12 ways to reform OSHA
The current regulatory approach toward safety and health in the workplace needs improvement, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).
Inspections
12th inspection in 6 years: OSHA fines construction company $1.5 million
Saying it “demonstrated indifference towards the safety of their employees,” OSHA has issued $1,523,710 in fines to a Florida construction company.
15 dead, 300 injured: Why was OSHA fine only $118K?
A Texas newspaper takes a look at how the $118,300 OSHA fine for the West Fertilizer explosion stacks up against those for other catastrophic workplace incidents. Its conclusion: OSHA fines aren’t proportional to loss of life.
18-year-old killed in grain elevator
Michigan OSHA (MIOSHA) is investigating the death of a high school junior inside a corn silo near Standish, MI.
18-year-old killed on job just months after graduating high school; $105K fine
“This young man was fresh out of high school with a lifetime ahead of him,” said Mark Hysell, OSHA’s area director in Eau Claire, WI. This tragedy means a six-figure fine and placement in an OSHA special-focus program for the company that employed the teen.
2 amputations in less than 2 weeks: $141K in OSHA fines
OSHA visited this company because a worker had two fingers amputated while working on shearing machines. While the inspector was there, company officials said a second worker suffered an identical injury just days after the first one.
20 years after 25 deaths: How is state’s safety plan doing?
Twenty years ago, 25 workers died in a chicken plant fire in North Carolina. The tragedy caused a large upgrade of the state’s occupational safety agency. How is North Carolina OSHA doing now?
3 amputations in 2 months: $484K in OSHA fines
This company corrected violations found in a previous OSHA inspection, but didn’t apply the fixes to other pieces of equipment. Now, three employees have suffered amputations, and the company’s wallet is a lot lighter.
3 current OSHA enforcement areas and what they have in common
The head of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs recently laid out three areas which the agency is currently focusing on. At first glance, they may not seem to have much in common, but they share one detail regarding OSHA enforcement.
3 inspections later, company faces $735K in OSHA fines
Companies that OSHA places in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) can count on multiple safety inspections with accompanying large fines for infractions.
5 audits looking at effectiveness of OSHA
Sometimes the people who do the inspecting get inspected, too. As part of its 2015 Workplan, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will continue or begin five audits to determine OSHA’s effectiveness.
5 OSHA proposals that business groups fear most
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has issued a report on regulatory impediments to job creation. The report lists five OSHA proposals that business groups say would inhibit job growth.
6 months after mine disaster: Why are more miners dying?
Six months ago, 29 men died in the worst U.S. coal-mining disaster in 40 years. Since then, another 13 miners have died, despite a crackdown by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). What’s going on?
62 violations of same standard since 1998; now $186K in new fines
A New Hampshire company has been cited 62 times for violations of OSHA’s lead standard since 1998. Now it faces $185,900 in additional fines for, you guessed it, new violations of the lead standard.
80 deaths at VPP sites since 2000
An eight-month investigation reveals 80 employee deaths at companies in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) between 2000 and 2008. What may be even more shocking: 65% of these companies have maintained their VPP status.
Actor shot in head; Will OSHA fine stick?
An actor was shot in the head and seriously injured because a real bullet was mistaken for a blank. Now a judge has decided whether an OSHA fine is valid, or if this was a case of unpreventable employee misconduct.
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