Grain bin accidents and deaths rising in South Dakota

Rainy, cold weather in 2019 have created a dangerous situation this year for South Dakota farmers who store grain in bins, heightening a persistent risk of entrapment or death, and Fed-OSHA has taken note. The number of reported grain entrapments across the country rose by 27 percent from 2018 to 2019, and deaths rose by 53 percent that year. Capital Journal

 

Apartment management firm fined $32K following death of South Florida employee

Fed-OSHA has fined a company that manages several apartment buildings in the Miami area $32,00 fine after an employee fell 20 feet to his death from an aerial lift at a worksite in November. Citations include that the employee did not use fall protection, such as the required body belt and lanyard attached to the basket. Miami Herald

 

Alabama lumber company employee killed trying to unjam wood chipper

A 34-year-old Phenix City, Alabama lumber company employee was killed Wednesday when he became caught in a wood chipper. Fed-OSHA is investigating. CBS 42

 

MIOSHA launches new COVID-19 guidance site

Michigan OSHA ˙as launched a new online COVID-19 workplace safety site that provides guidance and a toolkit of resources to keep workplaces safe as sectors of the state’s economy reopen. The site also provides guidance on how employers create and make available to employees and customers, a written exposure control plan which includes exposure determination and outlines measures that will be taken to prevent employee exposure to COVID-19. WLNS

 

FDA asks packing facilities to report on COVID-19 problems

The Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition last week requested of farms and facilities it oversees to let the agency know if COVID-19 forced them to close temporarily or slow production. Reporting is voluntary, and the center says facilities that submit reports won’t generate additional FDA scrutiny. Roll Call

 

Attorneys address employers’ COVID-19 reporting

As states around the country start to ease restrictions and businesses re-open, the issue of whether to record employee COVID-19 cases Forms 300, 300A, and 301 may continue to vex employers. The agency’s May 19 memorandum seeks to help employers address this question, write three Greenberg Traurig attorneys. National Law Review

 

In Pennsylvania, dentists and eye doctors prepare to return

As Pennsylvania prepares to return to normal business, extra precautions are required in eye and dental practices because they involve working up close to a patient, peering into their eyes or mouth. Dentists and their hygienists are considered at very high risk of catching coronavirus by Fed-OSHA. The Intelligencer