"Mercury and lead can pose severe threats to people's health, so properly managing waste that contains them is of the utmost importance," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator George Pavlou.
A two-week enforcement crackdown to raise public awareness resulted in 4,075 tickets given to violators, but the Division of Highway Traffic Safety says the percentage of drivers violating the law declined.
"No matter how attractive they may appear, active and abandoned mines are not playgrounds. If you're not trained or authorized to enter the property, stay away," said Michael A. Davis, MSHA's deputy assistant secretary of labor for operations.
The day will be marked in Washington, D.C., and on six continents with candlelight vigils, conferences, and rallies calling to governments to pay more attention to occupational deaths and injuries.
Jail terms and $248,000 in fines and restitution followed prosecution of managers at a Santa Rosa, Calif., roofing company after one worker died and another was permanently disabled.
Seminars and other events are being held all week at various locations throughout the city in support of Construction Safety Week. All sessions are free of charge and open to the public.
Inspectors identified other hazards including locked exits, obstructed exit access, and an unmarked exit; lack of welding screens and personal protective equipment for welders; untrained forklift operators; excess carbon monoxide levels from forklifts; and numerous electrical safety deficiencies including exposed live electrical parts.
OSHA has proposed $229,500 in fines against Dehler Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Chicago for alleged willful, serious, and repeat violations of federal workplace safety standards, as a result of a safety and health inspection.
Taking place on 2009's Workers Memorial Day, the hearing by the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety has a strong lineup of witnesses -- including Tammy Miser, shown here -- who will describe the true cost of workplace fatalities.
The U.S. Postal Service' Nottingham post office is the latest postal service worksite in New England to achieve star status in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).
The threats on the site come from metals contaminating the groundwater and fugitive dust that could impact human health and surface water. Mining operations enhanced levels of naturally occurring uranium, making the radiological substance more pervasive and mobile in and around the site.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a document on best practices to avoid discrimination against workers with caregiving responsibilities, and held a public meeting to discuss the importance of policies that protect caregivers in an economic downturn on April 22.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, which is currently available for public comment, Puainako Town Center in Hilo, Hawaii, must close all eight large capacity cesspools owned and operated by the company by May 1, 2009.
OSHA is proposing one willful and four serious safety violations against B&H Contracting Inc. following an inspection at the company's jobsite in Dothan., Ala.
The Protecting America's Workers Act (HR 2067) would expand OSHA's jurisdiction to cover more employees and would allow felony prosecutions against employers who commit willful violations that result in death or serious bodily injury.
This photo shows part of the 2008 ceremony, held April 25. The annual event honors 56 Washington State Department of Transportation workers who have died in work zones since 1950. On May 4, WSDOT will again deploy an automated camera to catch work zone speeders.
"Keeping sediment from polluting rivers and streams isn't just a good idea, it's the law," said Jim Werntz, EPA's Idaho state office director.
Two of the four former employees received 70 and 41 months for their roles in impeding OSHA and EPA investigations, maintaining a dangerous workplace, and environmental crimes. The other two will be sentenced today and tomorrow in Trenton, N.J.
"There is no excuse for the lack of fall protection, and it's outrageous to think that employers still allow employees to be exposed to fall hazards without ensuring fall protection is in use," said Charles Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo.
OSHA has cited Brady Enterprises Inc. of Weymouth, Mass., for alleged, willful, repeat, and serious violations of safety and health standards at its 45 Finnell Drive plant. The food products packager faces $66,500 in proposed fines, following a Nov. 14 accident in which an employee was caught in a labeling machine while cleaning it.