A newsletter of workplace safety and labor issues
OSHA has engaged in a furious flurry of press activity over the past month. Well, “furious” by Trump-OSHA standards. By anyone else’s standards, it’s still pathetic. OSHA has issued an astonishing total of six press releases since the beginning of August. This is, of course, practically nothing compared with the more than 50 large cases…
Although I am frequently critical of OSHA under the Trump administration, never let it be said that I have failed to praise the agency when they do something good. On August 11, OSHA announced that on June 29, the agency had issued a $207,690 failure to abate citation and fine against UHS of Westwood Pembroke, Inc. –…
Aluminum Shapes, a New Jersey company, has the rare distinction of being the subject of one of only ten enforcement-related press releases issued during the first six months of the Trump administration. What did they do to earn this honor and the $1.9 million penalty that came with it? According to the rare OSHA…
I’ve been writing (over and over again) about OSHA’s failure to issue more than a tiny number of enforcement-related press releases since the beginning of the Trump administration, despite the fact that they actually educate employers and workers, and apply pressure on employers who may need a bit of urging to provide a safe workplace.…
Here we are, at the end of July, and OSHA continues to hide the fact that it actually enforces the Occupational Safety and Health Act. OSHA has issued two (2) enforcement-related press releases this month, out of probably 50 cases that exceeded $40,000. In the first three weeks of July there were 13 cases above…
I wrote a few weeks ago about the death of three workers in a confined space incident where the initial worker passed out and two would-be rescuers died attempting to rescue the original victim. Last week, OSHA cited Douglas N. Higgins, Inc. and its related contracting company, McKenna Contracting with 10 “serious” violations totaling $119,507…
No matter how terrible an incident, no matter how many workers are injured or killed, there are a few constants you can always depend on. The employer will express sorrow and heartbreak at the terrible tragedy. The worker was part of the corporate family. And they will promise to do better next time. The employer…
One of the most persistent — and distorted — arguments in the health and safety community is about how best to protect workers: enforcement or compliance assistance? Republicans constantly accuse Democrats of ignoring the benefits of cooperation with employers and accuse them of focusing exclusively on enforcement and confrontation. That accusation is demonstrably false, but…
Press Release Drought Continues When Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta testified last month before the US Senate, he committed to citing employers who have the information about how to make the workplace safe, but don’t do what they need to do to provide a safe workplace. Well, to their credit, OSHA continues to enforce the…
Since late April, OSHA has issued only three additional enforcement press releases (listed below, Gulf Cable, the Saipan casino case, and Republic Steel). Whereas the Obama administration issued press releases for any case greater than $40,000 (as well as “novel” cases like workplace violence and heat stroke), there seems to be no rhyme or reason…