"This employer had been renting a trench box designed to protect workers from cave-ins but returned it to cut down on costs," said Les Grove, OSHA's area director in Tampa, Fla. “Risking the safety of your workers is not an acceptable business decision."
OSHA is proposing $228,320 in penalties for 34 safety and health violations found at Art Horizons Inc. in Batesville, Miss.
According to case documents, EPA alleges that Tree Top failed to immediately notify emergency response authorities after the ammonia release occurred and also failed to submit the required reporting documents.
The violations address hazards associated with spray painting outside of a predetermined, designated spray booth, and the use of powered industrial truck fork extensions without manufacturer notification, approval and determination of lifting capacity.
The company did not obtain drug approval, increased its distribution of Levothroid rather than scaling down, and ignored a subsequent warning letter to stop the manufacture and distribution of Levothroid.
The complaint requests that all of Tyson's federal contracts be canceled; it be debarred from future government contracts until it has remedied the violations; and it provide complete relief, including lost wages, interest and other benefits of employment, to affected individuals.
The proposed “Strengthening Pipeline Safety and Enforcement Act of 2010” would increase from $1 million to $2.5 million the maximum fine for the most serious violations involving deaths, injuries, or major environmental harm. It also would provide additional resources for the enforcement program by authorizing 40 additional inspection and enforcement personnel over four years.
The citations against Lexington Homes Inc. in Lexington, Miss., alleged it violated lockout/tagout, electrical, HazCom, and other safety and health standards. Penalties total $60,076.
"Scaffolds must be properly erected and fall protection provided to employees when they work on scaffolds at heights of 10 feet or more, yet this employer has repeatedly neglected to implement these basic, commonsense and legally required safeguards," said Anthony Ciuffo, OSHA's Long Island area director in Westbury.
"Even with employees covered head to toe in dust, the company still failed to provide breathing protection and other controls," said Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the pediatric use of Protopam Chloride (pralidoxime chloride), a drug used to treat poisoning by organophosphate pesticides and chemicals (e.g., nerve agents). The drug is approved to be administered either by intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) injections.
OSHA recently awarded $8 million in Susan Harwood Capacity Building Grants to 45 organizations, including nonprofit and community/faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, and colleges and universities. The grants will assist these organizations in providing safety and health training, and educational programs for workers and employers.
The Food and Drug Administration recently issued warning letters to five electronic cigarette distributors for various violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act including unsubstantiated claims and poor manufacturing practices.
The Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration recently announced the publication of comprehensive data regarding safety and health records of the nation's mines. The data sets contain all of the agency's public data from calendar year 2000 to the present regarding mine locations, accidents, injuries, production, violations, and inspections.
OSHA began its inspection in March after receiving a complaint concerning ammonia odors, trip and struck-by hazards, cuts, and stabbing injuries. The investigation was expanded to all areas of the facility when inspectors observed a high number of safety hazards.
A single citation for obstructed exit routes alone amounted to $70,000 because the company was cited for similar conditions at other locations three years ago, making it a recurring hazard.
The OSHA area director urged the company to evaluate all of its store locations for hazards after this latest filing.
An inspection’s sampling of water from various locations on the property confirmed the discharge of boron, arsenic, copper, ammonia, zinc, chromium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, selenium, aluminum, barium, cadmium, and 2-Butanone into the Weaver Branch tributary.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration recently issued a safety alert and fatality update to the mining industry to draw renewed attention to deaths that have occurred this year in mines throughout the country.
“Employers are legally bound to provide a safe work environment for their employees,” said OSHA chief David Michals. “This company has repeatedly failed to do so, costing one worker his life and grievously injuring another. This must stop.”