Handyman sues after ‘ceiling full of rats’ collapses on him
A New York City handyman, who says he was tasked in August with installing a new wall at a building, claims he became ill when a ceiling full of rats collapsed on him, raining down rodents and feces. He charges in a lawsuit he lost his job after he filed a complaint with Fed-OSHA. New York Post
Mid-Hudson roof contractor falls to death during repair work
A contractor died last week after he fell through a roof he was repairing in Wallkill, New York. Fed-OSHA is investigating. San Francisco Chronicle
Fed-OSHA has cited a Solvay, New York with 33 alleged violations including exposing employees to harmful chemicals, fall hazards, unsafe work floors and walking surfaces, inadequate respiratory protection and lack of an effective program for removing pests. Total proposed fines exceed $460,000. WSYR (Syracuse)
Massachusetts worker dies in bucket truck incident
A contractor working on a state bridge-replacement project died and another was seriously injured Wednesday in a fall from the bucket of a lift truck at a construction site in Haverhill, Massachusetts. WCVB (Boston) [with video]
Healthcare is most dangerous industry in the US due to violence
Fed-OSHA reports more than 75 percent of the 25,000 workplace assaults reported annually in the United States took place in hospitals and other healthcare and social services settings. And a Government Accountability Office study from 2016 reports violence against healthcare workers is 12 times higher than the overall workforce. While Fed-OSHA has indicated “the best protection employers can offer is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence against or by their employees” or else risk getting fined, the zero-tolerance policy is not enough, writes HR consultant Heidi Lynne Kurter. Forbes