A newsletter of workplace safety and labor issues
Five fatalities in Pennsylvania this week and three in Colorado. Work accident kills Mansfield business owner MANSFIELD, PA — A Mansfield business owner was killed Tuesday when he was pinned under a piece of farming machinery. Lane Smith, 57, owner and operator of L. P. Smith Co., was working on farm equipment when a manure spreader…
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…
Worker dies in accident at Weitsman facility Oswego, NY — An employee at Ben Weitsman & Son’s facility in Owego died Friday after being struck by a piece of heavy equipment, according to the company spokesman. Emergency responders were called to the facility on West Main Street after the worker was hit by a loader, Weitsman…
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…
3 Amarillo men die when detached trailer crashes into road workers Amarillo, TX — Three Amarillo men died and two other people were injured Saturday morning when a trailer being towed on eastbound Interstate 40 came loose from the back of a pickup and crashed into a road paving machine and its crew. J. Lee…
Milford Woman In Norwood Skyline Fall Dies MILFORD, MA — A worker who fell through a skyline on Broadway in Norwood Tuesday has died. Norwood Chief William Brooks announced on Twitter Thursday that the victim has succumbed to injures sustained in the fall. The woman has been identified as Jessica Castro of Milford. Tuesday, police…
Which statement below represents reality? This one? NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES OF BRMC WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN May 22,2017 Bergen Regional Medical Center (BRMC) is proud to report that our Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WPPP) has once again been found to be compliant, as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has agreed in a settlement…
JCP&L employee dies after Freehold electrocution FREEHOLD, NJ – A Jersey Central Power & Light employee died after touching live high-voltage wires — but not immediately: He was able to walk, talk and describe exactly what happened before suffering a fatal medical episode. Andrew Powers, 56, of Metuchen was working on a piece of transforming…
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…
Since I restarted this blog last month, I’ve mostly focused on policy and political issues, because, well….we’ve been overwhelmed by daily attacks by Congress and the Trump administration that undermine workplace safety standards and OSHA’s budget. But ultimately, we’re only fighting the policy and political issues because working people are getting hurt and killed every day in the…