A newsletter of workplace safety and labor issues
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…
After almost four months, the Trump Administration’s OSHA has issued only two enforcement-related press releases, despite having issued well over 200 citations with penalties exceeding $40,000 — the former threshold for a press release. The more than 200 cases with penalties greater than $40,000 since January 20 are listed below. The Washington Post today describes OSHA’s failure…
Could Alex Acosta be ushering in a new era at OSHA (or maybe re-ushering in an old era)? Yesterday OSHA issued a press release announcing $569,463 in proposed penalties against Antoneum North America after a machine amputated a 46-year-old worker’s right hand, wrist and part of his forearm. OSHA issued three willful and two repeated violations of machine…
Twenty more companies succeeded over the past week in hiding federal OSHA enforcement actions from the withering public scrutiny that press releases have traditionally provided. Since last January 18, OSHA has issued only one enforcement-related press release. As usual, for a few we have been able to get some details that might have been useful…
Well, if Mr. Sulu thinks it’s a big deal…..It seems that we here at Confined Space and you, our faithful readers, are not the only ones upset about OSHA’s new policy of not issuing press releases. Act.tv has made a little video, publicized on George Takei’s Facebook Page exposing the agency for not doing its…
If OSHA won’t do it, Confined Space will. During the Obama administration, OSHA’s policy was to issue a press release for any citation greater than $40,000. Since January 20, 2017, OSHA has issued roughly 200 citations for $40,000 or above. Yesterday, OSHA issued its first — and thus far, only — enforcement press release of…
Employer in fatal Boston trench collapse did not provide safety training and basic safeguards for employees, OSHA finds Atlantic Drain Service Co. Inc. cited for 18 violations In a sharp break from Trump OSHA tradition, OSHA today issued the first enforcement-related press release of this administration, close to $1.5 million for the death of two…
Like OSHA, the Environmental Protection Agency has stopped issuing enforcement-related press releases. But the Public Affairs department at EPA has still managed to keep busy, partly by issuing press releases on what a wonderful person Scott Pruitt is and how everyone loves President Trump’s energy and environmental policies. A few examples: Job Creators, American Energy…
Below is the third installment of large OSHA enforcement cases about which OSHA continues to issue no press releases. None. (OSHA did finally issue an “enforcement” press release earlier this week, although that was actually a whistleblower case against Wells Fargo, not a safety or health case.) OSHA has still not issued a single press release…
It has now been 41 days since OSHA has issued an enforcement-related press release. In 2016, OSHA issued 486 enforcement-related press releases. And if we do the math, at this rate, the Trump Administration’s enforcement press releases will come to approximately…. ZERO. Below is the second batch of large (over $40,000) cases that OSHA has…