More fines for Amazon in New York, Illinois, Florida
- OSHA proposed a fine of $60,269 for Amazon after finding injury lists at three warehouses put workers at “high risk for lower back injuries and musculoskeletal disorders.
- The warehouses in this part of OSHA’s investigation of Amazon.com were in Waukegan, Illinois, a Chicago suburb; New Windsor, New York; and Deltona, Florida.
- Inspectors blamed the higher injury rate on the “high frequency with which workers are required to lift packages and other items.
- The Deltona facility also got cited for exposing workers to struck-by hazards in that merchandise was unevenly stacked and/or not secured to prevent them from collapsing.
Protecting OSHA
- Congress should look at a wide range of necessary reforms for OSHA and workplace safety, according to David Hecker, president of AFT Michigan.
- Lawmakers should expand OSHA coverage across the nation.
- They also must ensure the department tasked with enforcing it is fully funded and staffed.
- Several categories of workers, including workers thought to be adequately protected by previously existing safety laws, are not included in OSH Act coverage.
Long-term care facilities adjusting to OSHA rules
- New enforcement guidelines from OSHA will change the way long-term care facilities implement safety guidelines for workers,
- These sites must now assess their vulnerability to OSHA violations.
- Administrators must review the company’s OSHA-related record-keeping.
- The facilities must keep proper documentation of all training, violations, and safety-related disciplinary action.
Dock worker falls to death
- A worker at the Port of after a worker fell 50 feet to his death on the deck of a containership owned by the Maersk multinational shipping company in Los Angeles.
- The worker was a repairman hired through a subcontractor and was responsible for assisting the crew of the Maersk Eindhoven with repair work.
- OSHA guidelines require a safety net underneath workplaces that are 25 feet or higher in the air when other safeguards such as safety lines are unavailable.
- This is at least the second death on the Port of Los Angeles in the last 12 months.