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Crown USA Inc., a Woodbury, Georgia, plastic and resin manufacturer, faces a $98,699 OSHA fine after a 37-year-old employee suffered fatal injuries while performing machine maintenance, the agency announced June 20. The maintenance technician was crushed inside an unlocked hooding palletizer while servicing the machine, according to OSHA. Agency investigators determined that the employer’s violations […]
Kabco Builders Inc., a Boaz, Alabama, mobile home manufacturer, received an $81,463 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine following an employee’s fatal fall, the agency announced June 20. Investigators determined that an employee was alone loading shingles as they straddled a 2-foot-wide space between a platform and a mobile home’s roof when they slipped […]
Doskocil Manufacturing Inc., an Arlington, Texas, pet products manufacturer and distributor operating as Petmate, is facing $278,851 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties after an employee suffered severe facial burns, the agency announced June 17. OSHA investigators learned that three employees were using a pry bar to break off excess plastic, called “drool,” […]
J.H. Routh Packing Co., a Sandusky, Ohio, pork processing facility, faces a more than half-million-dollar Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine after exposing workers to a release of ammonia gas, the agency announced June 18. OSHA cited the company with 43 safety violations and proposed penalties of $528,441. Agency investigators opened inspections at HK […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how ergonomics can help reduce workplace injuries and the costs associated with them. Ergonomics are no big deal, right? There’s no federal standard for ergonomics or the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). […]
The workforce is aging, reflecting changes in society as a whole. Labor force participation rates for workers aged 55 or older are expected to rise through 2030, while participation rates for other age groups are expected to remain at the same level or decline. The Song of the Week takes a sarcastic look at getting […]
Overexertion, falls, and being struck by objects or equipment were the top causes of employers’ workers’ compensation costs, according to Liberty Mutual’s 2024 Workplace Safety Index, released June 11. The report from the insurer’s Risk Control Services ranked the top 10 causes of the most serious workplace injuries—those causing an employee to miss more than […]
In a Priority Open Recommendations document released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on May 28, 2024, the federal watchdog detailed 12 open high-priority recommendations the EPA has yet to address: For more information about EPA progress and plans to address these items, see the Priority Open Recommendations document. “Priority open recommendations are the GAO […]
The EPA recently announced four final power plant rules (PPR) to reduce pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants, with the goal of protecting “communities from pollution and improve public health without disrupting the delivery of reliable electricity,” according to an Agency news release. These rules are part of the Biden administration’s push to transition to […]
On June 14, OSHA cautioned emergency responders, recovery workers, and residents in areas of Florida recently flooded by intense rainfall to exercise caution when facing the hazards of a storm’s aftermath. Once storms subside, workers are needed to restore electricity, communications, water, and sewer services. These activities may involve removing standing floodwater from structures, performing […]