U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with 3M Co. on alleged clean-air violations at the company's Abrasive Systems Division at 10746 Innovation Road, Cottage Grove, Minn.
The United States has sued Honeywell International Inc. under the False Claims Act in connection with the company's manufacture and sale of defective Zylon Shield (Z Shield), which Honeywell marketed for use as the key ballistic material in bullet-proof vests, the Justice Department announced yesterday.
"This horrible tragedy underscores the need for all employers to implement effective safety and health management systems," said Louis Ricca Jr., acting administrator for OSHA's New York region.
"This case illustrates in the starkest possible terms why effective safeguards are necessary to prevent death and injury on the job," said Christopher Adams, OSHA's area director in Syracuse, N.Y.
Two of the three firms cited are each receiving a willful violation for failing to have a qualified person determine if the structure could support the additional three-quarters of an inch of wet concrete weight that was added to the 20-inch floor slab.
"The company has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to employee safety and health, and has maintained an injury and illness rate 51 percent below the industry average," said Robert Szymanski, director of OSHA's Pittsburgh Area Office.
Ten rodenticides used in bait products marketed to consumers henceforth must be enclosed in bait stations, making the pesticide inaccessible to children and pets. The measures also prohibit the sale of loose bait, such as pellets, for use in homes.
"The sizable fines proposed in this case reflect both the seriousness and the recurrence of this potentially deadly and disabling hazard," said C. William Freeman III, OSHA's area director in Hartford, Conn.
The company's Delaware Fulfillment Center in New Castle predominately warehouses books and music CDs, with 450 employees servicing millions of online customers.
Since July 1, 2007, expanded recruitment efforts have brought almost 80 new recruits to the Oregon State Police.
The 62,370 roadside inspections conducted during last year's event saved 15 lives and prevented 271 injuries, CVSA said.
Findings of a report this month from the DHS Office of Inspector General on the USCG program were "clear and disturbing," said Congressman Elijah Cummins, chair of the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
According to EEOC, the department provided lesser benefits to female corrections officers who gave birth while on worker's compensation leave.
"Process safety management demands constant, effective attention and commitment because the consequences of a leak or other incident can be severe and catastrophic," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director in Buffalo.
The agency implemented the change on Tuesday, issuing a program policy letter telling mine enforcement personnel how to sample for DPM.
OSHA again has cited United Airlines Inc. in Chicago for alleged multiple serious, willful, and repeat violations of federal workplace safety and health standards, and has proposed $192,500 in fines.
The plan initially will cover about 3,800 individual worksites on the primary list that reported 11 or more injuries or illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer for every 100 full-time employers.
"By targeting enforcement against these illegal operators, we help level the playing field for law abiding businesses," said EEEC Director David Dorame.
The company exposed an estimated 161 people to X-ray beams during mobile screenings conducted in Pennsylvania from Feb. 19-23, 2002, according to the state's Department of Environmental Protection.
"The citations address a variety of hazards which, left uncorrected, expose employees to chemical burns, fire, electrocution, lacerations, amputation, falls and crushing injuries, and impede their ability to exit the workplace swiftly in the event of a fire or other emergency," said Christopher Adams, OSHA's area director in Syracuse, N.Y.