Regulatory & Standards


MSHA, Tri-Star Mining Inc. Reach Settlement Agreement

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) recently announced that an administrative law judge of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission has approved a settlement between MSHA and Tri-Star Mining Inc. regarding an April 2007 highwall failure that resulted in the death of two coal miners at Tri-Star Mining's western Maryland surface operation. The mine operator will pay a total of $105,324 in penalties.

OSHA Fines Two Contractors $175,000 Following Construction Collapse, Injuries

OSHA is proposing $175,000 in penalties against W.G. Yates & Sons Construction and Spectrum Concrete Services following the November 2008 collapse of a wood shoring system at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center's medical towers addition in Meridian, Miss.

ASSE Revises SH&E Training Practices Standard

The standard, Z490.1-2009, covers all areas of training, including training development, delivery, evaluation, and management of training and training programs, ASSE says.

OSHA Renews New Jersey Schools Development Authority Alliance

OSHA, the New Jersey School Development Authority (NJSDA), and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOLWD) have renewed their alliance to promote workplace safety and health on New Jersey school construction sites during a signing ceremony at NJSDA headquarters in Trenton.

OSHA Cites Utility Company for Potential Trenching Hazards

The alleged failure to protect its employees from potential trenching and excavation hazards has brought H & H Plumbing & Utilities Inc. $46,200 in proposed penalties from OSHA following an inspection at the company's worksite in Edmond.

Alaska Miners to Pay $883,628 to Resolve Environmental Violations

"Whether it's in a far corner of Alaska or in a crowded urban area, stormwater rules protect our waterways from polluted runoff," said Michelle Pirzadeh, EPA's Acting Regional Administrator in Seattle.



OSHA Cites Contractor after Workers Overcome at Worksite

OSHA has cited a Cambridge, Mass., contractor for alleged willful and serious violations of safety and health standards after three of its employees were overcome by lack of oxygen on Oct. 20, 2008, while cleaning underground steam pipes on the Boston College campus in Newton, Mass. Thomas G. Gallagher Inc. faces a total of $71,000 in proposed fines.

Revised First Aid Kit Standard Wins ANSI Approval

ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2009 designates new kit types and expands the required supply list to include a first aid guide.

OSHA Awards VPP Star to American Packaging Corp.

OSHA has certified the RP&L Division of American Packaging Corp. in Columbus as a star site in its prestigious Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).

EEOC Sues Wal-Mart for Harassment of Latinos at Fresno Sam's Club

Sam's Club, the wholesale chain store owned and operated by Wal-Mart, violated federal law by compelling Latino employees to endure a hostile work environment based upon their Mexican national origin, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed on May 7.

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis

Lean Rulemaking Agenda Lists July Diacetyl Milestone

The biggest news in U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis' first semiannual regulatory agenda is no news: Nothing big was promised, just a little forward progress on long-awaited rules.

two workers direct a concrete pour

ASTM Developing Better Test for Concrete Conductivity

It could replace destructive testing that now takes much longer. Bulk conductivity is useful for designing cathodic protection systems and for concrete used in stray voltage applications.

DOL Earns Number One Ranking in Performance Report Scorecard

George Mason University's Mercatus Center ranks agencies' reports on 12 criteria worth five points each, in three categories: transparency, public benefits, and leadership.

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging USERRA Violation

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City on behalf of Jose A. Ortega, a Utah National Guard member, against Synapse Data and Telecom Inc., and Matthew Mossbarger, Synapse's owner and operator, alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).

FDA Seizes more than $1.5 Million of Adulterated Food, Food Ingredients

Filthy conditions and failure to correct violations at the American Mercantile Corp. of Memphis, Tenn. prompted action.

LaHood Applauds New Florida Primary Seat Belt Law

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently applauded Florida for enacting a new primary seat belt law that is expected to save the lives of more than one hundred Floridians each year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belt use is the most effective protection against serious crash injuries, reducing the risk by 50 percent.

OSHA Proposes More than $46,000 in Fines for Chlorine Gas Leak

OSHA has cited Metalor Technologies for 10 alleged serious violations of safety standards, with $46,500 in fines, following an inspection prompted by a Nov. 7, 2008, chlorine gas leak at the company's North Attleboro, Mass., metals refining plant.

chips and cards used in a casino

NIOSH Report Recommends Eliminating Tobacco from Vegas Casinos

A secondhand smoke Health Hazard Evaluation triggered by confidential requests from non-poker dealers at Bally's, Paris, and Caesars Palace casinos found evidence of exposure to a known carcinogen from tobacco smoke, based on measurable levels in their urine.

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