10 healthcare organizations suspending COVID-19 vaccination mandates

Hospitals and health systems are suspending COVID-19 vaccination mandates amid a temporary halt of the CMS mandate for healthcare employees. The mandate requires healthcare employees to be fully vaccinated by January 4. Becker’s Hospital Review

Trench collapse kills Colorado employee near Breckenridge

A 20-year-old employee was killed and his colleague partially buried in a trench collapse in mid-November near Breckenridge, Colorado. Fed-OSHA is investigating. A steel box meant to protect against a trench collapse reportedly was not in use when emergency responders arrived at the scene. Summit Daily

Employee dead after accident at Tennessee industrial plant

An employee of an industrial plant in Clarksville, Tennessee is dead following an accident that took place at the plant last Wednesday. TOSHA is investigating. NewsChannel 5 (Nashville)

Nevada OSHA may look into mask compliance at rodeo

Nevada OSHA is looking into a referral it received regarding a lack of masking compliance at the National Finals Rodeo companion Western-themed gift show, according to a state official. Compliance by both vendors and show-goers reportedly was scarce at Cowboy Christmas’ opening night Wednesday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Las Vegas Review-Journal

Virgin Islands refinery fined $259K by Fed-OSHA

Limetree Bay Refinery in the US Virgin Islands faces more than $259,000 in penalties proposed by Fed-OSHA for 20 alleged violations, according to the agency. Citations include failure to compile all necessary information on process equipment and technology, including relief system design, safe operating limits and consequences of deviation from those limits, and evaluate and implement controls to manage process hazards. St. Thomas Source

Maine employer on trial in employee’s roofing death

The manslaughter trial of the owner of a home improvement company is underway in Maine over the 2018 death of a roofer who was not wearing a safety harness when he fell from a three-story house in Portland. In addition to the criminal charges, the contractor faces more than $2 million in Fed-OSHA fines connected to the fatal fall and incidents at three other jobsites. He is contesting the fines. WMTW