Snow and cold weather arrived in Green Bay, Wis., just in time for a football playoff game. Authoritites expect will there be sufficient ice for a large-scale ice rescue drill set for Jan. 18 near Dyckesville, Wis.
OSHA began health and safety inspections in July as a follow-up to inspections conducted in March 2008. The 2008 inspections were initiated based on a referral from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, after a worker sustained an amputation injury.
With an independent audit and a report from CPUC's Consumer Protection and Safety Division exposing Pacific Gas and Electric Company's repeated decisions to postpone maintenance, the penalty consideration case opened Jan. 12 could result in "very significant fines" against the utility.
OSHA has issued the company 22 safety and health violations for exposing workers to a variety of hazards at its facility following an inspection that was initiated in August based on a complaint. Proposed penalties total $55,755.
"Left uncorrected, these hazards expose employees to possible electrocution, crushing, and struck-by injuries, being caught in moving machine parts, hearing loss, falls, eye and hand injuries, asbestos, and lead," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's acting area director in Albany.
The rule provides minimum requirements for developing a hazardous drugs control program. Employers, using a hazard assessment, will put programs in place to minimize or eliminate the hazardous exposures to their employees.
“These incidents, including a tragic death, highlight the need for employers at outdoor worksites to be diligent and monitor their workers for signs of heat illness,” said California Department of Industrial Relations Director Christine Baker.
The employees were performing maintenance work inside a large rotating drum used to sort scrap material for recycling when the drum activated, injuring them.
OSHA initiated an inspection in response to a referral from New Jersey's Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Program. Proposed fines total $126,875.
The agency also has placed Welch Group Environmental LLP into its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, according to its Jan. 10 announcement.
The standard sets up the minimum elements and activities of a program that defines the duties and responsibilities of construction employers working on a project where multiple employers are or will be engaged in the common undertaking to complete a construction project.
The Labor commissioner, IOSHA deputy commissioner, and INSafe director are members of the panel working to "facilitate the adoption and use of industry best practices" for preventing violence inside 24-hour convenience stores.
"This has been a serious problem for organizations operating outside the United States who want to ensure their workplace is drug free by testing applicants and employees," said Patricio Labatut and Brian Drew, co-chairmen of the association's International Committee.
During 2010 and 2011, personnel from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Customs and Border Protection prevented more than 6.5 million units that were unsafe or violated U.S. standards from reaching consumers.
OSHA's San Antonio Area Office initiated a safety and health inspection Aug. 16 in response to a complaint. Proposed penalties total $45,000.
The company, which manufactures Hostess products, faces a total of $104,700 in proposed fines following a safety inspection by OSHA's Augusta Area Office.
Violations related to OSHA's process safety management standards allegedly resulted in an ammonia release at the facility on June 30.
"McHugh Excavating & Plumbing has the responsibility of ensuring that its employees are properly protected from known workplace hazards such as trench cave-ins," said Kim Stille, OSHA's area director in Madison.
"The A10 standards play an important role in providing technical guidance to the construction and demolition industry in order to prevent occupational fatalities, injuries, and illnesses,” said Richard King, chair of the A10 Committee.
The CSB investigation found that significant amounts of fine iron powder had accumulated over time at the Hoeganaes facility, and that while the company knew from its own testing and experience with flash fires in the plant that the dust was combustible, it did not take the necessary action to reduce the hazards through engineering controls and basic housekeeping.