Enforcement


E-DUI Tickets Start July 23 in Washington State

Tickets for driving while using hand-held electronics will go on your record and be reported to your insurance company, the state warns, and an E-DUI ticket will cost $136 for the first violation and $234 for the second (within five years).

Director of Korean Earthquake Research Center Convicted of Money Laundering

The director of South Korea's Earthquake Research Center at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources was laundering bribes that he received from two seismological companies based in California and England through the U.S. banking system, according to DOJ.

NTSB Announces Investigative Hearing for Fatal Alaska Commuter Flight Crash

The incident occurred on Oct. 2, 2016 near Togiak, Alaska.

Engineering Firm Fined $155,000 in Vibration Case

"Exposure to hand/arm vibration is a well-known risk which the company failed to adequately control," said HSE Inspector Helen Jones. "The company also failed to ensure workers were looked after when symptoms did arise, leading to further exposure."

WorkSafeBC's New Penalty Changes Now in Effect

The agency's Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Penalty Amounts Policy D12-196-6, and the changes were effective July 4, 2017.

UK Firm Fined $1.29 Million After Worker Suffers Severe Burns

The Health and Safety Executive investigated the 2013 case that involved a contractor’s work on a pipe carrying pure oxygen.

OSHA Announces Policy Change on Monorail Hoists

A new enforcement policy excludes monorail hoists from the requirements of Subpart CC.

Fatality Investigation: 22-Year-Old Construction Laborer Killed in Trench Collapse

The Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program investigates fatalities and makes recommendations for preventing future similar injuries.



DOE Completes Evaluation of Hanford's Tunnel 2, Finds 'High' Risk of Collapse

The two PUREX storage tunnels hold mixed radioactive and chemical waste. A section of Tunnel 1 collapsed May 9, and state authorities then ordered DOE and CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company to immediately assess the integrity of both.

Bridge Contractor Fined for Fall Hazards

An employee was working on an upper deck, 37 feet above a lower platform, and fell through a ladder opening, landing on an employee who was working on the lower platform. Both employees survived the accident but suffered multiple injuries.

15 Deaths Due to Trench Hazards in 2017

OSHA released a statement highlighting the dangers of excavation work after citing a Missouri plumbing contractor.

Cal/OSHA Fines Explosives Manufacturer $293,235

Cal/OSHA this week cited explosives manufacturer Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company for multiple serious and willful accident-related workplace safety violations, after the agency's investigation of an explosion in Hollister, Calif., that seriously hurt a worker.

Stratus Pharmaceuticals Ordered to Cease Distributing Unapproved Drugs

Sonar Products has also been ordered to cease operations.

NY Amusement Ride Inspections Under Way

A ride cannot legally operate without a permit from the New York State Department of Labor, which last year performed nearly 1,600 inspections on more than 9,000 amusement devices and issued more than 2,900 orders to correct violations.

Federal Enforcement Still Weak, NPR's Berkes Says

Having investigated the Upper Big Branch mine disaster, grain bin deaths, and the erosion of workers' compensation protections, he says the agencies and prosecutors don’t enforce strongly enough, and workers suffer.

OSHA Finds Safety Failures in Fatal Incident Investigation

OSHA has issued a dozen fines following the investigation into a Pensacola-area electric cable manufacturer.

Four States Getting Grants to Combat Drowsy Driving

"Drowsy driving is an overlooked and underfunded issue in highway safety," said GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins, "yet our 2016 report found that tired drivers contribute to 328,000 crashes annually and cost society $109 billion a year. We appreciate The National Road Safety Foundation supporting these programs and expect that some may become models that others can replicate."

Steel Plant Cited for Machine Safety Hazards, Lead Overexposure

Republic Steel faces $279,578 in fines.

Washington State Distracted Driving Law Taking Effect in July

The bill making use of a mobile phone while driving a primary offense exempts a driver who is using a personal electronic device to contact emergency services and also someone operating an authorized emergency vehicle.

AIHA Announces Support for Accurate Workplace Injury and Illness Records Restoration Act

The association announced support for the government employees that are working to introduce the act.

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