Some Iowa lawmakers want Fed-OSHA re-check of poultry processor
Several Iowa legislators have asked the regional Fed-OSHA director in Kansas City to do another investigation into safety standards at a Waterloo chicken processing plant, where more than a 1,000 employees were infected with coronavirus in April. IOSH reported no violations were found at the plant. The Courier
Smithfield reaches resolution with Fed-OSHA
Smithfield Foods is no longer fighting a subpoena for South Dakota Department of Health records related to a coronavirus outbreak investigation at the company’s Sioux Falls plant after coming to an agreement with Fed-OSHA. More than 850 Smithfield employees and 240 of their friends and family members reportedly contracted COVID-19 in the outbreak. Fox Business [with video]
Detroit casinos to reopen at 15 percent cap
Michigan’s governor is permitting Detroit’s three casinos to reopen at 15-percent capacity on Wednesday. The state’s capacity rules are much stricter than those of Las Vegas’ casinos, which attempted to reopen at 50 percent capacity in early June before the state had a mandatory mask order in place. Under Michigan’s rules, everyone including staff, suppliers, and patrons must undergo a temperature check and health screening before entering the premises. Smoking will no longer be allowed inside casinos, and patrons must wear face mask when they’re not eating or drinking. Eater
Nevada OSHA announces COVID-19 business compliance finding for end of July
Nevada OSHA has announced it has conducted follow-up visits at 431 businesses where officials found that 94 percent of those locations are now in compliance with mandated health and safety measures began, Division of Industrial Relations officials have visited 4,596 business establishments in northern and southern Nevada. KLAS (Las Vegas)
Complaints made to Fed-OSHA about San Antonio employers
Some workplaces failed to meet safety standards amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to reports made to Fed-OSHA: at a San Antonio post office, employees returning from vacation with flu-like symptoms were allowed to work; and a New Braunfels hospital ran out of certain sizes of N95 masks and refused to let employees use their own, according to the complaints. mySA
Fed-OSHA issues new guidance for energy sector
Fed-OSHA recently issued guidance for oil and gas industry workers and employers in light of the increased risk of workplace exposure to COVID-19. In the new guidance, the agency recommends employers immediately conduct a hazard assessment (also known as a job hazard analysis) to determine whether job duties and activities require employees or visitors to come within six feet of one another. Moreover, Fed-OSHA provides three categories of workplace safety measures for employers to follow to assist with safe operation during the pandemic. Those categories are: (1) engineering controls; (2) administrative controls; and (3) safe workplace practices. Gray Reed/JDSupra
Final beryllium standard published
Fed-OSHA has published a final rule revising the beryllium standard for general industry that includes changes designed to clarify the standard, and simplify or improve compliance. The compliance date of this final standard as modified is September 14, 2020. Construction Equipment