor faces $110,000 in Fed-OSHA fines for 14 alleged willful and serious violations at an Old Lyme roofing job. The agency also labeled the firm a repeat violator. Hartford Business Journal
St. Louis Recycler Fined Nearly $196K
A suburban St. Louis recycling company faces $$195,930 in Fed-OSHA fines for 37 alleged violations related to a fatal accident involving a baling machine. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Shootings May Spur Safety Rules for Indiana Convenience Stores
Convenience store trade groups in Indiana have agreed to discuss safety upgrades with police and state officials at a summit in January, following recent incidents of violence against store workers. Possible improvements include more security cameras, bulletproof glass, alarms and improved lighting. Indianapolis Star
Proposed Farm Labor Rules Draw Criticism
The Department of Labor recently closed its comment period for proposed changes in farm regulations for minors, but there are concerns that the new rules could be disastrous for the family farm. The new rules would remove a certification program that allowed youth younger than 16 to operate most tractors and powered farm equipment without supervision, expand restrictions on youth working with animals and prohibit work done at more than 6 feet off the ground.Pauls Valley Daily Democrat
Scheduling Tips for Safer Shift Work
Shift work can be problematic, especially when it interferes with a worker's natural circadian rhythm. Even when night workers spend the same number of hours employed as their daytime cohorts, they tend to get less sleep. Research suggests that many workers never really get used to the schedule: they revert to a day schedule on their days off and never allow their sleep and body rhythms to adapt to being awake at night. IndustryWeek
Georgia Plant Fined Following Flash Fire
Fed-OSHA has cited Anchor Glass Container Corp. in Warner Robins, Ga., for three serious safety violations after a worker was burned in a non-production area where employees refuel tanks for forklifts. Proposed penalties total $20,000. Macon.com
Nebraska Grain Bin Fined $132K
Fed-OSHA has proposed $132,000 in fines against a grain bin operation in Atkinson, Neb., for 16 alleged safety violations related to grain bin entry. Bloomberg BusinessWeek
Manhole Investigation Triggers National Effort
A news investigation that found state and local governments in North Carolina do not consider a contractor's safety records in the public bid process is triggering a national call for change. NBC-17 (Raleigh, N.C.)
Boston-Area Painting Contractor Fined Nearly $73K for Confined Space Hazards
An East Boston, Mass., painting contractor faces $72,900 in proposed Fed-OSHA fines after one of its employees lost consciousness while working in a confined space. The employee was overcome by paint vapors while spray painting inside a tugboat. Fire Engineering
Lawnmower Manufacturer Fined $125K for Plant Hazards
Briggs & Stratton Corp. faces $125,000 in fines for mechanical, electrical and fall hazards at its Munnsville, N.Y., plant. The agency reportedly found several recurring hazards similar to those cited during a 2007 inspection of the same location, including unguarded rotating parts and points of operation on machinery, open-sided floors lacking railings or guarding to prevent falls and a lack of electrical grounding. Syracuse Post-Standard
Fed-OSHA Fines Denver-Area Landscape Company in Employee's Death
Fed-OSHA fines a landscape company whose employee died in a ditch collapse $8,400 for failing to properly train workers and shore up the trench. Another worker was partially buried and suffered minor injuries to the lower part of his body.
Feds Probe Teen Worker's Death at South Carolina Velodrome Site
South Carolina OSHA is investigating the weekend death of a construction worker at the site of a future velodrome in Rock Hill, S.C. The 18-year-old died after a backhoe accident. The Herald (Rock Hill)
Fed-OSHA Cites Suburban Chicago Contractor
A Buffalo Grove, Ill. construction firm has been fined $50,000 by Fed-OSHA for willful violations that caused a worker to suffer a fatal head injury at a jobsite in May. The employee fell from a scaffold while applying stucco to a home under construction. Chicago Tribune
Agency Rarely Visits N.H. Region
Fed-OSHA rarely scrutinizes New Hampshire's North Country region, and that's raising questions about how well workers are protected on the job. NHPR
Fire Marshal Concerned About New Hampshire Fieldhouse Foundation
The New Hampshire Fire Marshal's office says it's concerned about the concrete foundation and footings for a fieldhouse under construction at Kimball Union Academy, which recently had suspended work on the 40,000-square-foot structure. Boston Globe
CSB: Blasts at Tennessee Plants Preventable
Officials at a Gallatin, Tenn., metal-powders plant knew about serious safety hazards at least as early as 2008 after an insurance audit raised questions about combustible dust but did nothing to eliminate the problems before a series of flash fires this year killed five workers and injured at least four others, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. The latest incident, a hydrogen explosion inside the plant, occurred May 27 and fatally burned three workers. Tennessean
Massachusetts Commuter Railroad Negotiating with Fed-OSHA
The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company this month entered negotiations with Fed-OSHA to address violations recently cited against MBCR's Somerville maintenance facility. The agency found 22 serious independent violations at the maintenance facility in East Somerville in October and fined the railroad $130,800. Tufts Daily (Tufts University)
HIOSH Completes Probe into Death of Maui Tree Trimmer
Hawaii OSHA has completed its investigation of the July incident that claimed the life of a 39-year-old Kihei tree trimmer. The investigation found that the flip line used to hold and position the tree trimmer was defective. Maui Now
North Carolina Manufacturer Wins Third SHARP Award
For the third time, the Service Thread Manufacturing Company of Laurinburg, N.C., has received the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program's "SHARP" award, the state's second highest workplace safety designation, from the North Carolina Department of Labor. Laurinburg Exchange
No Citations in Abilene Scaffold Collapse
Fed-OSHA found no safety violations after reviewing a June scaffolding collapse at an Abilene, Texas, medical center that injured two construction workers. It took firefighters about 90 minutes to free one of the workers, who was trapped beneath the rubble. Abilene Reporter-News
Worker Dies in Machine Accident at South Dakota Plant
A manufacturing engineer technician at a Canton, S.D. manufacturer of engine cooling systems for vehicles, dies in a machine-related accident. Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Jersey City Officials Say Safety, Health Issues at Precinct Fixed
Problems regarding the cleanliness and safety of Jersey City's West District police precinct, including bulletproof glass that still had holes from a 2005 shootout, have been completely resolved, according to city officials. Jersey Journal
Fed-OSHA Plans Nursing Home Inspections
Roughly 300 nursing homes can expect Fed-OSHA inspections, according to one of the latest agency directives aimed at long-term care providers. The agency is targeting nursing and personal care homes with 20 or more employees that have a Days Away, Restricted or Transferred rate at or over 16 days. McKnight's
Worker Fatally Plunges from Forklift in Branson
A 41-year-old construction worker dies after falling 25 feet from a forklift platform while fireproofing a building in Branson, Mo., according to a city spokesman. Branson Tri-Lakes News
Tulsa's Incidence Rates 'Astronomical'
Two years ago, when Tulsa, Okla.'s workers' compensation expenses soared past $10 million, city officials began looking for answers. They found a start in Fed-OSHA's incidence rates. Tulsa World
Officials: Safety Hazards at Disney World Contributed to 2009 Fatality
A lack of adequate safety protocols at Walt Disney World contributed to a 2009 collision between two monorail trains that killed a 21-year-old resort employee, according to federal investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board is the second federal agency to cite Disney for its role in the accident; Fed-OSHA cited Disney with four safety violations in December 2009. Orlando Sentinel [with video]
Georgia Company Cited for Repeat, Willful Violations
A Moultrie, Ga., chrome products preparer receives citations for eight safety violations, including ones classified as repeat and willful, with total proposed penalties of $110,220. Fed-OSHA opened its inspection as a follow-up to one conducted in 2010 after the company failed to confirm that previously cited violations had been corrected. Moultrie Observer
Agency Fines Massachusetts Framer $180K
Fed-OSHA fines an Everett, Mass., framing contractor $180,100 for violations including fall, scaffolding and electrical hazards after a worksite inspection that began after an inspector observed an employee working without fall protection at the fifth-floor level of a building under construction in Portsmouth, N.H.Seacoastonline.com
Fed-OSHA Most Frequently Cites ASCs for Bloodborne Pathogen Violations
Although more than half of the surgeries in the U.S. are performed in ambulatory care centers, ambulatory surgery center resources and safety oversight may lag significantly behind those of their hospital counterparts. Infection Control Today
Maine Bakery Fined Nearly $105K
Fed-OSHA has proposed fines of $104,700 for alleged workplace safety violations, including mechanical, electrical, fall and exit hazards, at a Biddeford bakery. Fed-OSHA said it cited International Brands in 2010 for similar hazards at plants in Columbus, Ga., and Schiller Park, Ill. Bangor Daily News
Advocates Call for Tougher Safety Regs in Wyoming
The Wyoming AFL-CIO and a law firm recently issued a media release calling for additional Wyoming OSHA employees and inspections, higher fines for employers who encourage not reporting workplace injuries and making company injury records public. Casper Star-Tribune
Hawaii Seeks to Fill Health and Safety Positions
The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is looking to immediately fill six positions in HIOSH, and hire more later this month. The positions were eliminated in 2008 when the division experienced a reduction in force from 39 to 16 employees due to statewide budget cuts. Pacific Business News
Wisconsin Excavation Contractor Fined $64K for Trench Hazards
Fed-OSHA has fined an Onalaska, Wisc., excavation and plumbing firm more than $64,000 for failing to protect workers installing sewer lines in a 6-foot deep trench from trench cave-ins at a Madison jobsite. LaCrosse Tribune
Michigan Shipyard Fined Nearly $148K
Fed-OSHA has cited a shipyard and boat fabricating facility in Escanaba, Mich., for 32 violations including five classified as repeat, with proposed fines of $147,840. The agency began the inspections as a follow-up to inspections conducted in 2008, which were initiated based on a referral from Michigan OSHA. Daily Press (Escanaba, Mich.)
Previous Safety News:
Frozen Pizza Maker to Appeal
The president of a Watertown, Wisc. frozen pizza maker plans to meet with Fed-OSHA officials next week and anticipates challenging citations and proposed fines of more than $76,000. A willful violation was issued for exposing workers to an oxygen deficient environment when processing pizzas in the liquid nitrogen cryogenic freezer. Watertown Daily Times
Connecticut Firm Fined $110K for Roofing Site Violations
A New London, Conn., contractor faces $110,000 in Fed-OSHA fines for 14 alleged willful and serious violations at an Old Lyme roofing job. The agency also labeled the firm a repeat violator. Hartford Business Journal
St. Louis Recycler Fined Nearly $196K
A suburban St. Louis recycling company faces $$195,930 in Fed-OSHA fines for 37 alleged violations related to a fatal accident involving a baling machine. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Shootings May Spur Safety Rules for Indiana Convenience Stores
Convenience store trade groups in Indiana have agreed to discuss safety upgrades with police and state officials at a summit in January, following recent incidents of violence against store workers. Possible improvements include more security cameras, bulletproof glass, alarms and improved lighting. Indianapolis Star
Proposed Farm Labor Rules Draw Criticism
The Department of Labor recently closed its comment period for proposed changes in farm regulations for minors, but there are concerns that the new rules could be disastrous for the family farm. The new rules would remove a certification program that allowed youth younger than 16 to operate most tractors and powered farm equipment without supervision, expand restrictions on youth working with animals and prohibit work done at more than 6 feet off the ground.Pauls Valley Daily Democrat
Scheduling Tips for Safer Shift Work
Shift work can be problematic, especially when it interferes with a worker's natural circadian rhythm. Even when night workers spend the same number of hours employed as their daytime cohorts, they tend to get less sleep. Research suggests that many workers never really get used to the schedule: they revert to a day schedule on their days off and never allow their sleep and body rhythms to adapt to being awake at night. IndustryWeek
Georgia Plant Fined Following Flash Fire
Fed-OSHA has cited Anchor Glass Container Corp. in Warner Robins, Ga., for three serious safety violations after a worker was burned in a non-production area where employees refuel tanks for forklifts. Proposed penalties total $20,000. Macon.com
Nebraska Grain Bin Fined $132K
Fed-OSHA has proposed $132,000 in fines against a grain bin operation in Atkinson, Neb., for 16 alleged safety violations related to grain bin entry. Bloomberg BusinessWeek
Manhole Investigation Triggers National Effort
A news investigation that found state and local governments in North Carolina do not consider a contractor's safety records in the public bid process is triggering a national call for change. NBC-17 (Raleigh, N.C.)
Boston-Area Painting Contractor Fined Nearly $73K for Confined Space Hazards
An East Boston, Mass., painting contractor faces $72,900 in proposed Fed-OSHA fines after one of its employees lost consciousness while working in a confined space. The employee was overcome by paint vapors while spray painting inside a tugboat. Fire Engineering
Lawnmower Manufacturer Fined $125K for Plant Hazards
Briggs & Stratton Corp. faces $125,000 in fines for mechanical, electrical and fall hazards at its Munnsville, N.Y., plant. The agency reportedly found several recurring hazards similar to those cited during a 2007 inspection of the same location, including unguarded rotating parts and points of operation on machinery, open-sided floors lacking railings or guarding to prevent falls and a lack of electrical grounding. Syracuse Post-Standard
Fed-OSHA Fines Denver-Area Landscape Company in Employee's Death
Fed-OSHA fines a landscape company whose employee died in a ditch collapse $8,400 for failing to properly train workers and shore up the trench. Another worker was partially buried and suffered minor injuries to the lower part of his body.
Feds Probe Teen Worker's Death at South Carolina Velodrome Site
South Carolina OSHA is investigating the weekend death of a construction worker at the site of a future velodrome in Rock Hill, S.C. The 18-year-old died after a backhoe accident. The Herald (Rock Hill)
Fed-OSHA Cites Suburban Chicago Contractor
A Buffalo Grove, Ill. construction firm has been fined $50,000 by Fed-OSHA for willful violations that caused a worker to suffer a fatal head injury at a jobsite in May. The employee fell from a scaffold while applying stucco to a home under construction. Chicago Tribune
Agency Rarely Visits N.H. Region
Fed-OSHA rarely scrutinizes New Hampshire's North Country region, and that's raising questions about how well workers are protected on the job. NHPR
Fire Marshal Concerned About New Hampshire Fieldhouse Foundation
The New Hampshire Fire Marshal's office says it's concerned about the concrete foundation and footings for a fieldhouse under construction at Kimball Union Academy, which recently had suspended work on the 40,000-square-foot structure. Boston Globe
CSB: Blasts at Tennessee Plants Preventable
Officials at a Gallatin, Tenn., metal-powders plant knew about serious safety hazards at least as early as 2008 after an insurance audit raised questions about combustible dust but did nothing to eliminate the problems before a series of flash fires this year killed five workers and injured at least four others, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. The latest incident, a hydrogen explosion inside the plant, occurred May 27 and fatally burned three workers. Tennessean
Massachusetts Commuter Railroad Negotiating with Fed-OSHA
The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company this month entered negotiations with Fed-OSHA to address violations recently cited against MBCR's Somerville maintenance facility. The agency found 22 serious independent violations at the maintenance facility in East Somerville in October and fined the railroad $130,800. Tufts Daily (Tufts University)
HIOSH Completes Probe into Death of Maui Tree Trimmer
Hawaii OSHA has completed its investigation of the July incident that claimed the life of a 39-year-old Kihei tree trimmer. The investigation found that the flip line used to hold and position the tree trimmer was defective. Maui Now
North Carolina Manufacturer Wins Third SHARP Award
For the third time, the Service Thread Manufacturing Company of Laurinburg, N.C., has received the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program's "SHARP" award, the state's second highest workplace safety designation, from the North Carolina Department of Labor. Laurinburg Exchange
No Citations in Abilene Scaffold Collapse
Fed-OSHA found no safety violations after reviewing a June scaffolding collapse at an Abilene, Texas, medical center that injured two construction workers. It took firefighters about 90 minutes to free one of the workers, who was trapped beneath the rubble. Abilene Reporter-News
Worker Dies in Machine Accident at South Dakota Plant
A manufacturing engineer technician at a Canton, S.D. manufacturer of engine cooling systems for vehicles, dies in a machine-related accident. Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Jersey City Officials Say Safety, Health Issues at Precinct Fixed
Problems regarding the cleanliness and safety of Jersey City's West District police precinct, including bulletproof glass that still had holes from a 2005 shootout, have been completely resolved, according to city officials. Jersey Journal
Fed-OSHA Plans Nursing Home Inspections
Roughly 300 nursing homes can expect Fed-OSHA inspections, according to one of the latest agency directives aimed at long-term care providers. The agency is targeting nursing and personal care homes with 20 or more employees that have a Days Away, Restricted or Transferred rate at or over 16 days. McKnight's
Worker Fatally Plunges from Forklift in Branson
A 41-year-old construction worker dies after falling 25 feet from a forklift platform while fireproofing a building in Branson, Mo., according to a city spokesman. Branson Tri-Lakes News
Tulsa's Incidence Rates 'Astronomical'
Two years ago, when Tulsa, Okla.'s workers' compensation expenses soared past $10 million, city officials began looking for answers. They found a start in Fed-OSHA's incidence rates. Tulsa World
Officials: Safety Hazards at Disney World Contributed to 2009 Fatality
A lack of adequate safety protocols at Walt Disney World contributed to a 2009 collision between two monorail trains that killed a 21-year-old resort employee, according to federal investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board is the second federal agency to cite Disney for its role in the accident; Fed-OSHA cited Disney with four safety violations in December 2009. Orlando Sentinel [with video]
Georgia Company Cited for Repeat, Willful Violations
A Moultrie, Ga., chrome products preparer receives citations for eight safety violations, including ones classified as repeat and willful, with total proposed penalties of $110,220. Fed-OSHA opened its inspection as a follow-up to one conducted in 2010 after the company failed to confirm that previously cited violations had been corrected. Moultrie Observer
Agency Fines Massachusetts Framer $180K
Fed-OSHA fines an Everett, Mass., framing contractor $180,100 for violations including fall, scaffolding and electrical hazards after a worksite inspection that began after an inspector observed an employee working without fall protection at the fifth-floor level of a building under construction in Portsmouth, N.H.Seacoastonline.com
Fed-OSHA Most Frequently Cites ASCs for Bloodborne Pathogen Violations
Although more than half of the surgeries in the U.S. are performed in ambulatory care centers, ambulatory surgery center resources and safety oversight may lag significantly behind those of their hospital counterparts. Infection Control Today