Safe Workplace and Safety News

This is the safety news blog for the Safe Workplace web site. We cover workplace safety related news with a focus on how safety, or a lack of safety, impacts employers, employees and their families. We also cover topics such as safety training, safety tools, and legal issues related to safety. For regular safety news and information enter your email address in the box above the Subscribe button to the right (then click on the button).

Monday, March 05, 2012

Safety News Briefs

This new weekly feature will provide short summaries of news articles with links to the complete stories in other publications.

Custom Woodworker Takes on OSHA and Wins

Victory Woodworks was recently victorious in defending itself against a "serious" OSHA violation involving a job-site table saw, is now preparing to sue the safety agency to recoup its more than $5,000 in defense costs.

Read more: http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood-blogs/rich-christianson/Custom-Woodworker-Takes-on-OSHA-and-Wins-141184183.html?ref=183

Ingalls Shipbuilding settles $176,444 In OSHA Citations For $84,360

Some of the violations were removed as part of the settlement with 34 remaining, according to Michael Wald, director of public affairs at the regional office in Atlanta.

Read more: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/03/ingalls_shipbuilding_settles_o.html

OSHA Sues San Antonio Company For Unpaid Fines

San Antonio Lath & Plaster Inc. received 26 OSHA citations from February 2007 to December 2010, totaling $234,450 in fines. The company has failed to respond, so the citations have became final orders and penalties are due. The U.S. attorney's office in San Antonio has filed a lawsuit against the company.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/Feds-sue-S-A-company-for-unpaid-OSHA-fines-3368317.php#ixzz1nnEhRcWv

OSHA Sues Postal Service Over Seattle Whistleblower

OSHA alleges that the Postal Service discriminated and retaliated against a Seattle employee who helped a co-worker file a safety complaint. The worker was repeatedly reprimanded for giving the advice.

Read more in the Seattle Daily Weekly: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2012/02/department_of_labor_sues_post.php

Union Calls For Criminal Charges Against Vale Over Nickel Mine Fatalities

The United Steelworkers International called on the Ontario [Canada] Government Wednesday to consider filing criminal charges in the deaths of two miners at the Stobie Mine in Sudbury on June 8, 2011.

Read more: http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page36?oid=146403&sn=Detail&pid=102055

Explosion In Electrical Box Was Rigged

Paul Moore is accused of rigging an explosive in an electrical box that detonated and killed Roberto Ayala when he went to turn on an irrigation pump at a rice field on July 16. Ayala died of shrapnel wounds.

Read more: http://www.colusa-sun-herald.com/news/explosion-8148-reports-feds.html

OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program moved to Office of the Assistant Secretary

This move represents a significantly elevated priority status for whistleblower enforcement, which now will be overseen directly by Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels, who heads OSHA.

Read more: http://politicalnews.me/?id=12261

Thumb Severed In Workplace Accident Replaced With Big Toe (VIDEO)

Stevens is now recovering from the operation, which surgeons hope will restore between 60 to 80 percent functionality in his left hand.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/02/thumb-replaced-with-toe-mississippi-mechanic_n_1316545.html

Labels: OSHA Fines, Safety Blog