"Management and labor working together has resulted in an injury and illness rate that is 86 percent below the national average for the postal industry," said Richard S. Terrill, OSHA's regional administrator in Seattle.
"The penalties being proposed are larger because the company had been warned of these violations at two of its locations but chose not to make the needed corrections at all of its plants," said Les Grove, OSHA's area director in Tampa, Fla.
OSHA has cited East Central Machine & Tool Co., St. Clair, Mo., for alleged safety and health violations and proposed $117,900 in penalties following an investigation into an accident where an employee lost two fingers in a mechanical power press. The inspection found one alleged willful and 11 alleged serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Ten years ago today, Liam Wood, 18, Stephen Tsiorvas, 10, and Wade King, 10, died in a fireball from a leaking gasoline pipeline. The incident shocked the state and prompted a stronger federal law governing underground pipeline inspections and enforcement.
The Crom Corporation and Crom Equipment Rentals violated federal law when they allowed the racial harassment of black employees, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced recently. EEOC also says the Florida-based construction companies unlawfully suspended an African American employee for complaining about severe racial insults, threats, and physical abuse.
Entergy Transmission and Substations, Louisiana Grid, in Destrehan, La. has earned "star" membership in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), the highest level possible for achieving three years of excellence in employee health and safety.
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. recently issued the following statement: "Although General Motors Corp. has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, its two defined benefit pension plans remain ongoing under GM's sponsorship . . ."
According to EPA, the copper in the naval shipyard's wastewater comes from sandblasting and painting of vessels in dry dock at the shipyard. The shipyard is allowed to discharge its wastewater into Sinclair Inlet, but only if the wastewater complies with the site's NPDES permit.
The Phoenix-based facility stores asphalt cement, boiler oil, and diesel fuel at levels requiring reporting, but it failed to provide chemical hazard information and submit a chemical inventory to local authorities, EPA said.
According to the Coast Guard, the New England region suffered the loss of 55 recreational boaters and paddlers in 2008. Four kayak and 10 canoe fatalities accounted for 25 percent of the total.
Water quality within the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River is severely degraded due to dissolved metals from historic mining activities, EPA said, noting that major tributaries are devoid of aquatic life due to high concentrations of dissolved metals.
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced the formation of a task force to develop recommendations for enhancing the transparency of the agency's operations and decision-making process.
OSHA recently announced that it has partnered with Marlette Homes in Lewistown to assist the company in creating safety and health management systems that will protect employees from injuries and illnesses.
The new budget represents a 19 percent increase from the current fiscal year budget, including increases of $295.2 million in budget authority and $215.4 million in industry user fees.
NY Giants, Jets Sign with EPA for 'Greenest'-Ever Meadowlands
"This ambitious, comprehensive plan set forth by the two team ownership groups is a blueprint for new sports venues everywhere," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator George Pavlou.
"In this case, a worker was unloading materials from a box that was being elevated on a lift truck that became unstable, causing the worker to fall 36 feet to his death," said Stephen Boyd, OSHA's area director in Dallas.
The Food and Drug Administration has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. One death due to liver failure has been reported.
EPA found that the site was storing sulfuric acid, lead, and propane gas in amounts greater than the minimum threshold levels allowed before reporting requirements kick in.
Duane Reade Inc., a drugstore chain that operates more than 200 stores in metropolitan New York, will pay $240,000 and furnish other substantial relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency recently announced.
The Board of County Commissioners of Frederick County, Maryland, has settled alleged violations of underground fuel storage tank regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency announced recently.