WASHINGTON – In 2014, almost 40 percent of all construction fatalities were fall related, and all of these deaths were preventable. That’s the key message the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration wants to deliver to employers and workers alike during its third annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls from May 2-6, 2016.

Date of Action: April 29, 2016

Type of Action: Employee Retirement Income Security Act Lawsuit

Names of Defendants: Shirley T. Sherrod, Leroy Johnson, Shirley T. Sherrod M.D., P.C., Target Pension Plan

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service today announced the launch of a newly enhanced online one-stop for employment services, Veterans.gov. The website brings together job banks, state employment offices, American Job Centers, opportunities in top-trending industry sectors, and employer assistance in a single online location. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has reached a settlement agreement with a subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., an Atlanta-based investment management firm.

Invesco Trust Company agreed to pay a total of $10.27 million to settle the department's claims that they violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

Date of Action: April 4, 2016

Name(s) of Defendant(s): Scott Louis Slocum; Dalton Mechanical SIMPLE IRA Plan

Allegations: Based on an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Secretary of Labor obtained a default judgment based on the following:

PHILADELPHIA – As the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration prepares for its annual National Safety Stand Down To Prevent Falls in Construction from May 2-6, agency officials in Philadelphia have only to look east to Cinnaminson, New Jersey, to find a serious reminder of why the event is so important – and necessary.

SALINA, Kan. – As they investigated unsafe working conditions at a Salina battery manufacturer, federal investigators initiated a second safety inspection after the company reported an unguarded machine partially amputated a 32-year-old worker’s left middle finger.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today issued the following statement on Workers’ Memorial Day:

“Every day, millions of Americans leave their homes and report to jobs that provide for their families, strengthen our communities and grow our economy. Too many of them – on average, 13 workers a day – don’t make it back at the end of their shift. On Workers’ Memorial Day, we honor our fallen workers, and we renew our commitment to unwavering vigilance on workplace safety.

In the week ending April 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 257,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 247,000 to 248,000. The 4-week moving average was 256,000, a decrease of 4,750 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since December 8, 1973 when it was 252,250. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 260,500 to 260,750.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $112 million to 50 state and territorial workforce agencies, including those in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, to operate reemployment services and eligibility assessments programs for those receiving unemployment insurance benefits. Estimates based on the budgets in the past 10 years show that the program has reduced individual use of UI services by approximately one-and-a-half weeks, saving on average $3 for every dollar spent in costs.

Employer name: Jay Management Inc.

Inspection site: 1060 Stuyvesant Ave., Irvington, New Jersey

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued one willful citation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s general duty clause to Jay Management Inc. on April 25, 2016.

MASSILLON, Ohio – Federal inspectors conducting a monitoring inspection found workers still exposed to falls and machine hazards at a Massillon steel mill operated by Republic Steel, despite the company’s promise to address safety hazards at its U.S. steel manufacturing sites.

The company is one of the nation’s leading suppliers for steel used for axles, drive-train assemblies, suspension and other critical vehicle components, as well as industrial equipment. 

Date of Action: April 26, 2016

Type of Action: Employee Retirement Income Security Act Lawsuit

Names of Defendants: Lori Jo Mueller, Edelweiss 401(K) Plan

Date of Action: April 22, 2016

Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Act and Migrant and Season Agricultural Worker Protection Act
consent judgment

Defendant: Miguel Rosales Ruiz

Who: U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration

What: The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that federal inspectors issued 157 citations, one order and two safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and six metal and nonmetal mines in March.

Where: MSHA conducted special impact inspections at mines in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

ROSE HILL, Kan. ‒ Safety guards may have prevented a metal bar from striking and killing a 24-year-old lathe operator at a Rose Hill industrial cleaning equipment manufacturer, federal investigators found.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – A 17-year-old worker, who died when a car fell off a hydraulic lift and crushed him in November 2015,  was operating hazardous equipment in violation of federal law at a Savannah motor vehicle shipping facility, the U.S. Department of Labor has determined.

Employer name: Harcros Chemicals Inc.,
Kansas City, Kansas

Citations issued: April 19, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

MINNEAPOLIS – The U.S.

LADYSMITH, Wis. ‒ A machine operator who suffered fatal injuries as he serviced a high-speed conveyor belt in a Ladysmith paper mill in October 2015 might still be alive if his employer had ensured that equipment was powered down and locked out before the 46-year-old man entered the hazardous area.