Enforcement


Wyoming Groups Call for Stricter Workplace Safety Rules

“Eight years of being worse or second-worst in death-on-the-job is proof that there’s a problem in Wyoming that needs to be remedied,” said Wyoming AFL-CIO Executive Secretary Kim Floyd.

Hostess Production Plant Penalized for Exit, Machine Hazards

The company, which manufactures Hostess products, faces a total of $104,700 in proposed fines following a safety inspection by OSHA's Augusta Area Office.

Chicken Processor Fined $288K for Process Safety Management Deficiencies

Violations related to OSHA's process safety management standards allegedly resulted in an ammonia release at the facility on June 30.

How Many Small Farms? Ag Census Will Tell

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service will conduct the next Census of Agriculture in the latter half of 2012. Meanwhile, it is helping Serbia and Armenia prepare for their own censuses.

OSHA Unearths Trenching Hazards at Wisconsin Worksite

"McHugh Excavating & Plumbing has the responsibility of ensuring that its employees are properly protected from known workplace hazards such as trench cave-ins," said Kim Stille, OSHA's area director in Madison.

Target Recalls LED Flashlights Due to Fire, Burn Hazards

Target has received reports of four incidents involving six-piece LED Flashlight Sets, including two minor burn injuries to consumers’ hands.

CSB: Flash Fires at Hoeganaes Plant were Preventable

The CSB investigation found that significant amounts of fine iron powder had accumulated over time at the Hoeganaes facility, and that while the company knew from its own testing and experience with flash fires in the plant that the dust was combustible, it did not take the necessary action to reduce the hazards through engineering controls and basic housekeeping.

MSHA Releases Preliminary Fatality Data for 2011

Of the 37 fatalities reported, 12 occurred at surface coal mines, 11 at surface metal/nonmetal mines, nine at underground coal mines, and five at underground metal/nonmetal mines.



Discount Retailer Racks Up $90,000 in Fines for Locked Emergency Exit Doors

OSHA's inspection revealed several instances where emergency exit doors in the store were padlocked during work hours and emergency exit routes were obstructed by racks of clothing and boxes of stock.

Worker Caught in Grain Bin Auger, S.D. Firm Fined $95,920

A worker at a grain handling facility was caught in a moving bin sweep auger and suffered severe injuries to his leg and arm.

$102,300 in Fines Issued to Roofer for Hazards at Three Wis. Worksites

Three willful violations have been issued for failing to provide fall protection on commercial and/or residential roofs at the three inspected sites. Each violation carries a proposed penalty of $30,800.

New Record Low for NYC Traffic Deaths

New York City leaders announced preliminary statistics on Dec. 29 that show the city recorded the fewest annual traffic fatalities since records were first kept in 1910. Fire deaths in 2011 were the second-lowest number on record.

Worker Fatally Struck by Falling Tree, Contractor Fined $31,175

This employee fatality was the company's second in 2011. The first fatality occurred in Pennsylvania on Feb. 24 under similar circumstances and resulted in similar citations.

Fatal Explosion Leads to Tennessee Firm's $46,600 Fine

OSHA opened an inspection following a July incident in which one worker died and another was severely burned when a spark from a light ignited paint vapors inside the compartment of a pontoon dredge, which was being painted to reduce corrosion.

FMCSA Supervisor Sentenced in Bribery Case

James H. Wood accepted bribes from consultants working for Canadian trucking companies. In exchange, he postponed safety inspections and ensured the companies would receive satisfactory ratings, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Buffalo, N.Y.

DOL Sues Granite Quarry to Collect $142,992 in Unpaid Fines

The 58 citations carry civil penalties of $125,432.37. Since becoming final orders, some extending back to 2007, those penalties have been accruing interest and other charges totaling not less than $17,560.53.

Wal-Mart to Pay $275,000 Settlement over Firing a Worker with Cancer-Related Disability

In its lawsuit, EEOC charged that the company denied a 12-year employee a reasonable accommodation after he had cancer surgery, which left him with weakness in his right shoulder.

Rubber Parts Fabricator Fined $77,600 for Plethora of Violations

OSHA opened inspections in July after receiving complaints alleging burn hazards and poor housekeeping throughout the plant.

Houston Recycling Plant Penalized for Exposing Workers to Hazardous Substances

OSHA began its investigation in August in response to a complaint, and found workers exposed to sulfuric acid and caustic soda while recovering silver from X-ray film and processing plastics for recycling. Proposed penalties total $144,760.

OSHA Closes 2011 with Million-Dollar Fine

Houston-based Piping Technology and Products Inc. faces 13 willful and 17 serious violations and has been added to OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections.

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