Enforcement


DOL Sues Granite Quarry to Collect $142,992 in Unpaid Fines

The 58 citations carry civil penalties of $125,432.37. Since becoming final orders, some extending back to 2007, those penalties have been accruing interest and other charges totaling not less than $17,560.53.

Wal-Mart to Pay $275,000 Settlement over Firing a Worker with Cancer-Related Disability

In its lawsuit, EEOC charged that the company denied a 12-year employee a reasonable accommodation after he had cancer surgery, which left him with weakness in his right shoulder.

Rubber Parts Fabricator Fined $77,600 for Plethora of Violations

OSHA opened inspections in July after receiving complaints alleging burn hazards and poor housekeeping throughout the plant.

Houston Recycling Plant Penalized for Exposing Workers to Hazardous Substances

OSHA began its investigation in August in response to a complaint, and found workers exposed to sulfuric acid and caustic soda while recovering silver from X-ray film and processing plastics for recycling. Proposed penalties total $144,760.

OSHA Closes 2011 with Million-Dollar Fine

Houston-based Piping Technology and Products Inc. faces 13 willful and 17 serious violations and has been added to OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections.

OSHA Fines Utility Firm $118,580 Following Worker's Death in Manhole

OSHA's Fort Worth Area Office initiated an inspection on June 28 in response to a report that employees working on a new sewer line were exposed to inhalation of a hazardous chemical.

MSHA Announces Results of November Impact Inspections

MSHA recently announced that federal inspectors issued 315 citations, orders, and safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and six metal/nonmetal mines last month.

Masonry Contractor Agrees to Pay $134,000 in Fines, Correct Fall Hazards at Work Sites

OSHA cited the company in January 2011 for willful and serious violations of workplace safety standards, including fall hazards of up to 17 feet for employees working at Rowes Wharf in Boston.



Three Workers Fall 16 Feet from Balcony, Remodeling Contractors Fined $143,880

OSHA's Austin Area Office initiated an investigation on June 24 following a report that a third-floor balcony had collapsed at a construction site. Three employees fell 16 feet to the ground and received medical treatment for their injuries.

Auto Parts Maker Racks Up $51,000 in Fines for Hazardous Energy Sources

The repeat violation is for failing to lock out the energy sources of mechanical and hydraulic forging presses during die changes, servicing, and/or maintenance. Colfor Manufacturing was cited for the same violation in February 2010.

NIOSH Releases Roster Summary Report on Deepwater Horizon Response Workers

The work from which the report was drawn marks the first time that NIOSH has developed a prospective, centralized roster of workers for a response event of this magnitude.

OSHA Law Update Blog Forecasts 2012's Big Developments

PSM inspections of chemical facilities through a new National Emphasis Program is listed first among the five most important developments expected from OSHA next year by two lawyers in the OSHA Practice Group of Epstein Becker Green.

OSHA Nails Five Contractors for Hazards at Casino Construction Site

The contractors have been cited for inadequate safeguards to protect workers exposed to airborne concentrations of lead while performing torch cutting operations. The citations carry a total of $127,400 in proposed fines.

Missing Safety Gear Cuts Vessel's Voyage Short

A boarding team found the crew of the Still Mis Behavin did not have the required number of fire extinguishers or safety flares, the life raft was not mounted in the proper location, and the emergency position indicating radio beacon had expired.

$90,000 Fine Issued to Firm for Unguarded Winder Machine, Equipment Hazards

"Failing to ensure machine guarding is in place to protect workers from the point of operation puts employees at risk for injury and amputation hazards," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland.

Worker Injured by Falling Piece of Steel, Ohio Firm Fined $54,600

An inspection was initiated July 22 after a worker sustained a serious injury to his left arm caused by a piece of falling steel when a lifting magnet malfunctioned and dropped a load weighing approximately 2,900 pounds.

Anchorage PD's DUI Campaign Paying Off

The Anchorage Daily News reports the police department's increased enforcement during the past decade has reduced traffic deaths in the city by 85 percent.

Texas Work-Related Injuries, Illnesses Decrease in 2010

With the 2010 decrease, Texas has seen a decline in such workplace injuries and illnesses for four years in a row, according to the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation.

OSHA Cites Pipe Company After Three Injuries

The agency said it has proposed $468,000 in penalties against Boomerang Tube LLC for alleged violations at its Liberty Works in Texas.

Workers Exposed to 'Dangerously High' Levels of Lead, Firm Fined $54,600

OSHA initiated an inspection after receiving a referral from the Pennsylvania Department of Health regarding an employee with blood containing an elevated level of lead.

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