Fed-OSHA hands down $514K in fines for Texas explosion
Fed-OSHA has levied more than $514,000 in fines for willful violations linked to the explosions and fire last November at a Port Neches, Texas industrial plant that led to evacuations impacting about 50,000 people in surrounding communities. Three violations classified as willful allege not developing and implementing procedures for emergency shutdown or inspecting and testing process vessel and piping components. KFDM (Beaumont, Texas)

Mysterious illness strikes again at Vermont hospital
Over the past 10 days, 14 staff members at a Vermont hospital have reported feeling faint, dizzy and nauseous, the third time in eight months that staff reported feeling sick with no clear source. VTDigger

New guidelines take effect in South Carolina
New, stricter guidelines took effect last week for South Carolina OSHA, which has received more than 300 inquiries about COVID-19 safety and protocol since mid-March. Concerns range from lack of personal protective equipment to people working while experiencing symptoms, noncompliance with social distancing guidelines, and employers not acting on employee complaints. WCBD (Mount Pleasant, S.C.)

Senate Dems call for investigation into Fed-OSHA inspections
Pointing out the lack of an emergency temporary standard revising the existing federal safety standard from Fed-OSHA since the pandemic began, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren last week called for an audit into Fed-OSHA’s handling of citations and inspections. The letter states, “OSHA inspections dropped from on average 217 a day to 60 a day after the national emergency declaration, and the number of OSHA citations has decreased by nearly 70 percent compared with the prior two years,” and as signed by five other Senate Democrats. The Hill

Incident at Tennessee water plant kills one employee, injures another
An accident last month during a delivery at the public water utility in Tracy City, Tennessee, claimed the life of a Fayetteville, Tennessee, truck driver and injured a city employee. Tennessee OSHA is investigating. Chattanooga Times Free Press

Black lung disease is back despite safety improvements
Even as the mining industry tries to implement a culture of safety and invests in safety equipment, dust inhalation remains an inherent and significant threat to miners’ respiratory health. This prevalence of coalworkers’ pneumoconiosis, known as black lung, is increasing among miners, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Mining Technology

Don’t be fooled by fake PPE
Not only is personal protective equipment hard to get everywhere, but defective and counterfeit PPE is now hitting high-profile agencies. The possibly most problematic type looks like it comes from a legitimate vendor. Qualitydigest