Who:  U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Region 4       

What:  Whistleblower protections webinar

When:  Aug. 16, 2023, 1-3 p.m. EDT  

HOUSTON – Despite an extensive history of serious and repeat violations dating back more than a decade, a Houston steel erection company again failed to correct fall protection systems hazards, a federal workplace safety investigation has found.

MIAMI – The U.S. Department of Labor has found that a Miami excavation contractor with a history of federal workplace safety violations could have prevented the death of a 48-year-old diver – who drowned while removing debris in a canal in 8 feet of murky water – by having required rescue procedures in place.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a heat hazard alert to remind employers of their obligation to protect workers against heat illness or injury in outdoor and indoor workplaces.

AUSTIN, TX – A federal investigation has found that, despite more than $21 million in penalties since 2017 for workplace safety failures, Dollar General continued to expose employees at an Austin store on East Rundberg Lane to the risks of blocked exits and fire extinguishers not maintained or mounted as required.

WESTFIELD, IL ‒ A 43-year-old employee at a Westfield grain elevator found himself trapped for five hours in February 2023 as co-workers and emergency responders worked to remove hundreds of pounds of soybeans to pull him out. Thankfully, the worker suffered only minor injuries.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – A federal workplace safety investigation found a Jacksonville psychiatric health and substance disorder facility did not follow safety procedures, leaving workers vulnerable to injuries, including one who a patient reportedly kicked in the face.

BRAINTREE, MA – When U.S. Department of Labor inspectors returned to a Boston food plant in March 2023, they discovered the plant’s operator — Chinese Spaghetti Factory Inc. — still had not installed required safety guards on a dumpling machine’s rotating shafts, a dangerous hazard for which the company was cited for after an employee suffered serious injuries in 2022.

Participants:  U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

                              Cardinal IG Waxahachie

ANDOVER, MA – A pet supply store in North Andover operated by a subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest pet care companies routinely exposed employees to live and dead rodents as well as their droppings and urine, a federal workplace safety inspection has found.

GREEN BAY, WI ‒ Federal safety inspectors responded to a Green Bay rendering plant after an employee  suffered severe burns when a pump seal released steam and hot oil as workers tried to clear a blockage in January 2023.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify the personal protective equipment standard for the construction industry.

MIAMI – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation into the electrocution of a 32-year-old worker in Miami found the lineman’s employer failed to make certain its crews working near overhead power lines followed required safety measures.

NORFOLK, VA – A federal whistleblower investigation has determined that Maersk Line Limited — one of the world’s leading providers of marine cargo services — suspended and terminated a seaman illegally after the seaman reported numerous safety concerns about a company vessel to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Participants:      U.S. Department of Labor’s

                            Occupational Safety and Health Administration

                            Aims Community College

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule that will require certain employers in designated high-hazard industries to electronically submit injury and illness information – that they are already required to keep – to the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

WASHINGTON - El Departamento del Trabajo de EE.UU. ha anunciado hoy una norma definitiva que obligará a determinados empleadores de sectores designados de alto riesgo a presentar electrónicamente a la Administración de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional del Departamento la información sobre lesiones y enfermedades que ya están obligados a mantener.

La norma final entrará en vigor el 1 de enero de 2024 y incluye ahora los siguientes requisitos de presentación:

Who:               U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

North Dakota Safety Council

What:             Alliance renewal

WILKES-BARRE, PA - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an alliance between its Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center that will promote workplace safety and health and educate Northeast Pennsylvania’s industrial employers and workers.

TAMPA, FL – Federal workplace safety inspections at two Tampa-area Dollar General stores found the company again exposing employees to fire hazards and other unsafe conditions, continuing the long history of disregard for worker safety by one of the nation’s largest discount retailers.