Between June 2004 and September 2007, approximately 6,510 barrels of crude oil were discharged from various pipelines and one tank owned and operated by Plains into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines, according to EPA.
The companies allegedly offered hazardous material for transportation when it was not packaged, marked, classed, described, labeled, or in condition for shipment as required by regulations.
"It is the employer's responsibility to prevent fall hazards at construction sites by providing workers with appropriate safety equipment," said Mark Stelmack, director of OSHA's area office in Wilkes Barre, Pa., which issued the citations. Don't miss Wednesday's OH&S fall protection webinar.
The company received repeat citations for failing to make a reasonable estimate of employee exposure to hazardous chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide; it received willful citations for failing to implement confined space entry procedures.
The company was cited for allegedly failing to conduct drills or exercises to help prepare for a potential spill from its oil storage facility in Woxall, Pa. Under the Clean Water Act, owners of oil storage facilities must have a plan to minimize the risk of spills, including periodic exercises.
In addition to the monetary relief, the company agreed to annual training of its human resources personnel and managers in equal employment opportunity, with an emphasis on the confidentiality provisions of the ADA.
A distribution company will pay $318,000 plus $27,000 in costs after pleading guilty in a British courtroom. Regular inspections of the truck involved in the case might have prevented the death, HSE's inspector said.
OSHA's fines against U.S. Minerals LLC for the alleged violations at its Baldwin, Ill., plant total $158,200, mostly for having no fall protection on elevated platforms. Don't miss Wednesday's OH&S fall protection webinar.
According to the Department of Justice, the amount of the civil penalty is “precedent-setting” yet “appropriate in light of the unacceptable risk” created by the underground storage tanks at the defendants’ 17 gas stations in Maryland and Delaware.
The company's "refusal to honor the requirements of this agreement reflects an irresponsible approach to worker safety and health, leaving workers vulnerable to injuries and possible fatalities," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York. "This situation is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is requesting nominations of qualified individuals for its nine existing federal advisory committees. Nominations for all committees will be accepted on an ongoing basis and will be considered as and when vacancies arise.
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday issued two comprehensive evaluations containing recommendations that address three key objectives of the agency's public health mission as it relates to medical devices--foster device innovation, create a more predictable regulatory environment, and enhance device safety.
"The fines and penalties reflect the gravity and severity of the deadly conditions created by the companies managing the work at the site," said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. "No operation and no deadline is worth cutting common sense safety procedures. Workers should not sacrifice their lives for their livelihoods."
Owners and operators of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities should have policies governing the use of personal electronic devices by certain employees, the DOT agency said Tuesday.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that a defendant's intent to give or receive compensation for government services is a required element that the federal government must prove.
The purpose of the SPCC rule, which was finalized in 1973, is to establish requirements for facilities to prevent a discharge of oil into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines.
Organizations can download the Drive Safely Work Week 2010 Tool Kit free of charge through Sept. 20 when they complete a simple online survey. The week is a partnership of NETS and DOT, which will present a Distracted Driving Summit on Sept. 21.
Recent FDA testing has found Listeria contamination throughout the defendants' facility and in a sample of its finished product. Although the company promised to address and correct deficiencies following inspections in 2006, 2007, and 2009, a 2010 inspection confirmed that the company continued to operate without adequate controls, the agency said.
Among the wide range of dangers inspectors listed were the risk of laceration, amputation, or crushing injuries; electrical hazards; fire and explosion hazards stemming from combustible dust; improper storage of flammable liquids; and insufficient monitoring of exmployees’ exposure to hexavalent chromium.
"While it is fortunate that no one was injured here, good luck is never an acceptable worker safeguard,” said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's area director for Rhode Island. “For the safety and well-being of its workers, this employer must take effective, ongoing action to prevent these hazards from recurring."