Missouri manufacturer accused of firing whistleblower
Fed-OSHA has filed suit in federal court against a Missouri carbon fiber manufacturer for allegedly suspending and later firing an employee who raised safety concerns in 2019. KTVI/KPLR (St. Louis)
Louisiana garbage truck driver killed in rollover accident at landfill
A 57-year-old employee of a Bossier City, Louisiana-based environmental services company was killed March 25 in a landfill after another truck that was unloading waste rolled onto his truck. Fed-OSHA and local officials are investigating. According to KTBS, this is the first fatality that has been reported at the 240-acre landfill since its opening. Waste Today
Garbage truck driver fatally struck while working in Anchorage
A garbage truck driver died Thursday when he was struck by his sliding truck on a snow-covered residential street in East Anchorage. The accident occurred after the truck’s arm was unable to lift a garbage bin because it was frozen in place. Anchorage Daily News
Connecticut pasta plant where employee was seriously injured cited previously by Fed-OSHA
Fed-OSHA is investigating last Monday’s accident at a South Windsor, Connecticut pasta plant where a 32-year-old employee sustained life-threatening injuries after getting half of his arm stuck in machinery. The same company was cited for 14 safety violations, nine classified as serious, in February 2017, according to Fed-OSHA inspection reports. Journal Inquirer (Manchester, Conn.)
The minefield of returning to the office
The return to the workplace is fraught with difficulties for the employer. Companies have to comply with stringent guidelines for creating safe post-pandemic workplaces, making the reopening full of pitfalls. Oregon Business
Fed-OSHA cites hospital in New York capital
Fed-OSHA has issued serious citations to Albany Medical Center Hospital for failing to protect nurses from COVID, according to a nurses’ union. Citations include failing to give respirators to employees to protect from aerosolized COVID; failing to ensure that RNs provided user checks on N95 respirators; and failing to ensure that each RN could demonstrate how to check the seals of N95 respirators. WTEN (Albany, N.Y.)
Iowa: Muscatine Power and Water wins national safety award
Muscatine Power and Water has won the American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence as a result of its safe operating practices in 2020. Muscatine Journal
Florida: Tallahassee electric workers earn state safety award
Tallahassee’s public utility was awarded a second-place safety award by the Florida Municipal Electric Association, among 21 other public power utilities recognized by the association this year. Tallahassee Democrat