The Harbor Animal Services Center of San Pedro, California, operated by Los Angeles City Animal Services, faces a $563,250 fine after a series of employee animal attacks and bites, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced December 17.
One worker, whose leg was badly mauled, required hospitalization, according to the agency.
The state workplace safety and health agency cited the animal shelter with six violations, including one general violation, two willful serious violations, and three willful serious accident-related violations. Cal/OSHA identified the following safety lapses at the Harbor Animal Services Center:
- Overcrowding of animals: The employer failed to evaluate and mitigate risks caused by overcrowding, which led to employee injuries from animal attacks.
- Inadequate training: Employees and supervisors received insufficient training on handling animals or using personal protective devices.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): Proper assessment and provision of PPE wasn’t conducted.
- Emergency communication: The lack of an effective communication system delayed critical emergency response and treatment of injuries.
“This incident underscores the severe consequences that arise when employers fail to take proper measures to protect their staff from preventable risks,” Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee said in an agency statement. “While we cannot undo the harm caused, we can hold employers accountable.”
Illinois solar contractor facing $288K OSHA fine for fall hazards
Sunrun Installation Services Inc., a Des Plaines, Illinois, solar panel and battery storage company, faces $288,087 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for two repeat safety violations for exposing employees to fall hazards, the agency announced December 16.
The agency cited Sunrun for similar violations in Massachusetts in 2022 and New Jersey in 2023.
Agency investigators observed Sunrun employees working without required fall protection while installing solar panels at two residential homes in the Chicago suburbs—one in Oak Park on June 18 and another in Skokie on August 8.
“It is unacceptable that Sunrun Installation Services Inc. allowed workers to be exposed to falls at two separate locations within weeks,” Sukhvir Kaur, OSHA’s Chicago North area office director, said in a statement. “Sunrun must take immediate action to ensure no employee works at heights above six feet without using required fall protection.”
Falls from elevations are the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries in the construction industry, according to OSHA. In September, the agency revealed that its construction industry fall protection standard remained its most frequently cited standard for the 14th straight year.
Maryland contractor cited in worker fatality in North Carolina
Coastal Gunite Construction Co., a Cambridge, Maryland, contractor, faces $40,329 in OSHA penalties after a 47-year-old diver suffered fatal injuries during an underwater dive test in Manns Harbor, North Carolina, the agency announced December 13.
OSHA investigators learned that a four-member dive team employed by Coastal Gunite Construction was doing an underwater test on the worker’s first day of work. Seconds after descending from a boat to about 19 feet underwater, the diver became unresponsive.
When the diver failed to answer radio calls, other team members responded by removing the diver from the water. Coworkers assisted in getting the employee out of the water and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive. Despite their efforts, the employee couldn’t be revived.
Safety deficiencies at the site included Coastal Gunite’s failure to assess workers’ fitness for diving and ensure first-aid supplies and a manual resuscitator were available on-site. The employer also improperly positioned an air intake to prevent contamination and didn’t perform regular air purity tests on compressor systems and annually test air hose pressure.
“Ensuring employees are physically fit for commercial diving is a fundamental part of workplace safety,” Kim Morton, OSHA’s Raleigh, North Carolina, area office director, said in a statement. “Employers have a duty to protect their workers by implementing strict safety protocols and thorough pre-employment evaluations, particularly in high-risk industries like commercial diving.”
The agency cited Coastal Gunite Construction with four serious violations.