Veteran says firing from casino was retaliation for complaint to Fed-OSHA

An employee of a North Carolina casino says he and his wife lost their job in retaliation for filing a complaint to Fed-OSHA related to an evacuation of the casino in February 2021. The employee says his supervisor told game dealers not to evacuate during an alarm where guests and other employees were ordered to evacuate. The employee, an Army veteran who says he has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder for eight years, said he filed the complaints only after he discussed his concerns with his manager. Fed-OSHA cited the casino in August for failing to conduct regular employee evacuation drills, but didn’t fine the casino. Charlotte Observer [with audio]

Death at Port of Galveston ruled accidental

A 58-year-old woman who died in a 35-foot fall from a tall ship’s mast Saturday at the Port of Galveston was a volunteer and part-time employee who had passed tests to climb rigging before the fatal accident, according to officials. Authorities are investigating why she apparently was not properly clipped into a safety harness when she fell. Galveston County Daily Star

Northwest Indiana companies fined for safety violations

The Indiana Department of Labor recently fined three Northwest Indiana companies for safety violations that were in some cases deemed to be repeat or serious and ordered the companies to take corrective action. Fines ranged from $14,000 to more than $18,000. The Times

Connecticut VA Dept. says it has fixed most OSHA issues at West Haven facility

The Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs said the agency has fixed 10 out of 11 safety violations at its West Haven facility, where two employees died in 2020 when a steam pipe exploded. Fed-OSHA recently visited the facility to review the VA’s progress on making it safer. WSHU [with audio]

Oregon considers new rules for wildfire smoke and heat exposure

Oregon health and safety officials are considering workplace protection rules intended to reduce employee exposure to extreme heat and unhealthy air from wildfire smoke and will hold a series of online hearings late this month to hear public comments on the proposed rules. The proposed wildfire smoke regulations would include a requirement for employers to provide N95 respirators when the local Air Quality Index goes above 101, considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” The proposed heat illness rule would apply to any work environment. indoors or out, where employees are exposed to 80-degree temperatures for longer than 15 minutes an hour. The Observer