worker safety News

Death Toll From Italian Hydroelectric Plant Explosion Rises to 7

Divers in northern Italy have recovered the last two bodies of workers killed by an explosion that collapsed and flooded several levels of an underground hydroelectric plant, bringing to seven the number of confirmed dead, officials said Friday. The explosion …

Deadly Blast at Enel Plant in Italy Came Amid Maintenance Work

A deadly explosion at an Enel SpA hydropower facility in northern Italy that left at least three people dead occurred as works to renew facilities at the 1970s-era plant were concluding. The accident took place some 40 meters (131 feet) …

Suncor’s Syncrude Canada to Pay C$390,000 After Worker Fatality

Oil sands producer Syncrude Canada, majority-owned by Suncor Energy, will pay C$390,000 ($287,187.04) after pleading guilty to a health and safety charge relating to the death of a worker on one of its sites in June 2021, the Alberta government …

Phoenix Ordinance Adds Rules to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat

With hundreds of heat related deaths in and around Phoenix, Arizona last year, a new city ordinance has taken a “critical first step” to protect workers for city contractors from the dangers of extreme heat. That was the praise from …

California Work Safety Board Approves Indoor Heat Rules, But Another State Agency Raises Objections

As global warming raises temperatures, a California work safety board has approved standards that would require companies to protect employees from excessive indoor heat, particularly in warehouses. The rules still need to overcome opposition by another state agency. The rules …

Pinnacol in Colorado Issues $15M Dividend to Businesses

Pinnacol Assurance issued $15 million general dividend to businesses throughout Colorado. This is the ninth straight year Pinacol has issued dividends to customers. Pinnacol Assurance operates similarly to a mutual insurer, treating customers as its owners, which makes them eligible …

Cal/OSHA Increases Civil Penalty Amounts for 2024

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health recently increased penalties for certain violations, with some maximum penalties planned to rise as much as $4,983 this year, a smaller increase than in the past. This annual Cal/OSHA increase is required by …

SAIF in Oregon Reports Ice Caused Most Workplace Slips, Trips, Falls in 7 Years

SAIF in Oregon, which reported receiving 400-plus claims after January’s winter weather, said more Oregon workers were injured from slips, trips, and falls due to snow or ice than during any other storm since January 2017. SAIF, Oregon’s not-for-profit workers’ …

Worker Loses Legs to Trenching Machine; $150K Fine for Washington Contractor

A 16-year-old boy was using a walk-behind trencher on a job site in La Center, Washington to dig a channel for fence posts over the summer when he was dragged underneath the blade, causing injuries so severe that he lost …

Spanish Court Rules Facebook Moderator Suffered Work-Related Mental Trauma

A Spanish court has ruled a former Facebook moderator’s mental health was damaged by his work reviewing graphic content such as beheadings, in a case that could have implications for how social media firms work with moderators. The Barcelona court, …