Power line incident kills one, injures another in Wisconsin
Authorities said one employee was killed and another injured last week after they were electrocuted while putting up scaffolding for a siding project in a town about 30 miles southeast of Madison, Wisconsin. The two men were holding a tall metal pole when it was blown into a power line. Greater Milwaukee Today
MIOSHA issues emergency COVID-19 rules
Michigan OSHA last week issued emergency rules for employers that are intended to mitigate spread of COVID-19. The rules require businesses resuming in-person work to have a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, and to train employees. They largely mirror the requirements MIOSHA was enforcing using the Fed-OSHA “general duty” clause. Detroit News
Fed-OSHA hosts stakeholder call to discuss Whistleblower Protection Program
Fed-OSHA recently held a public stakeholder meeting to discuss its Whistleblower Protection Program and how it can improve its administration of the 20-plus whistleblower protection provisions it is responsible for enforcing. This call followed a similar call the agency hosted in May. On the call, Fed-OSHA asked stakeholders for input on several categories, including how it can provide better customer service and whether there are particular issues in the healthcare and grocery industries of which the agency should be aware, according to several attorneys with Morgan Lewis. JD Supra
Connecticut senior facility fined for COVID-related violations
Fed-OSHA has fined a Connecticut senior living facility more than $13,000 for failing to comply with COVID-19-related guidelines. The agency says the facility failed to implement a written respiratory protection program; failed to provide a medical evaluation to determine the employees’ ability to use a respirator before the employee is fit tested or required to use it; and failed to provide training before requiring the employees to use a respirator in the workplace. Connecticut Post [with video]
Study finds Connecticut has low number of workplace deaths
An annual report by the AFL-CIO, using data from 2018, concludes the state of Connecticut has a relatively low rate of workplace deaths but a higher-than-average number of occupational injuries and illnesses. The state with the highest employee fatality rate in 2018 was Wyoming, with 11.5 workplace deaths per 100,000 workers, followed by Alaska, North Dakota, West Virginia, and South Dakota. Delaware was named the safest state for employees. Journal Inquirer
Employee dies after construction vehicle flips over at New York worksite
A 45-year-old Pennsylvania man was killed in a construction incident at a building under construction in Rochester, New York, on Thursday. The man was driving a construction vehicle, and was crushed under the vehicle, according to law enforcement. Fed-OSHA is investigating. Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Plea for Colorado employer charged in trench facility still unresolved
The judge in the case of a 52-year-old man who faces charges of negligent homicide, in connection with a trench collapse in in Granby Ranch, Colorado, is still deciding whether to accept a plea agreement that would not require prison time. He is charged with failing to provide an OSHA-compliant worksite. Sky-Hi News