The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced a class litigation settlement against Hometown Buffet, Inc., on behalf of teens and Latinas who were subjected to a sexually hostile workplace, including verbal and physical abuse, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
OSHA has cited Sinclair Tulsa Refining Co. with one alleged willful and one serious following an inspection at the company's crude oil refinery in Tulsa. Proposed penalties total $240,750. OSHA's Oklahoma City Area Office began its investigation Feb. 4 at the company's facility on 25th Street in Tulsa.
The union and the oil and gas industry's trade association issued press releases Aug. 4 accusing each other of undermining their work on a national standard requested by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board after the BP refinery explosion in Texas City in 2005.
The third severe weather advisory of the summer from the city's Department of Buildings listed eight proactive steps to take for construction sites and five for buildings.
"NIOSH continues to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring the safety of the employees by maintaining an injury and illness rate 52 percent below comparable industry rates," said OSHA Charleston Area Director Jeff Funke.
"OSHA standards require that circuits be de-energized before employees work on them and that appropriate personal protective equipment be supplied and used in those rare instances where de-energizing is not feasible," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex (Mass.) counties.
ASTM F1637-09, Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces, addresses the design, construction and minimum maintenance criteria for floors, walkway surfaces, sidewalks, short-flight stairs, gratings, wheel stops, and speed bumps of new and existing buildings.
If walking and chewing gum at the same time trips you up, then the thought of walking and simultaneously preparing a PowerPoint presentation has to sound nuts.
Investigators will inspect randomly selected towers to determine whether FAA is meeting the requirements of the agency's alternate standard for egress and fire safety.
Hazard Communication Guidance for Combustible Dusts is a new guidance document recently published by OSHA that assists chemical manufacturers and importers in recognizing the potential for dust explosions, identifying appropriate protective measures and the requirements for disseminating this information on material safety data sheets and labels.
Times are tough, management's tight, but the pressure's still on to reduce losses and achieve sterling Safety results. Wiser heads realize that an old apple tree won't magically produce delicious pears; you've got to plant different crops.
OSHA has cited Dehler Manufacturing Co. Inc. with 24 serious, four repeat, and six other-than-serious violations of federal workplace health standards and has proposed $85,360 in penalties.
Written plans to minimize manual handling and utilize lift equipment are required by July 1, 2010, according to one of several new OSH laws taking effect today in the state.
"Our commitment to environmental awareness and the green initiatives we have implemented throughout our organization are an important part of our business model, and they contribute significantly to our success," said Oliver Poirot, CEO for Accor North America, Motel 6, and Studio 6.
The 2007 installment is a tough act to follow, but A+A 2009 looks ready to defend its title Nov. 3-6, 2009, as the world's largest trade show for workplace safety and health.
"This should remind others that the EPA is maintaining a close watch over chemical reporting practices and is serious about enforcing community right-to-know laws," said Nathan Lau, EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division associate director for the Pacific Southwest.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a new safety video depicting how accumulations of combustible dust at worksites can provide the fuel for devastating explosions that kill and maim workers, shut down plants, and harm local economies.
The government's report on the May 2004 explosion and collapse of the ICL Plastics factory in Glasgow, caused by a gas leak, was released this month. A timetable to replace 210,000 commercial and home installations has been agreed to, and a push is on to hire and train gas engineers.
Facilities are required to update and resubmit their risk management plan at least once every five years; the plans are used by EPA to assess chemical risks to surrounding communities and to prepare for emergency responses.
"This partnership showcases a commitment to the value of safety and health shared by PPGA and Black & Veatch and acts as a force multiplier to the advancement of OSHA's mission to promote the safety and health of working men and women," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo.