OSHA Fines EV Battery Maker

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says SK Battery America is looking at over $70,000 in fines according to citations issued by OSHA.
• The fines are in connection with a lithium battery fire that occurred at its Commerce, Georgia plant in 2023.
• According to OSHA the company faces five serious safety violations for exposing employees to possibly permanent respiratory damage.
• This is the second time in less than a year that SK has put its employees’ safety in jeopardy, According to OSHA, SK Battery was cited for violations connected with exposing workers to unsafe levels of metals.
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New York Senator Challenges Fire Rules

• New York senator Pamela Helming, representing New York’s 54^th District, is asking for a moratorium on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fire brigade standards.
• The proposed regulations governing safety equipment, training, and physical requirements, have caused controversy since they first came out, due to the burdens that would be placed on fire departments.
• The regulations are over 600 pages long and also apply to volunteer fight departments.
• Helming is worried about the cost of compliance and the ability of some already struggling New York fire departments to meet the requirements.
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Chipotle Worker Shot

• A Chipotle worker in Michigan was shot by an assailant who found fault with his guacamole.
• According to police, the assailant, Aaron Brown, called the worker a mean name then went behind the counter to grab his food.
• The worker was shot in the knee when he tried to stop him.
• Brown tried to escape with his food along with his wife, but it was too late. He was arrested later.
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Employer and Staffing Agency Dinged

• A Toronto employer and a temp agency have been fined following a coating incident.
• The employer, West End Manufacturing Co. and temp agency Liiman Employment Inc. were fined a total of $130,000 after an incident in 2023.
• A worker was in a sand blasting booth when he fell through a giant gap in the floor and got caught in moving parts.
• The worker, a temporary employee, was seriously injured. The Ontario government said that both the employer and temp agency were at fault.
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Worker Dies after Chemical Exposure

• A worker at a water treatment supplier has died following chemical exposure.
• The worker, an employee of Canadian company Control Chemical Canada, was exposed to chemicals at a warehouse.
• The employee was rushed to the hospital following the “incident” and later died.
• Reportedly no orders or requirements have been issued to the company at this time
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