Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Ports and shipyards serve as essential gateways in the global supply chain, facilitating the movement of commodities across the world. However, these environments can also be incredibly busy to the point where safety can be a concern. Boaters and workers have numerous tasks to complete in the loading, unloading and reconfiguration of vessels, as well […]
On October 16, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the release of new inspection guidance for animal slaughtering and processing facilities. Previous guidance only applied to poultry establishments. The updated “Inspection Guidance for Animal Slaughtering and Processing Establishments” is intended to reduce injuries and illnesses resulting from occupational hazards in the meat processing […]
A federal administrative law judge (ALJ) ordered Class I railroad freight company CSX Transportation Inc. to reinstate two railroad workers who were wrongfully terminated for reporting safety concerns and pay the workers a total of $453,510, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced October 11. The decision out of the Department of Labor’s Office […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been developing three industry-specific rulemakings that could significantly impact healthcare industry compliance. By the end of the year, the industry could see one new final regulation and two proposed rules. The agency plans to issue a permanent standard sometime in December for exposures to COVID-19 in healthcare […]
Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc., a Fremont, Nebraska, farm cooperative, faces $36,873 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for exposing workers in a palletizing area to ergonomic stressors likely to cause musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, the agency announced October 8. Investigators found that the company required workers to manually lift boxes weighing up to […]
Chemical manufacturer AB Specialty Silicones LLC has agreed to pay $1.3 million in penalties in connection with a May 2019 explosion and fire at its Waukegan, Illinois, plant that claimed the lives of four workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced October 2. Following OSHA’s investigation, it proposed penalties totaling $1,591,176 for four […]
Legacy Cooperative, a Nebraska grain cooperative, faces a $536,965 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine for two willful and 22 serious violations, the agency announced October 3. OSHA initiated an inspection as part of its local emphasis program (LEP) for grain-handling facilities in the state. Agency inspectors identified life-threatening hazards at the employer’s Hemingford, […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced on October 1 it completed the restructuring of its regional offices. OSHA’s most significant change is the creation of a Birmingham, Alabama, regional office responsible for employer assistance, inspection, and enforcement in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Florida Panhandle. Kentucky and Tennessee are the […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ordered a Maugansville, Maryland, trucking company to reinstate a driver and pay nearly $30,000 in back wages and damages after finding the employer wrongly terminated the worker for refusing to drive an oversize load in an unsafe manner, the agency announced September 27. OSHA investigators found that TrueStart […]
Hailiang Copper Texas Inc., a Sealy, Texas, manufacturer, faces a $253,750 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine after an employee suffered serious arm injuries while trying to clear debris during the manufacturing of copper alloy products, the agency announced September 26. Agency investigators determined an employee suffered serious injuries that resulted in a partial […]