Enforcement


Moving Van Firm Fined $281,000 for Holding Property Hostage

FMCSA issued citations and fines against Moving Van Lines following an extensive investigation of consumer complaints against the moving company. FMCSA found the company in violation of 28 counts of failing to relinquish possession of a household goods shipment (hostage load), and one count of collecting fees more than the original binding estimate.

Explosion in Dumpster at Alloy Plant Leads to $44,000 Penalty

The violations include inadequate hearing and respiratory protection programs, electrical hazards, improper use of compressed air, as well as employee exposure to silica, lead, and manganese fumes.

Staffing Agency Agrees to Pay $585,000 to Settle Discrimination Lawsuit

EEOC alleged that the company failed to place a former employee and a class of African Americans into warehouse positions because of their race and their national origin when it took over operations from a predecessor company.

Walt Disney World Agrees to Pay $433,819 in Back Wages

A Wage and Hour Division investigator found that inventory control clerks in the park's Food and Beverage Department were not paid for work activities occurring before and after their normal shifts.

Texas Chemical Plant Cited $1.4 Million for Acid Waste Violations

"We are concerned that wastes from mineral processing and associated fertilizer production can pose a serious risk to our nation’s drinking water and the health of families," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

Utah Transit Authority to Pay $130,000 for Firing Whistleblower

The complaint filed with OSHA alleged that the Utah Transit Authority had discharged the worker in retaliation for raising security concerns centered around the transit authority's issuance of keys to access the railroad's controls and switches for signals and tracks.

Asphalt Paving Firm Penalized Following 'Willful' Tractor Incident

According to OSHA, an employee operating a tractor struck and hospitalized another worker who was digging a shallow ditch.

Labor Day drunk driving enforcement

Labor Day Drunk Driving Crackdown Begins

“Our message is loud and clear. If you drive drunk you will be arrested and prosecuted,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.



FAA Proposes Its Largest-Ever Civil Penalty Against American Airlines

FAA determined that 286 of the airline’s MD-80s were operated on a combined 14,278 passenger flights while the aircraft were not in compliance with federal regulations.

Postal Service Continues to Receive OSHA's Stamp of Disapproval

Citations against two USPS facilities in the past week are the latest in a string of penalties against other individual postal facilities nationwide, and follow DOL's filing in July of an enterprise-wide complaint that included 350 postal outposts.

Event Rental Co. Fined for Combustible Residues, Electrical Hazards, More

In addition to 18 serious citations, the company received four repeat citations, in part for failing to develop an energy control program, develop and implement a written hazard communication program, and train workers on chemical hazards in their work area.

CSB Issues Final Report on Fatal Flash Fire in Xcel Plant Tunnel

The board also released a 15-minute safety video titled "No Escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces," which includes a detailed animation depicting the tragedy that unfolded at Xcel's Cabin Creek plant on Oct. 2, 2007, taking the lives of five contractors.

Energy Firm Fined $2.4 Million Following Fatal Pipeline Spill

An extensive accident investigation conducted by PHMSA found Enbridge failed to safely and adequately perform maintenance and repair activities, clear the designated work area from possible sources of ignition, and hire properly trained and qualified workers.

FDA Releases Guidance on Federal Menu Labeling Requirements

Section 4205 of the Affordable Care Act, signed into law in March 2010, set new federal requirements for nutrition labeling for foods sold at certain chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments.

Gun Range Cleaning Company Cited $2M for Overexposing Workers to Lead

"The company even knew its workers suffered from lead poisoning, yet avoided proper medical attention in favor of providing an unapproved and potentially unsafe treatment," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels.

Three MSHA Districts Piloting Citation Backlog Program

Starting Aug. 31, Coal District 2 in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.; Coal District 6 in Pikeville, Ky.; and Metal/Nonmetal Southeast District in Birmingham, Ala., are trying a new resolution effort using conferences prior to penalty assessment.

FDA Seizes $859,000 of Food from Rodent-Infested Warehouse

Investigators found 14 live rodents, seven dead rodents, 23 gnaw holes on multiple food containers, multiple containers of food containing rodent pellets, four rodent nests, and apparent rodent pellets too numerous to count.

Work on the national highway safety strategy began last November, and a series of stakeholder input webinars took place in June.

'Toward Zero Deaths' Meeting Maps Highway Strategy

The Transportation Research Board's Aug. 25-26 meeting in Washington, D.C., available as a webcast, looks at every aspect -- safety culture, drivers, vehicles, infrastructure, EMS -- to develop a national strategy.

OSHA Slaps SeaWorld with Willful Violation Following Death by Orca

Video footage shows the killer whale repeatedly striking and thrashing the trainer, and pulling her under water even as she attempted to escape. The autopsy report describes the cause of death as drowning and traumatic injuries.

Cheese Maker to Pay $315K for Polluting Creek in Idaho

According to DOJ, the company, which treats wastewater in a facility separate from its cheese-making plant, repeatedly violated its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit over a period of three years, affecting a waterway that flows into the Boise River, a salmon habitat.

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