Enforcement


CSB Deploying Investigation Team to Fatal Explosion at Kleen Plant

The explosion blew out walls of the unfinished power plant and set off a fire during a test of natural gas lines.

The Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel

Pact Aims for High Level of Safety in Skyscraper Repair Project

The job will consist of replacing all 6,350 windows in the 73-story, downtown-Atlanta Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel, which was damaged by a tornado in March 2008.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency ensures ships in the United Kingdom conform to UK and international safety rules.

Asbestos Rules Coming to UK Merchant, Fishing Fleets

After the Maritime and Coastguard Agency finishes its consultation with stakeholders, regulations could be in effect by Oct. 1 to implement EC Directive 83/477/EEC and protect workers from asbestos exposure.

More Time Granted for Sterilizing System Replacement

FDA this week told health facilities they have 18 months to switch from the STERIS System 1 to alternatives, three times longer than it recommended previously. STERIS Corp. continues to seek clearance for the new device.

Civil Contractor Hit with Willful Citation for Trench Violations at Fort Bragg

Although North Carolina is one of 22 states that operate their own job safety and health programs, under approval and monitoring by federal OSHA, this inspection was conducted by federal OSHA because the contractor was working on a federal installation.

MSHA's Fatality Prevention Program Spotlights Outreach and Enforcement

"With the full support of the mining industry, ‘Rules to Live By' should make great strides in preventing fatal accidents," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.

Smith Confirmed as Solicitor of Labor

The nomination of M. Patricia Smith as solicitor of Labor, pending since March 2009, passed 60-37 today in the U.S. Senate.

NHTSA Maximum Civil Fines Rising March 4

Adjusting for inflation will keep the top penalty for a related series of violations of school bus safety provisions on the march: It would set you back $16,500,000.



Stone Countertop Manufacturer Cited for Silica Exposure

An inspection found that the Atlanta-based company also failed to fully implement a hearing conservation program and did not have an established written hazard communication program on exposure to hazardous substances. Proposed fines exceed $135,000.

$1 Million Settlement in 'Donning and Doffing' Case

The settlement between DOL and Pilgrim's Pride Corp. involves overtime back pay for 798 workers at a Dallas facility and also their pay for time putting on and taking off protective gear. Whether donning and doffing are compensable work has challenged federal courts for some time.

CSB Investigates Accidents at DuPont Chemical Facility

DuPont officials told the CSB that a braided steel hose connected to a 1-ton capacity phosgene tank suddenly ruptured, releasing phosgene into the air. The phosgene release followed two other accidents at the same plant the same week, including an ongoing release of chloromethane from the plant’s Hexazinone unit, which went undetected for several days, and a release from a spent sulfuric acid unit.

Three Kentucky Coal Mines Sued for Nearly $665K in Delinquent Civil Penalties

"There is no excuse for mine operators to deliberately flout their obligations to pay civil penalties for safety and health violations," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.

The rate of 33 percent is basically unchanged since 1994, according to the institute.

Insurers Groups Fighting 'Crash Taxes'

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and a California affiliate have created Web sites to help motorists battle local taxes assessed when emergency vehicles respond to a crash scene.

ASSE Urges Senator to Support Public Sector Work Coverage in OSHA Reform Legislation

“Millions of workers are not provided federal occupational safety and health protections due to the fact that the OSH Act only requires such coverage in states with their own occupational safety and health plans,” Patton wrote.

Manhole Covers Plant Cited for Combustible Dust, Electrical Hazards

Agency inspectors found that combustible particulate solids, which were generated during trimming and repair operations, were not collected into an adequately designed dust collection system, were allowed to accumulate on machinery and surfaces, and were not adequately cleaned up to prevent such buildup.

Utility Company to Pay $500 Million to Resolve Pollution Violations

“Today’s settlement sets the most stringent limit for sulfur dioxide emissions ever imposed on a coal-fired power plant in a federal settlement,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

OSHA Moves to Restore MSD Column to 300 Form

In 2001, OSHA separated noise and MSDs into two separate columns on the form, but the MSD column was deleted in 2003 before the provision became effective. OSHA is now proposing to restore the MSD column and will host a public meeting on the proposal March 9.

Retail trade workers still face too much late night violence

Fewer Late-Night Retail Worker Deaths Still 'Not Good Enough,' OSHA Says

Of the 167 retail trade workers killed in 2007, 39 killed were convenience store employees, 32 worked at gasoline stations, and 7 worked at liquor stores.

Contractor Cited for Treacherous Trenching

"An unguarded excavation is a tomb in waiting. Its walls can collapse in moments, crushing and burying workers beneath tons of soil before they have a chance to react or escape," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex counties.

OSHA to Hold Informal Meetings on Proposed Combustible Dust Standard

The agency is conducting the two meetings in Atlanta to make it easier for families of those who perished in the 2008 Imperial Sugar Co. explosion in Port Wentworth, Ga., to attend.

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