News Digest 07-01-22 1315 OSHA (TEST)

South Carolina OSHA investigates man’s disappearannce

  • OSHA in South Carolina is investigating after 20-year-old Duncan Alexander Burrell Gordon, of Greer, disappeared while working at a recycling company.
  • The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office also opened an investigation after Burrell was reported missing on May 5.
  • Burrell was last seen during his work on the overnight shift at Industrial Recycling and Recovery, Inc. also located in Greer.
  • The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office confirmed that DNA was located at the plant.

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Montana finds millions of dollars in COVID accounting errors

  • The Legislative Audit Committee in Montana found that millions of dollars worth of accounting errors related to the allocation of COVID-19 funds.
  • Committee members made the discovery after conducting an audit on the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
  • Much of the audit focused on unemployment insurance during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
  • The labor department didn’t “prevent, or detect and correct in a timely manner, several multi-million dollar misstatements in its accounting records related to the Unemployment Insurance program.”

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Vaccination requirement on hold

  • The full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will reconsider President Biden’s executive order requiring federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
  • Biden’s proposal would require about 3.5 million government workers to get vaccinated, absent a religious or medical accommodation, or face discipline including termination.
  • Most federal workers were vaccinated by December, but there was opposition to the mandate.
  • Opponents said they would take their appeal to the Supreme Court if the 5th Circuit rejected its request for a rehearing by the full appeals court.

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OSHA takes more steps for COVID protections

  • OSHA is planning to extend the National Emphasis Program for Covid-19.
  • The enforcement initiative was initially adopted last year, while the agency continues to work on permanent standards.
  • The agency’s been attempting to finalize these standards within nine months.
  • OSHA alsoissued an emphasis program on indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards.

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