Enforcement


California Issues First Citations for Aerosol Transmission Violations

A respiratory therapist and a police office were infected with bacterial meningitis after being exposed to a patient Dec. 3, but the Oakland hospital where he was treated did not report it to the local health department as quickly as the standard requires, according to Cal/OSHA.

Company Fined $63,700 After Employee Loses Three Fingers

"If the employer had implemented the recommended safety procedures by having proper machine guarding on equipment, these needless injuries could have been avoided," said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA's area director in Mobile, Ala.

Company Cited after Worker Crushed in Molding Machine

"There is no excuse for this accident," said Charles Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. "This worker should not have been allowed to work in the machine without energy sources being locked out."

FDA Issues Guidance on New Safety Rules for Shell Eggs

On April 13, the Food and Drug Administration published guidance for small egg producers to help them comply with a 2009 federal egg safety regulation designed to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis in shell eggs during production, transportation, and storage.

DOL Resolves Case with Utah-based Firm for Child Labor Violations

With the exception of three 13-year-olds, the 1,482 minors the company employed were 14 and 15 years of age.

FMSHRC Gains Fifth Commissioner

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Alabama lawyer Patrick K. Nakamura to be a member for a six-year term expiring Aug. 30, 2016.

Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty for Role in Fraudulent Medical Testing Scheme

Recruited patients were instructed to claim they had certain symptoms to trigger medically unnecessary tests, which Medicare then performed.

The DC Circuit decision upholds per-instance OSHA citation of an employer in willful or egregious cases.

DC Circuit Upholds Per-Instance Penalties

Friday's decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit says the U.S. Labor secretary has the authority to penalize employers on a per-instance basis in willful or egregious cases.



Audit programs of airlines by the partner organizations obtain complementary safety information, according to IATA. This Boeing photo shows a 737.

Global Aviation Safety Info Exchange Under Development

Audit results are part of the data to be shared by the International Air Transport Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Commission of the European Union.

Texas Company Fined $128,300 for Violating Pesticide Law

“Consumers need proper information to ensure they are using pesticides safely and correctly. Improper labeling can result in harm to public health and the environment," said EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz.

President Barack Obama

Obama Promises Immediate Mine Safety Changes

After meeting today with MSHA chief Joe Main, Secretary Hilda Solis, and Kevin Stricklin, administrator for coal mine safety and health, the president pledged "immediate" inspections of mines with "troubling safety records" and a review of how MSHA is operating.

Nationwide Food Distributor Fined for Process Safety Management Problems

An inspection conducted under OSHA's Chemical Industry National Emphasis Program resulted in $153,000 in proposed penalties.

MSHA Announces Final Rule on Coal Mine Dust Sampling Devices

"The final rule upgrades the approval requirements for the existing dust sampler that has been in use since passage of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969,” said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.

Fire Co. to Pay at Least $180K to Extinguish Age Discrimination Suit

“We welcome the decision to settle this case in a way that ensures that these brave firefighters, who do heroic work, do not receive different retirement benefits simply because of their age,” said EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien.

HSE said this photo from the BBC documentary footage shows the scaffold from which the mason fell in March 2005.

BBC Documentary Helps Convict Construction Company

The Health and Safety Executive said it prosecuted Regentford Ltd after one of its employees died in a March 2005 fall from scaffolding. That scaffolding was gone when investigators arrived, but the documentary footage showed it, and Regentford was fined $384,000 on April 6.

EPA Proposes Adding 16 Chemicals to Toxics Release Inventory List

Each of the chemicals is "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen," the agency said, noting the additions would be the first program chemical expansion in more than a decade.

FDA Provides Information to Consumers About Triclosan

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently updated its Web site with information about triclosan, a common ingredient added to many consumer products to reduce or prevent bacterial contamination. It may be found in antibacterial soaps and body washes, toothpastes, and some cosmetics--products regulated by the FDA.

Distracted Driving Crackdown Underway in Northeast

“If a driver is caught with a cell phone in one hand, they'll end up with a ticket in the other,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “It's time for drivers to act responsibly, put their hands on the wheel and focus on the road.”

Secretary of Labor to Convene Latino Worker Health, Safety Summit

The Department of Labor recently announced that Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will convene a National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety on April 14 and 15 in Houston. Opening day events will include a keynote address by Solis and employees sharing their workplace experiences.

New OSHA Document Addresses Shipbreaking Worker Safety

Shipbreaking workers are exposed to asbestos, falls, electric shock and fires when removing gear and equipment from outdated ships and breaking down these vessels for recycling. OSHA's Safe Work Practices in Shipbreaking document offers ways to help protect workers from injury and death and outlines employers' obligations for providing safe work environments for their workers.

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