February 4, 2013 by Fred Hosier
For the second time in recent weeks, a company says it will contest OSHA fines in connection with the death of an employee due to heat stress.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: contest OSHA fine, General Duty Clause, heat related death, heat stress
January 11, 2013 by Fred Hosier
How do you test whether PPE creates employee susceptibility to heat stress? Get a Sweating Thermal Manikin (STM).
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: heat stress, NIOSH, PPE, sweating thermal manikin
December 21, 2012 by Fred Hosier
It’ll be a while before we’ll experience summer-like heat again, but note this for next year: OSHA is issuing fines in connection with heat-related deaths of workers.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: heat index, heat related death, mail carrier death, U.S. Postal Service
December 14, 2012 by Fred Hosier
The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a consent agreement with a Connecticut dentist who fired an employee after she filed an OSHA whistleblower complaint that the office was too cold.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: office is too cold, OSHA complaint, whistleblower
July 9, 2012 by Fred Hosier
OSHA has denied a request by several groups to enact an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) setting a heat threshold level for workers. But OSHA is addressing the issue, including enforcement through the General Duty Clause (GDC).
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Emergency Temporary Standard, General Duty Clause, heat stress, Public Citizen
November 14, 2011 by Fred Hosier
In September, an Allentown, PA, newspaper published a series of articles about employees at an Amazon.com warehouse working in severe heat. Now, the other shoe has dropped: An employee sued Amazon for exposure to cold conditions.
Read the rest of this entry »
September 26, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A newspaper has investigated reports about working conditions at an Amazon.com warehouse that serves one-third of the country. Employee claims point to extreme indoor heat, closed doors when it was hot, work rates that couldn’t be sustained and firing threats when workers couldn’t keep up in the heat.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Amazon, closed doors, extreme heat, firing threats, heat index, heat stress, Integrity Staffing Solutions, OSHA inspection, paramedics, The Morning Call
August 18, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Yes, there are apps for workplace safety, including OSHA’s first one. But overall, there aren’t many that are free or inexpensive.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: apps, DOT placards, hearing test, OSHA Heat Safety Tool, smart phone
August 2, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Indiana OSHA is investigating the death of an employee at an iron foundry. A coroner’s report says extreme heat contributed to the man’s death.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: extreme heat, heat related death, Indiana OSHA
March 14, 2011 by Fred Hosier

In the nation’s first criminal prosecution involving the heat-related death of a farm worker, a plea agreement has resulted in small fines, probation and community service time for two supervisors.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: criminal prosecution, death of pregnant employee, working in hot weather