Texas oilfield company and executive indicted in poisonous gas deaths

A federal grand jury has indicted an oilfield company and an executive of the company with violating the Clean Air Act relating to releases of hydrogen sulfide from an Texas facility, as well as obstructing a Fed-OSHA investigation. The charges are the result of an investigation of the October 2019, death of an employee and his wife, who were overcome by hydrogen sulfide, at a facility in Odessa. CBS DFW

Fed-OSHA ramps up inspections of healthcare facilities that treat COVID-19 patients

Fed-OSHA announced earlier this week that for the next three months, until June 9, it plans to increase inspections of hospitals and nursing care facilities that treat COVID-19 patients. SHRM

Fed-OSHA cites employer following electrocution of two young linemen

Fed-OSHA has handed down more than $43,000 in fines in connection with the deaths of two electrical linemen last August, both of whom were 19-years-old. The incident occurred as they repaired a downed power line in Jefferson County, Alabama. WVTM

Jury awards $36.5M in compensatory and punitive damages to former Grace employee

A Great Falls, Montana jury recently awarded $36.5 million dollars to an Oregon man who worked at the W.R. Grace mine in Libby. It is the first of more than 800 cases filed against Maryland Casualty Company, provider of workers’ compensation coverage to Grace from 1963 until 1973, to go to trial. Elizabeth Lautenbach of Goldberg Segalla breaks down the issues. JD Supra