October 24, 2011 by Fred Hosier
While some lawmakers in Washington are harping on OSHA for creating too many regulations, a recent report says during the last ten years, there have been fewer new regulations produced by the agency than in any other period in its history.
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Tags: diacetyl, OSHA Inaction, Public Citizen, silica, small business, too many new regulations
October 10, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A worker with chemical sensitivity who is also called “a fairly heavy smoker” by a doctor says exposure to substances at work caused her to be permanently and totally disabled. Can she prove that, and can she get workers’ comp?
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Tags: anhydrous ammonia, bleach, chemical sensitivity, methyl bromide, pesticides, Russell Stover, smoker, Workers' comp
September 15, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Bostik, Inc., a manufacturer of adhesives, faces $917,000 in OSHA fines for 50 citations following the agency’s investigation into a March 13, 2011, explosion that injured four workers at the company’s Middleton, MA, plant.
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Tags: acetone, Bostik Inc., explosion, OSHA fine, process safety management
September 1, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A gas leak sent 43 workers from a California tomato processing plant to local hospitals with breathing problems. The gas is used in a sanitation process that makes tomatoes safe for consumption.
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Tags: chlorine dioxide, evacuation, gas leak, Pacific Coast Producers, tomatoes
July 11, 2011 by Fred Hosier
If we asked you to name a well known corporation with an excellent safety reputation, DuPont is one name that might come to mind. But a new report on three gas leaks and a fatality at a DuPont plant calls the company’s safety culture into question.
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Tags: Chemical Safety Board, DuPont, phosgene, preventive maintenance, safety reputation
July 5, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A company and its owner have agreed not to employ people to work with explosives to settle a $1.2 million OSHA fine in connection with an explosion that killed two workers.
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Tags: Black mag, egregious violation, explosion, killed two workers, surrendered license
June 28, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Establishing an open-door policy for employees to bring safety problems to management’s attention can be a real cost-saver: In this case, it might have saved thousands of dollars in OSHA fines.
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Tags: bloodborne pathogens, confined spaces, respiratory program, training, worker complaint
June 13, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A Baltimore man has won an $814,500 judgment after he developed popcorn lung from workplace exposure.
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Tags: bronchiolitis obliterans, diacetyl, Kenneth McClain, popcorn lung
March 31, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A new study shows when employees need safety training and information about their jobs, they’re most likely to consult …
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Tags: safety info, Safety training, workers' perceptions
March 29, 2011 by Fred Hosier
An administrative law judge with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission has upheld fines against an Ohio company. An inspection revealed several employees had symptoms of a potentially fatal respiratory disease after sweeping up pigeon droppings.
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Tags: fatal respiratory disease, histoplasmosis, Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, pigeon droppings, worker struck in head
March 7, 2011 by Fred Hosier
February 23, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Federal law requires companies to allow a union representative to accompany an OSHA compliance officer on a facility inspection. But in a recent case involving Honeywell, there’s an added factor:
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Tags: acid leak, Honeywell, OSHA inspection, union rep, warrant
February 21, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A lot of debate will occur between this week’s announcement of President Obama’s proposed budget, including funding for OSHA, and the start of the new federal fiscal year on Oct. 1. Forget about that debate for now. Instead, take a look at what OSHA plans to do with its funding, especially if you own a small business.
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Tags: enforcement, inspections, OSHA budget, severe violators, small business
February 10, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Sixteen residents have filed a lawsuit to stop Bayer CropScience from using a toxic chemical at a West Virginia plant where an explosion killed two workers in August 2008.
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Tags: Bayer CropScience, methyl isocyanate, production pressure, resident lawsuit, toxic chemical
February 4, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A new report recommends OSHA look to the European Union (EU) for a system to manage workers’ exposure to hazardous chemicals.
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Tags: European Union, hazardous chemicals, PELs, REACH
January 21, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Pressure to resume production was a key factor in an explosion at the Bayer CropScience pesticide manufacturing plant that killed two workers, according to a government report.
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Tags: Bayer CropScience, Chemical Safety Board, explosion, maintenance, production pressure
December 7, 2010 by Fred Hosier
September 10, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Earlier this week, BP released its report on the causes of the April 20 explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 workers and spilled an estimated 206 million gallons of oil into the ocean. In some quarters, the reaction to BP’s report has been anything but positive.
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Tags: BP report, Deepwater Horizon, Halliburton, rig explosion, Transocean
August 31, 2010 by Fred Hosier
A jury in Chicago has awarded the largest individual verdict in a popcorn lung disease case.
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Tags: BASF Corp., bronchiolitis obliterans, diacetyl, jury award, popcorn lung
August 26, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Ingredients for disaster: flammable materials, confined space, no emergency responders on site.
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Tags: Cabin Creek explosion, Chemical Safety Board, five workers killed, Xcel Energy
August 24, 2010 by Fred Hosier
A federal agency says it’s overburdened and understaffed, and as a result, other investigations will suffer because of its work on the BP oil rig explosion.
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Tags: BP disaster, Chemical Safety Board, ConAgra Slim Jim explosion, Kleen Energy explosion
August 16, 2010 by Fred Hosier
OSHA administrator David Michaels has called for a new emphasis on the health regulation side of the agency. Recent fines received by one company show the potential impact of this new emphasis.
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Tags: health fines, hexavalent chromium, lead, permissible exposure limit
July 28, 2010 by Fred Hosier
It should come as no surprise to a company that it will face a retaliation complaint if it fires a whistleblower who complained to OSHA about workplace safety.
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Tags: OSHA citation, retaliation complaint, whistleblower
June 23, 2010 by Fred Hosier
It must be a case of deja vu for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB). Five years ago it was investigating an explosion in Texas that killed 15 BP workers. Now it will investigate the Gulf explosion and spill that killed 11 BP workers.
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Tags: BP, BP Texas City explosion, Chemical Safety Board
June 21, 2010 by Fred Hosier
OSHA has placed 20 to 25 of its inspectors at the staging areas for cleanup of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While early concerns centered around exposure to oil and fumes, OSHA officials are finding another problem:
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Tags: BP, Gulf of Mexico, heat stroke, OSHA
June 18, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Indictments have been returned against United Oil Recovery Services and three of its managers in connection with a worker’s death in 2008.
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Tags: hydrogen sulfide, indictments, managers charged in death
May 5, 2010 by Fred Hosier
As part of its recent “get tough” stance, OSHA has promised to go after companies with previous violations and to re-emphasize health inspections. This case covers both bases.
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Tags: health hazards, lead, repeat offenders
April 27, 2010 by Fred Hosier
A 28-year-old worker was killed while welding barrels outside of a car repair shop.
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Tags: explosion, residual chemical vapors, welding
April 26, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Do antibacterial soaps do more harm than good? A government agency is looking into that.
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Tags: antibacterial soap, FDA, triclosan
April 22, 2010 by Fred Hosier
OK, we admit it: We’ve written plenty of articles on this Web site pointing out the dangers when drivers and workers are distracted by cell phones. But soon, those devices may play an important part in keeping people safe.
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Tags: cell phones, Cell-All, Department of Homeland Security, detect chemicals, NASA
April 21, 2010 by Fred Hosier
A New Jersey state appeals court has upheld a record $30.3 million jury award in an asbestos-related mesothelioma lawsuit. The case is also noteworthy because of the test recognized by the court for a mesothelioma case.
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Tags: asbestos, mesothelioma, record jury award
March 26, 2010 by Fred Hosier
On March 23, 2005, a series of explosions at BP’s Texas City, TX, refinery resulted in 15 fatalities and 170 injuries.
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Tags: BP refinery explosion, change, prevention, settle lawsuits, U.S. Chemical Safety Board
March 18, 2010 by Fred Hosier
An employee faces a slow, painful recovery after being burned over 40% of his body following a workplace explosion.
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Tags: burned, Chemical Safety Board, hot work
February 3, 2010 by Fred Hosier
A company that processes radioactive waste in Memphis, TN, has agreed to pay 23 former African American employees to settle claims that they were discriminated against, including being exposed to higher levels of radiation than white employees.
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Tags: discrimination, EEOC, radiation exposure
January 28, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Some call it “pack journalism.” But no matter what it’s called, it’s becoming apparent that the general news media are hitching onto the “OSHA’s not doing its job” bandwagon.
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Tags: CAL-OSHA, DuPont, Las Vegas, media criticism, OSHA
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