OSHA finds Clifton company again exposes employees to life-threatening falls

Employer name: Furia Roofing Co. Inc., 2 Monhegan St., Clifton, New Jersey

Inspection site: 699 Route 46 East, Teterboro, New Jersey

Citations issued: On Aug. 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations for one repeat and three serious violations.

OSHA fines South Jersey chemical facility $115K for exposing workers to flammable gas

OSHA fines South Jersey chemical facility $115K for exposing workers
to flammable gas, other hazards; finds 3 repeat, 8 serious violations

Employer name: Solvay Specialty Polymers USA LLC

Inspection site: 10 Leonard Lane, West Deptford, New Jersey

OSHA finds New Jersey rifle manufacturer deemed a 'severe violator' exposes workers to noise hazards

OSHA finds New Jersey rifle manufacturer deemed a 'severe violator' in 2012
continues to expose workers to noise hazards at Bayonne facility
Henry RAC Holding Corp. fined $45K for federal violations

Employer name: Henry RAC Holding Corp.

Wisconsin shipyard faces nearly $1.4M in OSHA penalties for exposing workers to lead, and other hazards

OSHA finds workers exposed to lead at levels up to 20 times the permissible exposure limit

SUPERIOR, Wis. - Federal health inspectors found Fraser Shipyards Inc. overexposed workers to lead during the retrofitting of a ship's engine room. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's sampling results determined 14 workers had lead levels up to 20 times the exposure limit. The agency also found workers exposed to other heavy metals.

NJ Legislation Moves Forward Mandating the Quick Payment of Medical Bills

A3401 As (AS) Concerns electronic medical bills for workers' compensation claims.
Labor
Identical Bill Number: S2136

NY Governor Cuomo Announces New Ventilation Standards For Nail Salons

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that new ventilation requirements to protect workers and customers in nail salons statewide will go into effect this October. Nail salon ventilation systems must meet the standard set by the 2015 International Mechanical Code, which contains specific ventilation requirements for nail salons and any other businesses that provide nail services, such as hair salons.

David DePaolo A devote fan of life

Lunch with (R) David DePaola
Malibu Seafood, May 2016

Many years ago I met a wonderful and passionate fellow on the Internet, David DePaolo. He just popped up in an e-mail one morning and he wrote that we should meet in Florida of all places. Neither of us was ever in the same place at the same time for a couple of years and we finally caught up at his favorite California eatery, Malibu Seafood. A 5-star seafood shack overlooking  the stunning Malibu beach. The common denominator of writing and workers’ compensation made us instant friends. 

Six weeks ago, I called up David and said: "its time to have lunch and just catch up." We met of course, at Malibu Seafood. He had been eating there regularly since his law school days at Pepperdine. The place is literally just down the road from the law school, and he said the menu hasn’t changed since.

David was a delightful fellow with all the best attributes: smart, witty, insightful, a wonderful spouse and parent, cutting edge, and courageous. He arrived wearing his beautiful multi-color shoes created by a disabled worker whose business he was promoting. We just talked and talked for hours about “life in general.” Neither of us realizing how much time was just flying by. We discussed some ideas on how to give more back to the workers’ compensation system and hopefully inspire a new generation of lawyers. Before we left we promised to meet again on the East coast in September and just chat some more.

He was my inspiration for my continued bicycling in all types of weather and terrain. Although I never came close to his “operational” abilities. He was an inspiration.

David was able to launch a much needed national workers’ compensation news service, i.e. the stellar, WorkCompCentral. His daily insightful blogs constantly sparked my interest, and those of national thought leaders.

David’s heart was in the right place. He advocated for needed change in the workers’ compensation arena. He passionately pursued charitable causes and advanced educational goals, to make the world a better place.

The universe will be a sadder place without David, but I hope that his spirit and inspiration will live on in all of us to continue his passion for making the world a better place.