Tag: OSHA

OSHA Encouraged by Decline in Death Investigations

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated 826 worker deaths in fiscal year (FY) 2024—an 11% reduction from 928 in the previous year, the agency announced November 4. FY 2024 ended September 30. The agency noted significant decreases in the number of fatal injuries from trench collapses and falls, two of the leading causes […]

GAO: OSHA Should Address Warehouse, Delivery Ergonomic Hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) should take steps to better identify and address ergonomic hazards at warehouse and delivery companies, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded in a recent report. The transportation and warehousing sector, which includes e-commerce warehouses and “last-mile” consumer delivery, had the highest serious injury and illness rate of all […]

Back to Basics: The Costs of Safety Failures

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine the costs of safety failures. The failure to put safety protections in place can be costly, resulting in large Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines, injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, as well […]

Farm Cooperative Facing $242K OSHA Fine in Grain Engulfment

MFA Inc., a Missouri farm cooperative, faces a $241,887 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine following an employee’s fatal engulfment in a storage bin, the agency announced October 29. The agency initiated an inspection following the employer’s fatality report and found that three employees of MFA Inc., operating as MFA Rail Car, were removing […]

ALJ Orders Roofing Contractor to Pay OSHA Fine

An administrative law judge (ALJ) with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ordered a Rochester, New York, commercial roofing company to pay $16,782 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for serious fall and ladder violations, OSHA announced October 24. The ALJ upheld the agency’s citation of Elmer W. Davis Inc. for allowing workers […]

Top OSHA Violations: How to Prepare for an Inspection

The Risk Matrix podcast, by Veriforce, released a timely episode about preparing for an OSHA inspection. It was an excellent discussion led by two of the most well-known safety leaders in the U.S., Dr. L.F. Martin, and James Junkin. You don’t have to complicate your safety management system. To protect your workers, you must comply […]

Texas Furniture Maker Faces $257K OSHA Fine

Artco-Bell Corp., a Temple, Texas, school furnishings manufacturer, faces a $257,183 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine after a worker sustained serious, permanent hand and arm injuries, the agency announced October 21. According to OSHA, the worker’s injuries could have been prevented had the employer installed required machine guards. Agency investigators learned that in […]

A Guide to Improving Port and Shipyard Safety

Ports and shipyards serve as essential gateways in the global supply chain, facilitating the movement of commodities across the world. However, these environments can also be incredibly busy to the point where safety can be a concern. Boaters and workers have numerous tasks to complete in the loading, unloading and reconfiguration of vessels, as well […]

OSHA Issues New Slaughtering, Processing Inspection Guidance

On October 16, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the release of new inspection guidance for animal slaughtering and processing facilities. Previous guidance only applied to poultry establishments. The updated “Inspection Guidance for Animal Slaughtering and Processing Establishments” is intended to reduce injuries and illnesses resulting from occupational hazards in the meat processing […]

CSX Ordered to Reinstate, Pay Whistleblowers

A federal administrative law judge (ALJ) ordered Class I railroad freight company CSX Transportation Inc. to reinstate two railroad workers who were wrongfully terminated for reporting safety concerns and pay the workers a total of $453,510, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced October 11. The decision out of the Department of Labor’s Office […]