OSHA is another agency gone rogue
On Sept. 8, OSHA issued a directive to its investigators regarding how to inspect — and cite — employers for instances of workplace violence. If you’re wondering where to look up the federal law or regulation that tells employers how to avoid a citation for workplace violence, don’t bother. OSHA has issued this directive under the assumption that a vague clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act gives OSHA the power to cite employers for something as specific and unpredictable as workplace violence. Known as the “General Duty Clause,” this provision requires employers to keep their workplaces “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm” to employees.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/2011/10/osha-another-obama-agency-gone-rogue
Amazon defends its safety record at Breinigsville
Amazon.com continues to respond to accusations that it has poor working conditions at its Breinigsville warehouse. In a message posted on its website Sunday, Oct. 23, Amazon states that its fulfillment centers are safer for employees than auto plants, general warehouses and department stores.
http://uppermacungie.patch.com/articles/amazon-defends-its-safety-record-at-breinigsville
Zombie safety tips for working teens
Zombies are everywhere this season, including online games aimed at teaching teens about being safe at work. Slippery floors, hot cooking equipment, heavy lifting, loud noises, and working alone are some of the dangers teens face as they experience a first job or seasonal employment. If not aware of the risk and properly trained and protected, these dangers can lead to serious injuries or fatalities for teen workers. They could become zombies. That’s where the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Don’t be a Zombie at Work online game can help.
http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/facilityblog/2011/10/zombie-safety-tips.html
Corpus Christi Grain Co. stands knee-deep in $258,900 in OSHA fines
When a Corpus Christi Grain Co. employee was engulfed by grain, he was able to escape with his life. The company, however, now faces $258,900 in proposed OSHA fines for not providing PPE, performing lockout/tagout procedures or having a competent person present with rescue equipment when workers entered grain storage bins.
http://ehstoday.com/standards/osha/OSHA-fines-grain-company-1024/
OSHA issues ‘serious violation’ against Coastal Shoring for worker’s death in April
The federal Labor Department has issued a “serious violation” and fine against Metairie house-lifting company Coastal Shoring, six months after a brick home the company was lifting in eastern New Orleans collapsed and crushed a worker to death. The 1,800-square-foot slab home at 8001 Mercier St. fell on Alexander Cardona Figueroa, 33, of Metairie, on April 18.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/10/osha_issues_serious_violation.html
Mansfield woman says she was fired for her tattoos
Abby Carper, now 31, has tattoos scattered along her left arm, shoulder, neck and other parts of her body. She cares for her grandmother and others as a home health aide — that is, she did until recently, when she was fired. The Mansfield, Ohio, resident said she was wrongfully terminated not for the color of her skin, but for the ink that’s on it.
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20111024/NEWS01/110240302/discrimination-tattoos-Mansfield
MegaBus driver charged with repeat DUI while on duty
The Chicago driver of a MegaBus due for Iowa City and Des Moines was pulled over and arrested for drunken driving Friday night. Carl Smiley, 52, of Chicago, was pulled over by an Iowa State trooper on Interstate 80 near Iowa City and was arrested on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated after smelling of alcohol, admitting to drinking and failing a sobriety test, the AP reports.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/24/megabus-driver-charged-wi_n_1028320.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
