Copyright
Friday, August 19, 2016
NIOSH to Hold Meeting on Motor Vehicle Safety
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Making Workplaces Safer
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Food Manufacturer Agrees to Safety and Health Improvements
OSHA cited the company in September 2018 after inspectors determined that the company exposed employees to serious machine hazards. OSHA issued willful and repeat citations for failing to train employees and utilize procedures to control hazardous energy when they perform servicing and maintenance work on machinery.
"This settlement shows the Department’s enforcement efforts leading to positive changes on important safety issues," said Regional Solicitor Jeffrey S. Rogoff, in New York. "A repeat violator with a history of safety problems related to machine hazards took responsibility and is improving those conditions across the region, beyond the violations identified by a single inspection at a single facility."
In addition to the penalty, J&J Snackfoods agreed to hire a full-time corporate safety director to manage and coordinate safety and health across all facilities, and a full-time site-safety manager to coordinate safety and health onsite at the facility. The company will also hire a qualified safety and health professional as an outside consultant to conduct two comprehensive safety and health inspections per year and implement a written safety and health program consistent with OSHA’s best practices guidelines. J&J Snackfoods will also provide employees with safety and health training in a language they understand and establish a safety and health committee comprised of employees, union representatives and managers to recommend further safety and health improvements.
"This settlement reflects a commitment to comply with required standards and ensure that employees are protected from hazards that pose a risk for injuries," said OSHA’s New York Acting Regional Administrator Richard Mendelson.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for American working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
NJ Labor Department, OSHA Form Alliance to Better Protect Workers
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Labor Day: Miller Launches Map of Workplace Fatalities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - To honor America's workers this Labor Day, the country should commit to stopping the preventable toll of workplace deaths, injuries, and illnesses that affects workers across industries and occupations each year, said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. To highlight the dangers that many American workers face on the job, Miller today launched a new interactive online map
(http://edlabor.house.gov/issues/workerdeaths.shtml) that enables people to learn about many of the workplace fatalities that have occurred in their own communities this year.
"Each year, thousands of American workers die on the job. Sixteen workers are killed in workplace accidents each day. Ten times that many die of occupational diseases caused b y hazardous substances like asbestos. And every 2.5 seconds, a worker is injured in the United States," said Miller. "This grim toll includes construction workers, public safety workers, and workers at chemical facilities and oil refineries. It includes people who spend most of their time working outdoors, as well as people who work inside office buildings, manufacturing plants, and stores. It in cludes young and old workers. There are simply too many American workers, from all walks of life, who get injured, sick, or killed on the job. On this Labor Day, we should commit ourselves to doing everything we can to improve safety in the workplace."
On August 9, the U.S. Labor Department reported that 5,703 workers died in workplace accidents in 2006. Today, Miller launched an online map of worker fatalities that he hoped would remind Americans of the urgent need for increased efforts to eliminate unsafe conditions on the job. The map relies on published news reports in 2007 to show worker fatalities
nationwide, and it includes information about the workers' occupations and causes of death. The map represents roughly 10 percent of the total number of on-the-job fatalities so far this year.
"The tragedy at Utah's Crandall Canyon Mine reminds us of the dangers that too many workers face every day. It is my hope that the launch of this map will help policymakers and the public understand the extent of workplace fatalities in this country and the importance of acting aggressively to improve workplace safety," said Miller.
Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, and U.S. Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL), a member of the subcommittee, introduced legislation to reduce workplace fatalities, injuries, and sicknesses. The Protecting America's Work ers Act (H.R. 2049) would boost workplace safety by strengthening and expanding the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Specifically, the legislation would:
Apply federal safety standards to workers who are not currently covered, including federal, state, and local employees, and some private sector employees;
Increase penalties against employers for repeated and willful violations of the law, including making felony charges available when an employer's repeated and willful violation of the law leads to a worker's de ath or serious injury;
Better protect workers who blow the whistle on unsafe workplace conditions;
Enhance the public's right to know about safety violations; and
Make clear that employers must provide the necessary safety equipment to their workers, such as goggles, gloves, respirators, or other personal protective equipment.
Miller also said that the Bush administration must do more to vigorously enforce workplace safety laws.
"In hearings held earlier this year, witnesses told the committee that both the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration are not doing enough to update basic workplace safety standards and that the agencies have shifted their focus from enforcing the law to providing companies with so-called voluntary compliance assistance," said Miller. "It is well past time that the Bush workplace safety agencies stop fiddling while workers die. They must aggressively enforce the laws they swore to uphold. We must do more to defend the right of all workers to a safe workplace."
To visit the map, click here.: http://edlabor.house.gov/issues/workerdeaths.shtml
For more information about the Protecting America's Workers Act, click here.
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/edlabor_dem/rel042607.html
For more information about worker safety issues, click here.
http://edlabor.house.gov/issues/workersafety.shtml
..................................
Jon L. Gelman, Attorney at Law
1450 Valley Road, 1st Floor
PO Box 934Wayne NJ 07474-0934
973 696-7900 tel - 973 696-7988 fax
www.gelmans.com
Monday, November 19, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving - Make It A Food Safe One
a safe holiday dinner that everyone will enjoy.
More Information
- Holiday Food Safety [PODCAST - 3:29 minutes]
- Poultry Preparation, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Turkey Basics: Handling Cooked Dinners & Leftovers, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Turkey Basics: Safe Cooking, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (Spanish language Turkey Basics are available)
- CDC Foodborne Illness
- CDC Food Safety
Related articles
- Stuffing Deserves More Days on the Table (nytimes.com)
- Turkey basics: Cooking and thawing times from the USDA (seattletimes.com)
Monday, December 10, 2012
Statement from the Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network On the Bangladesh Factory Fires and What’s Needed to Prevent Them
Bangladesh Factory Fire |
- the near-universal “sweatshop business model” described above must change so that life safety issues and workers’ health an safety actually come first in deeds as well as in damage-control public relations statements; and
- workers must be incorporated into plant-level health and safety programs, and be authorized, trained and empowered to play a meaningful role in identifying and correcting hazards – without reprisals and discrimination by their employers.
- Clean Clothes Campaign: http://www.cleanclothes.org/news/bangladesh-factoryfire-brands-accused-of-criminal-negligence
- Garrett Brown, Corporate Social Responsibility; What is it good for?: http://mhssn.igc.org/CSR_BangladeshFires_ISHN_May2011.pdf
- Garrett Brown, Fashion Kills: Industrial Manslaughter in the global supply chain: http://mhssn.igc.org/EHSToday_FashionKills_Sept2010.pdf
Related articles
Monday, September 5, 2022
Top 10 Workplace Safety and Health Violations
The following is a list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA for all industries. OSHA publishes the list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take steps to find and fix recognized hazards addressed in these and other standards before OSHA shows up. Far too many preventable injuries, illnesses, and deaths occur in the workplace that are related to these top 10 cited standards.
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
New Laws in NJ Are a Step to Reduce Gun Violence in the Workplace
Gun violence in the workplace continues to be a significant occupational hazard. Whether it occurs on the work premises or carriers over to an off-premises location, gun violence remains a continuing risk associated with a job,
Saturday, January 23, 2021
OSHA: Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety
Within hours of his inauguration, President Biden moved swiftly to direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to promulgate an emergency standard to protect workers from COVID-19. The President signed an Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety on January 21, 2021.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Vehicle Safety: Automatic Braking Standard to be Adopted by 20 Auto Manfacturers
Monday, August 28, 2023
Airline Ground Crew Fatalities Result in FFA Safety Alert
Recent fatal accidents at airports involving ground crew personnel drew the attention of The Federal Aviation Administration.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Klickitat County Lumber Company Fined
Related articles
- Steel company fined $115,400 by US Labor Department's OSHA for failing to abate workplace hazards (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Safety Violations Matter: Wisconsin Court Reaffirms Basis for Employer Safety Penalties (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Safety Agency Cites Owners in Texas Plant in Explosion (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Lead Exposure: OSHA Cites USA Brass Company Inc. of Bozeman, Mont., cited by the US Department of Labor's OSHA for overexposing workers to lead (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Bangladesh: Is Worker Safety Failing in the Global Supply Chain? (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- What a Government Default Will Do To Workers' Compensation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Drivers' Protected From Being Forced to Violate Safety Regulations
“Our nation relies on millions of commercial vehicle drivers to move people and freight, and we must do everything we can to ensure that they are able to operate safely,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This Rule enables us to take enforcement action against anyone in the transportation chain who knowingly and recklessly jeopardizes the safety of the driver and of the motoring public.”
The Final Rule addresses three key areas concerning driver coercion: procedures for commercial truck and bus drivers to report incidents of coercion to the FMCSA, steps the agency could take when responding to such allegations, and penalties that may be imposed on entities found to have coerced drivers.
“Any time a motor carrier, shipper, receiver, freight-forwarder, or broker demands that a schedule be met, one that the driver says would be impossible without violating hours-of-service restrictions or other safety regulations, that is coercion,” said FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling. “No commercial driver should ever feel compelled to bypass important federal safety regulations and potentially endanger the lives of all travelers on the road.”
In formulating this Rule, the agency heard from commercial drivers who reported being pressured to violate federal safety regulations with implicit or explicit threats of job termination, denial of subsequent trips or loads, reduced pay, forfeiture of favorable work hours or transportation jobs, or other direct retaliations.
Some of the FMCSA regulations drivers reported being coerced into violating included: hours-of-service limitations designed to prevent fatigued driving, commercial driver’s license (CDL) requirements, drug and alcohol testing, the transportation of hazardous materials, and commercial regulations applicable to, among others, interstate household goods movers and passenger carriers.
Commercial truck and bus drivers have had whistle-blower protection through the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) since 1982, when the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) was adopted. The STAA and OSHA regulations protect drivers and other individuals working for commercial motor carriers from retaliation for reporting or engaging in activities related to certain commercial motor vehicle safety, health, or security conditions. STAA provides whistleblower protection for drivers who report coercion complaints under this Final Rule and are then retaliated against by their employer.
In June 2014, FMCSA and OSHA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the coordination and cooperation between the agencies regarding the anti-retaliation provision of the STAA. The Memorandum allows for the exchange of safety, coercion, and retaliation allegations, when received by one agency, that fall under the authority of the other.
For more information on what constitutes coercion and how to submit a complaint to FMCSA, see: www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/coercion. Please note: the Final Rule takes effect 60 days following its publication in the Federal Register.
This rulemaking was authorized by Section 32911 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1984 (MCSA), as amended.
For a copy of today’s Federal Register announcement, see: www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/11/30/2015-30237/prohibiting-coercion-of-commercial-motor-vehicle-drivers.
Related articles
- OSHA Claims Backlogged Due to Increased Online Filing (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Has Online Filing Added to OSHA Whistleblower Backlog? (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Who's to Blame for the Exploding Oil Trains? (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- New safety measures aimed at off-road vehicles (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- FMCSA Orders DND International to Shut Down (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Cell Phones Usage For Commercial Interstate Drivers to be Banned (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Friday, July 25, 2014
United Airlines cited at Newark, N.J., airport for repeat and serious safety hazards
Company faces $101,300 penalty following OSHA inspection
- Properly guard equipment, store materials and dispose of waste materials.
- Ensure exits were unobstructed and wide enough and place directional signs in areas where exits were not apparent.
- Ensure employees operating tugs to transport luggage used seat belts.
- Use power strips according to manufacturer"s recommendations.
- Use ladders for purposes intended by the manufacturer, and remove damaged ladders from service.
Related articles
- OSHA Sanctions Chicago Company With $325,700 in Fines for Safety Violations (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- OSHA Proposes Fines for NJ Uniform & Laundry Company (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- OSHA Cites Nebraska Food Supplement Plant for 10 Violations (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- OSHA Cites NJ Recycling Company for Safety Violations Following Worker Amputation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- OSHA Cites NJ Store For Safety Violations - Blocked Exits (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Worker Fatality in Moorestown NJ Leads to OSHA Citation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- OSHA cites Brick, NJ-based contractor for continuing to expose workers to falls and other hazards at Secaucus work site (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Thursday, December 20, 2012
SeaWorld Safety Investigation Expanded by OSHA
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has filed a petition against SeaWorld of Florida LLC to comply with administrative subpoenas that require SeaWorld to provide three managers to be interviewed during OSHA's follow-up abatement inspection. SeaWorld has declined to provide personnel to answer questions regarding abatement or correction of a prior violation related to trainers' exposure to struck-by and drowning hazards when engaged in performances with killer whales.
"The employee testimony for the follow-up abatement inspection, required by a subpoena, allows OSHA inspectors to determine if SeaWorld employees continue to be exposed to unsafe and unhealthy working conditions," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "Abating safety and health hazards in the workplace needs to be as important to an employer as recognizing the hazards in the first place."
The follow-up inspection is being conducted as a result of previous violations that OSHA identified after a February 2010 drowning of a trainer who was grabbed and pulled under the water by a six-ton killer whale during what SeaWorld described as a "relationship session." In August 2010, OSHA issued SeaWorld citations related to the incident. SeaWorld contested OSHA's proposed violations and penalties.
A trial was held by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, and in June an administrative law judge upheld OSHA's citations against SeaWorld. Subsequently, SeaWorld was required to abate cited hazards, including those specifically related to trainers working in proximity to the killer whales. However, since the order went into effect, SeaWorld has filed a petition with the review commission seeking additional time to abate the violation regarding trainers' interaction with killer whales. SeaWorld maintains that the petition, which is pending resolution, should restrict the scope of OSHA's follow-up inspection.
The enforcement action has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle of Florida, Orlando Division by the department's Atlanta Regional Solicitor's Office.
Read more about "SeaWorld" and safety issues:
Related articles
- OSHA cites New York contractor for exposing workers to fall and other hazards
- FAA proposes policy to improve flight attendant workplace safety
- Warehouse Workers Are At Risk By Company Safety Violations
- Statement from the Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network On the Bangladesh Factory Fires and What's Needed to Prevent Them