Former multi-sport athlete severely injured when crane cable snaps on Alabama worksite
A former North Carolina high school football and track standout who was catastrophically injured earlier this month on a Georgia-Pacific site near Butler, Alabama, where he was working for a contractor when a rebar cage fell onto him after a crane cable snapped, is paralyzed and remains hospitalized in Birmingham. WGHP (High Point, N.C.) [with video]
Fed-OSHA fines fence company for third incident at New Jersey plant
A national fence company has been handed nearly $400,000 in penalties by Fed-OSHA after the agency cited it for repeat safety violations at the company’s Pennsauken, New Jersey facility. The agency cited Aruvil International Inc. for willful violations of lockout/tag-out standards covering procedures to prevent machine startup, machine guards and proper warehouse lighting. Fed-OSHA also cited the company for an obstructed loading dock, and blocked electrical disconnects for forklift truck chargers. NJ.com
Mold is pervasive threat to guards, inmates in American prisons
Hundreds of correctional officers across the United States are working in prisons with mold growing in areas constantly populated by both officers and inmates as a result of the federal Bureau of Prisons refusal to test it. Union leaders have reported health issues of current and former prison employees who breathe in the mold without protective gear every day. The problem is not confined to federal prisons. McClatchyDC
Federal workplace safety inspector numbers remain flat in fiscal 2019
New data from Fed-OSHA shows the number of federal workplace safety inspectors barely changed in fiscal year 2019, with 752 inspectors, only one less than at the close of fiscal 2018. Bloomberg Environment [may require registration]
Auto manufacturer cited for amputation hazards at Alabama plant
Fed-OSHA has fined an auto parts manufacturer more than $140,000 for amputation hazards cited following a partial finger amputation incident while attempting to remove material from a lamination machine at an Auburn, Alabama facility. Cited violations include allowing employees to operate machinery without proper guarding, and for failing to develop and train employees on lockout/tag-out procedures to control hazardous energy, lockout energy sources, and notify Fed-OSHA timely. CBS42
Cranes imploded at New Orleans hotel collapse site
Two cranes were imploded just over a week after the Hard Rock Hotel collapse in New Orleans. Three people died in the collapse and, as of Monday, two bodies remained inside the site. A fire official said 112 people were working inside the building when the 18-story structure began to crumble. WDSU (New Orleans, La.)