MIOSHA investigating fatal accident at spring supplier

Michigan OSHA is investigating the work-related death of a 59-year-old manufacturing supervisor at a Coldwater springs supply business on Sunday. WTVB

Florida FWC employee dies in boat accident

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has confirmed that a 29-year-old employee was killed in a boat crash in West Palm Beach. Officials say the boat collided with a concrete piling in a canal that runs underneath the a ramp to a roadway on Tuesday morning. WPEC (West Palm Beach, Fla.)

Employee severely burned in work-related fire at Virginia business

A man who had been working on renovations at a Harrisonburg, Virginia strip mall was severely burned in a structure fire on Wednesday. No other individuals were reported injured. WHSV

Attorneys discuss COVID-19 reporting requirements for employers

Fed-OSHA recently published new guidance clarifying when to report work-related hospitalizations and fatalities caused by COVID-19 to Fed-OSHA, according to Poyner Spruill LLP. This guidance clarifies confusion resulting from a July 2020 interpretation published by Fed-OSHA (and promptly removed from its website) stating that the work-related “incident” for Fed-OSHA purposes was a positive COVID-19 test resulting from workplace exposure, rather than the exposure itself. JD Supra

Employees penalized for reporting COVID safety violations

In recent months, a few states have passed laws specifically aimed at protecting employees who face COVID-related safety risks and retaliation for speaking up about them. But advocates say stronger federal protections are needed. Whistleblower complaints filed with Fed-OSHA increased by 30 percent between February and May, to 4,101, according to an August report by the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General that criticized the agency’s handling of the complaints. Bangor Daily News