workplace safety News

US Chicken, Pork Plant Workers Face Higher Health Risks, USDA Studies Confirm

Workers in U.S. chicken and pork plants face higher risks than other manufacturing workers for musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, according to two studies the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued on Friday. The findings highlight health concerns for …

Amazon Agrees to Worker Safety Measures to Settle OSHA Probe

Amazon.com will implement safety measures at all of its U.S. facilities to settle a federal agency’s claims that it failed to prevent workers from developing back problems and other ergonomic injuries, the agency said on Thursday. Amazon settled a series …

OSHA Seeks to Fine Contractor $328K Over Alleged Repeat Fall Hazards at 3 Sites

Federal workplace safety officials have again cited a New Jersey construction contractor for allegedly repeatedly violating safety requirements at three North Jersey worksites, exposing employees to falls from elevations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said it inspected a …

Amazon Ignored Its Own Worker Safety Studies, Senate Report Says

Amazon.com Inc. leaders rejected internal recommendations that the company relax warehouse worker productivity rates to curb injuries, according to a report from a congressional committee. Released Monday by the majority staff for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and …

BHP, Rio Pressured Women to Sign NDAs After Sexual Harassment Complaints: Lawyer

BHP and Rio Tinto have used confidentiality agreements to prevent female employees from speaking about sexual harassment at work, according to a lawyer leading Australian class action lawsuits against the miners. Brisbane-based law firm JGA Saddler filed a class action …

Pemex Vowed No More Fatalities. At Least Six Workers Have Died Since.

Mexico’s state-run oil company, facing heightened scrutiny over a string of deadly accidents at its facilities, set an ambitious goal early this year: No more fatalities. Just weeks after announcing that target, an explosion at a Petroleos Mexicanos oil platform …

Washington Sawmill Fined $126K for 61 Safety and Health Violations

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is levying more than $126,000 in fines for 61 reported safety and health violations by a lumber seller. Fox Lumber Sales buys leftover wood, cuts it down, and sells it for pallet …

Judge Affirms $16.7K in OSHA Penalties Against New York Roofing Contractor

An administrative law judge has ordered a Rochester, New York commercial roofing company to pay $16,782 in penalties for safety violations, after an investigation and litigation by the federal government. The company, Elmer W. Davis Inc., had contested citations for …

Texas Manufacturer Faces $257K Fine for Workers’ Injuries

Federal workplace safety investigators have determined that a Temple, Texas manufacturer and designer of school furnishings could have prevented an employee’s serious and permanent hand and arm injuries by installing required machine guards. Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s …

Record-Breaking Temperatures Mask a Subtler Threat: Chronic Heat

Phoenix has become a nerve-wracking bellwether for extreme heat. Arizona’s capital recently endured a three-week stretch when every day broke a heat record, with thermometers peaking at 117F (47C) on Sept. 28. Yet even below the threshold of smashing records, …