Dollar General faces more fines
- An OSHA inspection found blocked emergency exit routes among other safety issues at a Dollar General in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, the Department of Labor said.
- The inspection is one of more than 180 investigations where OSHA has found Dollar General to be jeopardizing worker safety, the DOL said.
- Dollar General was fined $245,544.
- The hazards were similar to violations found at other stores operated by the discounter throughout the U.S., and the inspection is one of more than 180 investigations where OSHA has found Dollar General jeopardized worker safety.
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Company cited after tourists trapped
- The Grand Canyon Caverns and Inn in Arizona is being cited for safety violations after an elevator malfunction stranded a family underground for hours last year.
- The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued three citations and more than $6,000 in fines Thursday to the popular tourist attraction.
- The department says a steep staircase that led out of the cavern didn’t have proper handrails.
- The citation comes after a family became stuck in the caverns for almost 24 hours after an elevator broke.
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Two killed in trench collapse at airport
- Two workers were killed at a John F. Kennedy International Airport construction site when a trench collapsed, burying them under debris.
- It appears a concrete slab fell into the trench and both workers died at the scene.
- Construction activities were suspended but airport operations were not interrupted.
- The deaths are under investigation by the US Labor Department. The name of the contractor that employed the dead workers has not been released.
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Bill would further protect immigrant workers
- A federal bill has reintroduced legislation that would provide temporary protection from deportation to immigrant workers who are victims of, or witnesses to, unsafe working conditions and other labor rights violations.
- The Protecting Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act (H.R. 1828) would expand U nonimmigrant status visa eligibility for workers who are victims of serious labor violations.
- The measure would cooperate with state, local or federal worker protection agencies to protect workers who have suffered substantial abuse or harm related to the workplace.
- OSHA announced in February that it would issue certifications in support of T and U nonimmigrant status visas, a move the agency contends will aid in some workplace safety investigations.
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