Category Archives: Workers Compensation

OSHA To Set New Guidelines For Employers Using Temporary Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it would increase its efforts in monitoring the safety and working conditions of temporary workers contracted to companies through staffing agencies. The Department of Labor sent out a memo to its regional offices on April 29, covering some things that inspectors need to look for specifically at facilities utilizing temporary workers. “Recent inspections have indicated problems where temporary workers have not been trained and were not protected from serious workplace hazards due to lack of personal protective equipment when working with hazardous chemicals and a lack of lockout/tagout protections, among others,” the agency’s memorandum reads. A few weeks ago, we brought you the story of a temp worker killed in a Chicago facility after he was burned by hazardous chemicals. According to OSHA Chief David Michaels, OSHA decided to launch its initiative after reviewing statistics that revealed many…
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Company Involved in Barge Explosion Has History with OSHA

Last week, we brought the story of a barge explosion on a river in Mobile, Alabama, in which three workers were severely burned. One of the workers, Casey Tyson, is listed in fair condition and is expected to be released from the University of South Alabama Medical Center, but Justin Benoit and George Erickson were both listed in critical condition at the same hospital, according to Alabama Online. The company that was responsible for the explosion, Oil Recovery Co., has had issues in the past with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Oil Recovery Co. was fined $1,000 by OSHA in 1991 for several safety violations. During the inspection that resulted in that fine, OSHA determined that Oil Recovery Co. failed to provide workers with personal protective equipment and failed to have designated employees with knowledge of OSHA rules and regulations. OSHA also cited the…
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OSHA Fines Repeat Offender in Ohio

Federal officials have cited Ball Aerosol and Specialty Container in Hubbard, Ohio, with 11 safety violations, according to Workers Compensation. Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspected the facility in October 2012, after receiving a complaint about unguarded machines. OSHA cited violations for a lack of guards on moving equipments and machines, various fire extinguisher violations, failure to guard blades and a lack of guards on rotating parts. Proposed fines total $589,000. “Ball Aerosol’s management made a decision to continue to expose machine operators to serious amputation hazards,” said OSHA’s Nick Walters. “Workers should not be asked to take such risks, and OSHA will not tolerate such disregard for worker safety.” The violations relating to fire extinguishers—three in total—were classified as repeat violations. Ball was cited for similar ones in 2009. Ball Aerosol was placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. It will…
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