Enforcement


OSHA Cites Company for Operating Damaged Forklift

OSHA responded to complaints that Rural King Supply Inc. allowed workers to operate a damaged forklift despite worker reports of faulty brakes. Upon investigation, OSHA determined that the company failed to perform necessary repairs or discontinue use of the forklift.

OSHA Cites Contractor for Exposing Workers to Trenching, Other Safety Hazards

“Trenching and excavation are among the most hazardous construction operations, and employers have an obligation to follow safety requirements designed to protect their workers,” OSHA Bismarck Area Office Director Eric Brooks.

UK Company Fined $1.2 Million After Worker Fell from Ladder

A window installer working for Safestyle UK was attempting to install a first-floor rear bedroom window when the ladder he was on slipped. The ladder was not footed or tied and the worker fell from a height of more than 3 meters. The employee sustained a broken kneecap that required surgery.

Massachusetts Car Auction House Settles OSHA Case

A May 2017 crash killed five workers at the weekly car auction in Billerica, Mass. Lynnway Auto Auction Inc. has agreed to correct hazards, implement significant safety measures, and pay $200,000 in penalties.

GAO photo

GAO Recommends Eliminating Coal Mine Operators' Self-Bonding

GAO found that state agencies and OSMRE report they hold approximately $10.2 billion in surety bonds, collateral bonds, and self-bonds as financial assurances for coal mine reclamation. The stakeholders GAO interviewed identified several challenges OSMRE and state agencies face in managing financial assurances, citing industry bankruptcies and lower coal demand.

UK Company Fined for Vibration Exposures

"No one's health should be made worse by the work they do. In this case, if Tai Calon had understood why health surveillance was necessary, it would have ensured that it had the right systems in place to monitor its workers' health," said HSE Inspector Paul Newton.

New Oregon Law Clarifies Hit and Run Driver's Responsibilities

Failing to perform the duties of a driver involved in a motor vehicle crash can result in felony charges, the Oregon Department of Transportation warns.

Dollar Tree Cited Again in Washington State

"We are seeing the same safety violations at Dollar Tree stores over and over again in Washington," said L&I Division of Occupational Safety and Health Assistant Director Anne Soiza. "It's concerning because this is a national problem, as well. Employees, and sometimes customers, are being put at risk even though the fixes to these safety problems are simple."



West Virginia Debuts Webpage on Pipeline Projects

Information available on the page includes maps of the proposed pipeline routes and a link to WVDEP's searchable online database where additional information, such as any inspection and enforcement actions and any permit modifications, can be found.

Anchorage, State Partner to Increase Felony Prosecutions

"Public safety is our top priority, and we are finding new ways to cooperate across state and municipal lines for the benefit of all Anchorage residents," Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said. "This effort is made possible by the growth of the Anchorage Police Department and the willingness of the prosecuting agencies to adopt innovative solutions in the face of the state fiscal crisis."

A recalled 2014 Ranger XP 900 from Polaris Industries, Inc.

Polaris Industries Paying $27.25 Million Civil Penalty

CPSC reported that between December 2013 and July 2016, Polaris received 36 reports of fires associated with its model year 2014 Rangers and made two design changes to the vehicle to prevent the heat shield from becoming loose and falling off.

OSHA Cites New Jersey Construction Company Following Employee Fatality

The company was cited by OSHA for using an improper lifting device and for failing to train employees on lifting equipment hazards. The company’s citations include one willful and three serious violations, and proposed penalties totaling $151,352.

OSHA Cites Massachusetts Contractor for Fall Hazards

Guallpa was cited by OSHA for exposing employees to fall hazards of up to 25 feet, for ladder and head protection violations, and for failing to provide effective training. OSHA cited Guallpa for similar hazards in 2014 and 2015.

BSEE Raising Inspection Time Offshore

The key is using technology that allowing for access to electronic records onshore, giving inspectors significantly more time to inspect operations offshore and work to ensure safe operations at more than 2,200 facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

New EU Regulation Completed for Hot Air Balloons

The new regulation is one of the projects of the General Aviation Road Map established by the European Aviation Safety Agency in partnership with the European Commission and other stakeholders. The updated rules are in force beginning April 8, 2019.

There is a growing global push toward hazardous location competency training.

BSEE Launches Risk-Based Inspection Program

The first ones, taking place this month, will focus on crane operations of Gulf of Mexico operations. "We developed this program to address areas where trends in compliance and incident data suggest the potential for imminent safety concerns," said Jason Mathews, chief of BSEE's Gulf of Mexico Region Safety Management Office.

Entergy Agrees to Survey of Safety Culture at Nuclear Plants

The survey will be done by a third party within a year at plants in Mississippi, Arkansas, New York, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Louisiana, to identify safety culture concerns that could be contributing to employees' willful misconduct.

California's Housekeepers Ergonomics Standard Takes Effect July 1

The regulation requires employers in the hotel and lodging industry to implement and maintain an effective Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Program so employees won't be hurt from tasks such as lifting mattresses, pulling linens, pushing heavy carts, and slipping, tripping, or falling while cleaning bathrooms.

Florida Contractor Fined $271,606 in Trench Collapse

The investigation was part of OSHA's National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation, and Jax Utilities Management Inc. has been placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

California Foundry Fined $283,390 in Double Amputation Case

Cal/OSHA cited Alhambra Foundry for similar violations eight years ago.

Featured

Artificial Intelligence

Webinars