Regulatory & Standards


Worker Fired for 'Ratting' about Rodent Infestation

The employee had reported serious concerns to management regarding rodents and rodent droppings in the office and requested to have these problems corrected.

GAO Says OSHA Takes Too Long to Develop Safety Standards

Experts and agency officials cited several factors that contribute to the lengthy time frames for developing and issuing standards, including increased procedural requirements, shifting priorities, and a rigorous standard of judicial review.

DOT Announces Final Rule on Training for Medical Examiners

The rule requires health care professionals who perform medical examinations for interstate truck and bus drivers to be trained, tested, and certified on the specific physical qualifications that affect a driver’s ability to safely operate the vehicle.

OSHA Issues Directive on Communicating with Family Following a Workplace Fatality

Under the new directive, OSHA representatives will contact the victim's family to explain the investigation process and timeline and provide the family with updates throughout the investigation.

Lockout/Tagout Fatality Leads to $51,300 OSHA Fine

An OSHA investigation was initiated in November 2011 following the death of a worker who was crushed in a coating machine while attempting to clear a jam.

Michigan Could Deregulate 18 Occupations, Eliminate 9 Boards

"The Advisory Rules Committee carefully considered the public health and safety benefits of 87 different occupations. We found that there were at least 18 occupations that did not require regulation," said Shelly Edgerton, deputy director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

Delta Air Lines, OSHA Sign Seat Belt Compliance Agreement for Baggage Vehicles

The agreement is the result of a citation issued to Delta following a workplace fatality in which an employee operating a baggage tug vehicle without wearing a seat belt was ejected from the vehicle and died.

Young People Rarely Object to Drivers Texting, Study Says

Findings from the first nationally representative telephone survey on driver distraction show that younger drivers ages 18 to 20 years old report the highest level of phone involvement in crash or near-crash incidences.



Republic Steel Agrees to Pay $235,000 Penalty, Hire Safety Managers

Additional abatement measures Republic Steel agreed to take at the Lorain mill include providing a two-hour lockout/tagout training program to all affected employees, conducting a fall hazard audit, and developing a fall protection abatement plan.

Cal/OSHA Launches 2012 Heat Illness Prevention Campaign

The agency will conduct inspections geared to ensure that employers comply with the heat standard by providing adequate water, shade, rest breaks, worker training, and emergency preparations at outdoor worksites.

Firm Fined $78,000 after Automobile Injures Employee

OSHA opened an inspection after receiving a complaint in November 2011 that an automobile being worked on fell off a lift and landed on top of an employee, who consequently suffered a broken hip and internal injuries.

$111,000 in Penalties, SVEP Referral in Amputation Case

OSHA has cited Knowlton Manufacturing Co. for three willful, one repeat, and six serious violations in connection with the November 2011 injury.

NHTSA Proposes 'Brake-Throttle Override' to Improve Vehicle Safety

The proposal aims to minimize the risk that drivers will lose control of their vehicles as a result of either accelerator control system disconnections or accelerator pedal sticking or floor mat entrapment.

IMO's Chief Remembers Titanic Victims

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu's video message for April 14 recalls the great ship's sinking a century ago.

Judge Finds Pet Food Packaging Firm in Contempt of Court, Issues $42K Fine

The Alpha, Ill.-headquartered company has been ordered to pay $31,000 in fines for contempt and $10,964.95 in attorney's fees.

Ala. Famers Cooperative Hit with $191,700 OSHA Fine

Two willful safety violations, with penalties of $126,000, include failing to establish a housekeeping program to reduce the accumulation of combustible dust and use approved electrical equipment in the presence of combustible dust.

Kansas Workplace Injuries Declined in 2010

Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses among private industry employers in Kansas declined in 2010 to a rate of 3.7 cases per 100 equivalent full time workers, down from 4.1 cases in 2009.

Fire, Fall Hazards Unearthed at N.D. Oil Rig

Repeat violations include exposing employees to a potential 26-foot fall hazard as they worked on the drilling floor next to an open V-door and a non-functional eye wash station used to prevent injury in the event of corrosive materials entering the eyes.

Combustible Dust Explosion at Pasta Plant Leads to $231K Penalty

Two maintenance employees conducting welding operations sustained serious burns to their upper bodies as the result of an explosion within a dust collector at the company's Steeleville, Ill., pasta manufacturing plant.

More Oversight Needed to Protect Youth Workers, Study Says

The report, published recently in Public Health Reports, said that 88 youths under age 20 died from work-related injuries in 2010, while 20,000 missed work in private industry due to occupational-related illness or injury.

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