Central Florida road project halted after beam fatally strikes worker

Construction on the Orlando area’s I-4 Ultimate project was suspended Saturday night after a 37-year-old worker died and another was injured by a falling beam. The project’s contractor said work along all 21 miles of the project site was suspended except for emergency maintenance and that construction could resume as early as Wednesday morning. WFTV [with video]

Oklahoma manufacturing plant fined $86K following machinery-related fatality

A Duncan, Oklahoma manufacturing plant is contesting Fed-OSHA penalties of $86,000 in the wake of an employee’s February death. The worker reportedly was polishing parts on a machine when the employee’s clothing became caught on a rotating piece, pulling the employee into the machine and causing a fatal skull fracture. KSWO (Lawton, Okla.)

Fed-OSHA cites auto transmission manufacturer following fatality

A Georgia-based auto transmission manufacturer faces more than $68,000 in penalties following a fatal workplace incident. Atlanta Business Chronicle [may require registration]

MSHA to hold public meeting on respirable silica RFI

The Mine Safety and Health Administration has announced it plans a public meeting on its recent Request for Information on Respirable Silica (Quartz) that requests stakeholders provide, by October 28, 2019, “information and data on feasible best practices” to protect miners from quartz in respirable dust. National Law Review

What employers need to know about robots and AI in the workplace

Wage and hour issues are a prime source of litigation for employers, whether they relate to individual employees or are styled as putative class actions. Here, attorney David J. Garraux discusses issues relating to wage and hour, collective bargaining/unionization, accommodation of employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act, workers’ compensation and regulatory considerations involving the implications of robots and artificial intelligence in the workplace. National Law Review

Fed-OSHA introduces new enforcement weighting system

Fed-OSHA has announced it recently implemented the OSHA Weighting System for fiscal year 2020 to encourage the appropriate allocation of resources to support the agency’s balanced approach of promoting safety and health. The OWS replaces the current enforcement weighting system initiated in fiscal year 2015 and became effective October 1. Construction & Demolition Recycling