Enforcement


Lowe’s, Taco Bell Settle Sexual Harassment Lawsuits

The separate settlements took place one week apart in different states and together totaled more than $2 million in monetary relief for the victims.

Secretary Solis will be spinning work-related songs on SIRIUS through Labor Day.

DOL's Solis Celebrates Labor Day with Devo, Dylan and...Dopey?

Her gig as a special guest DJ will air all weekend long through Labor Day on SIRIUS XM's The Spectrum, and her playlist might or might not include the Johnny Paycheck hit "Take This Job and Shove It."

Coast Guard Issues Safety Advisory for Busy Boating Weekend

“If we could communicate two messages for the Labor Day weekend they would be to simply wear your life jacket and be totally aware at all times of what’s going on around you,” said Al Johnson, the First Coast Guard District’s recreational boating specialist.

Poultry Additive Plant Charged with Amputation Hazards, Formaldehyde Issues

The Georgia-based company has been cited for having no written procedures for formaldehyde process equipment, engineering controls not implemented for overexposure to dust, and exposing employees to dust two-and-a-half to 20 times the permissible exposure limit, among other violations.

PSM Violations Land Boston Seafood Co. in OSHA's Net

The agency's inspection found that the facility, which uses large amounts of anhydrous ammonia in its refrigeration system, had not conducted a proper evaluation of hazards and that standard operating procedures were either incomplete or had not been developed for all system activities, among other things.

Illinois OSHA Public Employee Protection Plan Receives Federal Approval

Illinois has became the newest state to receive approval from OSHA to administer its own occupational safety and health plan for public employees in the state. A notice appears in the Sept. 1st edition of the Federal Register.

Solid Waste Collection Co. Fined $304,200 for Violations Old, New

"The sizable fines proposed here reflect the gravity of this employer's ongoing failure to correct clear and recognized hazards that could result in burns, crushing injuries, or death for its employees," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director in Buffalo, N.Y.

Heberle Disposal Service Faces Additional $304,200 in OSHA Fines

Heberle Disposal Service Inc., a Rochester, N.Y., solid waste collection company, faces an additional $304,200 in fines from OSHA for failing to correct hazards cited during a 2008 inspection and for new and recurring safety hazards at its Alvanar Road worksite.



Industrial Launderer to Pay $525,000 for CWA Violations

"We believe that this agreement represents a fair and just resolution of this matter and, hopefully, will serve as a warning to all businesses that generate wastewater that they must abide by all requirements of their discharge permits," said U.S. Attorney Nora R. Dannehy.

Illinois Power Company Charged with Emissions Doing 'Serious Harm'

According to DOJ, the company's six plants in the state are illegally emitting massive amounts of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter.

UPS Sued For Disability Discrimination

"Sometimes a simple conversation with the employee about what might be needed to return to work is all that is necessary to keep valued employees in their jobs," said EEOC Chicago Regional Attorney John Hendrickson.

The office of U.S. Attorney David Gaouette will prosecute the Cabin Creek case.

Defendants Deny Criminal Acts in Colorado Pipe Deaths

OSHA issued about $1 million in fines against two of the companies that were charged in the Aug. 27 indictment, which was announced the following day by U.S. Attorney David Gaouette, shown here.

Worker's Fall at NY Worksite Prompts Investigation, Citations

"One wrong step can end a worker's career or life," said Kay Gee, OSHA's acting area director in Manhattan. "We want to emphasize to all contractors the importance of supplying effective fall protection safeguards and training to their workers."

Target Stores Sued for Disability Discrimination

According to the lawsuit, the disabled worker could not effectively communicate with others without the assistance of a job coach because of his cerebral palsy and limited intellectual functioning.

2 Denver Companies Slapped with Fines for Willful Trenching Violations

"Different companies. Different worksites. Similar issues. Trench work can be extremely dangerous," said OSHA Regional Administrator Greg Baxter.

EPA Earmarks $7.1 Million to Clean Up Petroleum Leaks in Michigan

The greatest potential hazard from a leaking underground storage tank is that the petroleum or other hazardous substances might seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater, the source of drinking water for nearly one-third of all Americans, the agency noted.

OSHA Blasts Firearms Manufacturer for Machine Hazards

An agency inspection identified dozens of instances throughout the plant where workers were exposed to possible lacerations, amputation, and crushing injuries from unguarded moving parts of mechanical power presses and other machinery as well as a lack of specific procedures to prevent the accidental startup of numerous machines during set-up, maintenance, and repair.

Aircraft Parts Maker To Pay $12,000+ for Not Reporting Hazardous Chemicals

"It's critical that companies report the storage and release of toxic chemicals--if they don't, public safety is jeopardized in an emergency," said Edward Kowalski, EPA's Director of the Office of Compliance and Enforcement in Seattle.

FDA Addresses Ongoing Safety Review of Weight Loss Drug Orlistat

Consumers who have used the drug, marketed as Xenical and the over-the-counter medication Alli, should consult a health care professional if they experience symptoms possibly associated with development of liver injury, particularly weakness or fatigue, fever, jaundice, or brown urine, the agency says. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, itching, or loss of appetite.

M. Patricia Smith, 2009 nominee for U.S. Solicitor of Labor

Enzi Takes Aim at Solicitor Nominee

The ranking member on the U.S. Senate HELP Committee asked the president this week to withdraw M. Patricia Smith's nomination, saying her comments about a New York State Department of Labor program are not consistent with documents about it from the state of New York.

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