OSHA investigates the death of Iowa worker

• A 21-year-old man died after he was buried beneath seven to eight feet of soil in Dubuque, Iowa.
• Jacob A. Young, an apprentice with the UA Local No. 125 Plumbers and Pipefitters, was killed after a trench collapsed at a construction site where a new apartment complex was being built.
• Rescue teams were dispatched and arrived on the scene with firefighters finding several individuals working to dig out a coworker, but they could not revive him.
• Young’s death is being investigated by OSHA.
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DOL, OSHA boost enforcement for repeat violations

• For employers with a history of worker safety violations, the United States Solicitor of Labor, the chief legal officer of the United States Department of Labor, and OSHA may refer cases to the United States Department of Justice for criminal prosecution. In her Enforcement Report.
• In one case, a New York roofing company and its owner racked up 24 willful citations between 2019 and 2023. During this period, two workers died after falling on the job.
• The employer, Jose Lema Mizhirumbay, was arrested in July 2023 for “willfully violating OSHA regulations, resulting in the death of an employee.”
• The case is currently being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The maximum potential sentence is six months in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
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Protections for ‘lone workers’

• Lone workers include people who don’t work during regular business hours, such as janitors, security guards, special production, plant maintenance or repair staff, and delivery truck drivers.
• Lone workers are typically those who work by themselves or in an environment where help is not readily available in the event of injury, illness, or an emergency.
• OSHA doesn’t have a specific standard for lone worker safety, but the agency does address hazards faced by employees working alone in shipyards.
• OSHA requires employers to ensure that lone workers are accounted for by sight or verbal communication, which can include safety check-ins or ways to connect with their manager or office.
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Mining group uncovers 188 violations in January

• The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration’s inspections at 15 mines across 10 states in January 2024.
• The result was the identification of 188 violations, including 63 significant findings and one unwarrantable failure.
• MSHA completed impact inspections in Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
• The agency launched these inspections following the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster. Mines are selected for impact inspections based on poor compliance history, past accidents, injuries or deaths, and other compliance concerns.
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