Suburban Philadelphia factory owner fined $1M for retaliatory firings
A federal district court judge earlier this month ruled that the owner of a Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania factory retaliated against two of his factory employees, including the plant manager, when he fired them after they cooperated with federal safety inspectors. At the time of the firings, federal safety inspectors were investigating the company for an accident that caused parts of three fingers of a worker to be “crunched off” by a steel-bending press. Philadelphia Inquirer
Worker electrocuted while cleaning equipment at Chicago business
A man died several days after he was electrocuted while cleaning business equipment last week at a business on Chicago’s southwest side. Fed-OSHA is investigating. Chicago Sun-Times
Employee fatally struck by machinery at Pennsylvania plant
A man was fatally struck by machinery in an industrial accident in Reading, Pennsylvania Thursday morning. Officials say he was found pinned behind a table, but they are still unclear as to the circumstances surrounding the incident. Fed-OSHA is investigating. WFMZ (Allentown, Pa.) [with video]
Videos of asbestos ‘snow’ at Delaware plant demolition triggers $66K fine
Video of asbestos-removal work that’s part of the demolition and construction of a former General Motors plant in Delaware into an e-commerce, logistics, and fulfillment center shows asbestos particles suspended in the air at the worksite, according to an environmental regulator. Another video shows a machine crushing panels that contain asbestos. The videos have triggered an investigation in which employees have verified illegal and unsafe asbestos-abatement practices. WHYY [with video]
Tampa-area worker fatally struck by bucket of dump trailer
A 59-year-old man was killed last week in Pinellas Park, Florida when a bucket of a dump trailer fell on him while he was trying to repair it. Tampa Bay Times
Construction accident kills one Idaho worker, injures another
On Tuesday, a wall and the roof at the construction site of the North Bannock County, Idaho Fire District’s first fire station collapsed, killing one worker and injuring a 19-year-old coworker. KPVI (Pocatello, Idaho) [with video]
TOSHA agency clears police department in officer’s death
Tennessee OSHA last week closed its investigation into the death of a 38-year-old Chattanooga police officer, who in February was fatally struck by a vehicle while inspecting a manhole cover that had water flowing from it due to heavy rain. The police department has been cleared by the agency of any wrongdoing in the incident. Washington Times/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Is radar to blame for former fighter pilots’ cancers?
Research seeking to explain the rise in especially intrusive forms of cancer among fighter pilots varies, but some experts suspect it is caused by radiation exposure in cockpits to intense radar systems. The Air Force began investigating whether pilots are at an increased risk for prostate cancer last year, finding reported cases among veterans using the Veterans Affairs healthcare system had risen 16 percent since 2000. Washington Examiner
Fire at eastern Iowa ag plant had been burning for several days before deadly explosion
A fire that killed one firefighter and critically injured another at the ADM plant in Clinton, Iowa in January reportedly had been burning for days, according to Fed-OSHA documents. The agency fined ADM and another company more than $60,000 combined. Workers reportedly noticed material in a grain bin was smoldering, but documents indicate the company told a crew that was clearing a blockage to keep working. OurQuadCities.com