OSHA Orders Carrier to Reinstate Driver Fired After Reporting Safety Concerns
- A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found that Balkan Express LLC terminated a driver after the worker raised safety concerns.
- OSHA determined the firing violated the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, which protects employees who report commercial motor‑vehicle safety issues.
- The agency ordered the company to reinstate the worker and pay more than $100,000 in back wages and damages.
- FMCSA data also showed that inspectors placed 23% of the carrier’s fleet out of service in the past two years.
OSHA Probes Fatal Incident After Steel Strikes Ohio Industrial Worker
- A 49‑year‑old worker at Logan Machine Company in Akron was killed when a large piece of steel fell and struck him while he was welding.
- Authorities pronounced him dead at the scene.
- OSHA has opened an investigation into the fatal incident to review workplace‑safety conditions at the facility.
- The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office is also conducting its own investigation.
Washington Roofing Firms Face $1.4M in Fines for Fall‑Protection Violations
- A Washington State Department of Labor & Industries review found that falls from heights remain the most frequently cited serious workplace‑safety violation for the 20th consecutive year.
- The agency issued more than $1.4 million in fines to five roofing and construction companies over the past four months for repeated fall‑protection violations.
- Inspectors reported workers operating above four feet without required harnesses, anchors, or fall‑arrest systems.
- L&I said enforcement efforts will continue as companies remain out of compliance with long‑standing safety rules.