Retaliation Against Whistleblowers Results in Million-Dollar Penalty
A Pennsylvania manufacturer must pay $1,047,399 in lost wages and punitive damages to two former employees fired in retaliation for cooperating in a federal safety investigation.
Tag: SVEP
Tire Maker Put on OSHA’s Severe Violators List
OSHA has added Kumho Tire Georgia Inc. to its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) and is seeking $507,299 in penalties for repeat and serious violations. The agency cited Kumho and its two contractors with 22 workplace safety and health violations.
OSHA Launches Pilot Program for Severe Violators of Whistleblower Protection Laws
On May 31, OSHA announced a pilot program aimed at protecting workers who report violations of law, safety and health—a severe violator enforcement program for employers that “continually and willfully” disregard the rights of whistleblowers.
OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program: A Cautionary Tale from the Furniture Industry
Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., has a long history with federal OSHA. Between 1982 and the first half of 2014, the furniture manufacturer had been inspected by federal OSHA 33 times and by state OSHA agencies an additional 23 times. In its 33 previous federal inspections, OSHA cited the employer for 96 serious, 4 repeat, and […]
Are You Bad? Watch Out, Because OSHA’s Going Nationwide
Yesterday, we looked at the changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) reporting requirements that will go into effect on January 1, 2015. But that’s not the only change OSHA has recently made that will affect its enforcement efforts—and not all of the changes have been announced in a press release.
Pitfalls of Noncompliance: Part 2
Yesterday, we reviewed some recent OSHA enforcement cases that resulted in multiple citations and six-figure penalties. Today, we wind up with some additional reports on the cost of failing to comply with OSHA standards. Workers Exposed to Anhydrous Ammonia OSHA inspected a Region 7 food storage facility under its national emphasis program for process safety […]
Pitfalls of Noncompliance
Avoid violations and penalties like these—and even more important the potential for accidents and injuries—by ensuring that you are in compliance with OSHA standards that apply to your workplace. Illinois Employer Placed in SVEP Following Fatal Accident A worker at a metal fabrication plant was fatally crushed by an automated laser-cutting machine. OSHA’s investigation of […]