Safety/Health

Control employee cellphone use–an accident waiting to happen

08/13/2012

More and more employees use cellphones and smartphones to get their work done, something many employers encourage in the name of greater efficiency. But there’s a downside: significant safety and financial risks created by employees who use mobile devices while driving. Here’s some common-sense perspective on protecting your employees … and your bottom line.

Brighton Beach condo collapse draws OSHA fines

08/03/2012

OSHA has cited SP&K Construction, a Brooklyn contractor, for safety violations in connection with a fatal structural collapse in Brighton Beach. The accident, which killed one worker and injured four others, occurred Nov. 8, 2011.

Republic Steel reaches safety accord with OSHA

07/12/2012

Canton-based Republic Steel has agreed to settle outstanding training and safety issues discovered in the aftermath of a worker’s fall in 2010.

Say what?! OSHA fines Kamps for hearing hazards

07/12/2012

Presumably, Kamps Pallets heard from OSHA via nonverbal means. The company’s plant in Versailles faces fines for 10 OSHA violations after inspectors discovered conditions so noisy that workers’ hearing was endangered.

Buffalo cheese maker melts under OSHA heat

07/05/2012

Buffalo-area cheese manufacturer Sorrento Lactalis faces $241,000 in fines following an OSHA inspection that revealed numerous hazards at its plant.

OSHA inspector’s drive-by results in six-figure fine

06/28/2012

A random coincidence has resulted in a costly fine for a Lancaster County construction firm. OSHA cited Quality Stone Veneers for eight safety violations after an OSHA inspector noticed substandard scaffolding when he drove by a residential construction site.

Football-themed safety incentives cut accidents

06/28/2012

Coal miners, supervisors and mine-safety directors who participated in Massey Energy’s football-themed safety contest cut loss-time accidents at the West Virginia coal company by 47% in just one year. The company estimates it reduced the cost of lost-time accidents by $5 million.

Charlotte Cintas becomes NCOSHA safety ‘Star’

06/27/2012

Cintas Uniform’s Charlotte facility has been named recipient of the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program’s Star Award. It’s North Carolina’s highest recognition for exemplary occupational safety and health practices.

Judge fed up with All-Feed in OSHA inspection case

06/25/2012

A federal judge has cited Alpha-based All-Feed Processing & Packaging Inc. for contempt after it refused to allow OSHA inspectors full access to its Galva facility.

Use chemicals at work? Heed new OSHA standards

06/13/2012

OSHA has updated its hazard communication standard to harmonize it with international standards. Companies that manufacture, transport or have chemicals in the workplace must begin complying with the new standard by June 26.