The agency said it will evaluate the program's effectiveness and findings in July 2009.
Over the past 10 years, the company, which operates 1,632 sites across the nation with approximately 11,900 employees, has been inspected 37 times by OSHA and cited for similar violations.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters has directed the Federal Aviation Administration to implement 13 new safety recommendations from an independent review team tasked with reviewing the current U.S. aviation safety system.
The operator of Darby Mine #1 in Harlan County, Ky., agreed to drop its challenge to the MSHA citations and must pay the fines by Oct. 19.
The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a settlement with Encore Management Co. in Arlington to resolve findings by OSHA that the company illegally terminated an employee because she complained about safety and health issues.
The employee died in February after part of the structure failed and collapsed while workers were cutting concrete floor and wall sections of the Palm House Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla.
One piece of legislation signed last week requires site safety managers to include in their plans a statement that workers have successfully completed a 10-hour OSHA course on construction safety and health within five years of working on the site.
"I am confident that the creation of the Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management, and the support of the talented OSHA team we already have, will further enhance the agency's leadership in protecting the working men and women of this country, whether they are engaged in their normal work or involved in the challenging tasks of response and recovery," said OSHA head Edwin G. Foulke Jr.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are asking state, tribal, and local officials with questions about the federal program for picking up disaster debris to call the FEMA Debris hotline. The number is 1-866-599-4832, and it is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a comprehensive question-and-answer guide addressing how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to a wide variety of performance and conduct issues.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division Grace Chung Becker and Acting U.S. Attorney Laurie Magid announced the filing of a one count criminal complaint charging William Gould with interference with employment by threat of violence, a Class A misdemeanor.
The agency is asking lead-detection kit merchants to apply to have their test kits reviewed, and plans to recognize the accurate kits.
In addition to the enforcement activities, Cal/OSHA has conducted more then 649 heat illness seminars, onsite consultations, and outreach events throughout the state this year.
"We can't take chances with public health," said EPA's Mike Bussell. "Preventing a release of something as potentially dangerous as anhydrous ammonia protects the lives of workers, responders, and nearby residents."
The U.S. Department of Labor yesterday announced that this year's national Drug-Free Work Week will take place Oct. 20 through 26. The purpose of Drug-Free Work Week is to educate employers, employees, and the general public about the importance of being drug-free as an essential component of a safe and healthful workplace.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) earlier this week acknowledged that it has made a criminal referral of issues relating to the Crandall Canyon Mine to the United States attorney for the District of Utah in a motion filed with the federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.
The inspections were conducted to assess compliance with the EPA's nationwide storm water Construction General Permit, which requires operators of construction sites to plan for and implement storm water controls and to protect surface waters from common construction pollutants.
An alliance between OSHA and the National Maritime Safety Association has been renewed to further safety and health for employees in the marine cargo handling industry. OSHA and NMSA will concentrate on hazards related to intermodal container lashing and marine terminal traffic.
The criminal information alleges that in April 2008, more than 40 percent of Houston-based Shipley Do-Nut's workforce were illegal aliens, the majority of I-9s were deficient or completed years after an illegal alien began working for the company, and that the company failed to take corrective measures.
Law enforcement officers issued 840 citations for speeding violations and made two DUI arrests, 16 arrests for other criminal offenses, and 14 arrests for aggressive driving in general--all in the first month of a new state campaign.