Michigan lawmakers target MIOSHA appeals process, record retention policies

A Michigan House committee last week launched a review of business interactions with Michigan OSHA, including a controversial case involving the city of Port Huron. The lawmakers are targeting a policy that allowed certain documents to be destroyed as well as an appeals process that often makes it more expensive to appeal than to admit guilt and pay a fine, regardless of an employer’s ultimate guilt or innocence. Port Huron’s city manager testified before the committee about the city’s interactions with MIOSHA related to a $6,300 citation in August 2020 that was eventually dismissed. Detroit News

Indiana OSHA cites city for safety measures at pool

Following the death of a city of Anderson, Indiana employee who was overcome by fumes while mixing pool chemicals, IOSHA cited the city for several violations at a pool complex, including lack of a written respiratory protection program, and initially fined it $9,700. The risk manager for the city of said last week all required compliance measures were completed and IOSHA waived the fines because the city was in compliance by the deadline. Herald Bulletin

Employees at Georgia discount store say they have no working restroom

Several employees of a Lithonia, Georgia Family Dollar say the store’s toilets stopped working last November and employees have been forced to get in their cars and drive to a nearby convenience store to used the restroom. CBS46 (Atlanta)

Fed-OSHA highlights healthcare employee safety on National Caregivers Day

U.S. healthcare employees experienced a 249% increase in injury and illness rates in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On National Caregivers Day last week, Fed-OSHA called on healthcare employers and those in related industries to take immediate actions to help make 2022 less hazardous and reduce employee injuries and illnesses. Security Magazine

Texas potato farm reportedly denied nearly 500 employees full wages, overtime

The Department of Labor recently found an Idaho-based company operating a farm in Dalhart, Texas, failed to fully pay employees with H-2A visas or employees who are citizens. The employer also reportedly violated Fed-OSHA’s temporary labor camp standards by not properly reporting communicable disease after an outbreak of coronavirus at the farm. KLTV

Family of woman killed in FedEx World Hub accident speaks out

The surviving family of a 33-year-old woman who was killed in a forklift incident at FedEx World Hub early Friday morning in Memphis says the company needs to do more to protect employees. TOSHA had an investigator onsite Friday reviewing the incident. Action News 5 (Memphis)