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A federal court ruled an Amsterdam, New York, eye doctor illegally fired an employee who reported a lack of COVID-19 protections to state health officials, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced August 12. An OSHA whistleblower investigation found that the doctor and his practice retaliated against an employee for filing complaints with the […]
The EPA recently granted a petition from the Center for Environmental Health, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Clean Cape Fear, Clean Water Action, Delaware Riverkeeper, and Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) formed during the fluorination of plastic containers—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), […]
While it continues to work on new standards on heat stress and infectious disease, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is emphasizing its willingness to work with businesses to improve worker protection. Speaking last week at the American Society of Safety Professionals’ (ASSP) Safety 2024 conference, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and […]
Athletic apparel and shoemaker Adidas America Inc. faces $396,377 in new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for failing to correct fall hazards at its Chester, New York, warehouse, which was originally cited in March 2022, the agency announced August 9. OSHA also issued the employer a Failure to Abate notice on top of […]
Jerlow Construction Co., an Edmond, Oklahoma, contractor, faces $85,173 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines after a 61-year-old pipe layer suffered fatal injuries when a 9-foot-deep trench collapsed at a residential worksite near Shawnee, OSHA announced August 6. The employer has a history of workplace safety violations dating back to 2018, including three […]
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) issued a call for greater use of remote isolation equipment at U.S. chemical facilities, the board announced July 25. A new safety study titled “Remote Isolation of Process Equipment” offered recommendations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as […]
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) signed a memorandum of understanding this week to improve workplace safety efforts. Announced on Day 1 of the ASSP’s Safety 2024 conference in Denver, the 10-year agreement defines shared principles and aims to improve employee safety training, advance occupational health […]
When was the last time you thought about your workplace safety strategy? I don’t mean the last time you checked in on key performance indicators (KPI) or addressed a one-off issue. I mean the last time you set aside time to think about whether the workplace safety strategy you have in place today is serving […]
In a 5-to-4 ruling delivered June 27, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) delivered yet another blow to EPA authority when it placed the Agency’s “Good Neighbor” rule on hold. The “Good Neighbor” rule, also known as the “Cross State Air Pollution Rule” (CSAPR), was designed to cut pollution from power plants and other industrial […]
El Paso, Texas, contractor CMD Endeavors Inc. faces $260,848 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines following the agency’s investigation of a fatal trench collapse, OSHA announced August 1. The agency has cited the employer six times since 2015 for the same violation. It says the contractor could have prevented a 37-year-old employee’s fatal […]