This is not generally how a good company wants a supervisor to respond to a worker who reports unsafe conditions: “Next time you have a problem with safety, talk to me. Then get in your car and hit the f***ing road.” Then you write him up, don’t renew his contract — and, for good measure, fire his son for “talking on the job.”
Two workers died in a trench in Boston last year because their employer failed to take basic stopes to prevent the trench from collapsing, according to OSHA, which cited the company for 18 safety violations. Fines aren’t the only consequence of the double fatality; a Suffolk County grand jury has indicted Atlantic Drain and company owner, Kevin Otto, on two counts each of manslaughter and other charges in connection with the Oct. 21, 2016 deaths.
When Congress gets back in session the week of April 24, some of the lawmakers’ top priorities will be to pass a 2017 budget and to confirm Alexander Acosta as Labor secretary.
Reactions to OSHA’s decision to delay enforcing the federal standard reducing permissible exposure to silica dust have been mixed – and strong.
“With construction season underway, three months of delay means that millions of workers will be exposed to hazardous silica dust that will make them sick and take their lives,” said Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NationalCOSH.org).
OSHA yesterday announced a delay in enforcement of the crystalline silica standard to September 23, 2017.
The rule, which applies to the construction industry, was originally scheduled to begin June 23, 2017.
The agency said the delay would enable it to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers.
Now is the time for all good activists to come to the aid of working people.
Funding for the Federal Government runs out on April 28. This means that before that date, if we are to avoid a government shutdown, the Senate and the House of Representatives will have to pass — and the President will have to sign — a new bill funding the government through the rest of Fiscal Year 2017.
VelocityEHS, the leading cloud environment, health, safety (EHS) and sustainability software provider, today announced an integration agreement with Graphic Products, manufacturer of DuraLabel industrial label and sign printers, to give customers of its MSDSonline solutions more options to generate OSHA-compliant, GHS-aligned workplace labels.
OSHA has released three guidance documents to help employers comply with the agency's Process Safety Management standard, (29 CFR 1910.119), which contains requirements for the management of hazards associated with processes using highly hazardous chemicals.
Alexander Acosta has moved a step closer toward being confirmed U.S. Labor secretary after being approved last week by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
FallTech®, an innovator in fall protection products, announces an update to the Contractor+ family of harnesses. The Contractor+ family of harnesses now offers a more supportive, secure and sturdy fit while adding functional elements for all day comfort to meet the demanding needs of workers. The design provides an affordable harness with the durability required for day-to-day use and complies with all applicable ANSI and OSHA standards.
