Safety/Health

Regular safety complaints could spell legal trouble

08/01/2018

Be careful if a worker files a steady stream of safety complaints. If those complaints are followed by an accident or incident and the worker is disciplined for something seemingly unrelated, he may still be able to make a whistleblower complaint.

Central Valley, Calif. firms pay in wake of migrant worker deaths

07/30/2018

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured judgments against two Fresno-area firms that violated the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act by providing unsafe transportation to migrant workers.

Fines for fatal fire at Orange County, N.Y. cosmetics maker

07/13/2018

OSHA has issued fines in the wake of its investigation into a massive fire in November 2017 that killed an employee at Verla International’s factory in New Windsor, N.Y.

OSHA inspectors beat a path to Bensalem, Pa. construction firm

07/10/2018

Strong Contractors in Bensalem, Pa. has become the go-to destination for OSHA inspectors. Since March 2017, they have descended on Strong worksites 14 times.

Public-policy exception means at-will status doesn’t always apply

07/10/2018

A federal court interpreting Pennsylvania law has concluded that firing a worker for calling in a complaint to OSHA provides protection under the public-policy exception.

OSHA ain’t just blowing smoke on whistleblowing

06/26/2018

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered Chino, California-based Mr. Good Vape to reinstate a manager who reported alleged violations of federal safety laws in its production process.

CalOSHA ergonomic regs for hotel staff take effect July 1

06/26/2018

Revised musculoskeletal injury prevention regulations for hotel housekeepers take effect July 1. Affected employers have until Oct. 1 to develop musculoskeletal injury protection plans, or MIPPs.

OSHA, AESC renew petroleum industry safety partnership

06/12/2018

The three-year alliance renewal will extend efforts to reduce and prevent exposure to well servicing hazards, and provide training resources for member companies and their employees.

Half of employers are hurt by opioid abuse

03/22/2018

The National Safety Council found that nearly half of U.S. employers surveyed cited a negative business impact by employees’ misuse of prescription drugs.

Update your plan for preventing violence

02/16/2018

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is aggressively going after employers that don’t take seriously their responsibility to provide a safe workplace—especially those that don’t have a specific violence prevention program in place.