Tree-cutter dies in electrical incident in Massachusetts
Officials are investigating a death Wednesday morning after an incident involving a tree-cutting crew that was using a lift machine in a residential neighborhood in Northborough, Massachusetts. The crew’s equipment reportedly made contact with high voltage electrical lines and the lift’s operator was unresponsive. An employee in his 20s was declared dead at the scene. WCVB (Boston)
Tire plant employee dies after workplace injury
A 28-year-old employee of a Texarkana, Arkansas tire and rubber plant died approximately two weeks ago, two days after being injured in a pinch-point accident involving machinery, according to officials. Texarkana Gazette
Former officer alleges he was forced to work with COVID-19 symptoms
A former policeman of a now-dissolved police department is suing the town of Mocksville, North Carolina, its former police chief, and former town manager, alleging a sergeant pressured him to work when he was feeling ill, and then denied knowledge the policeman had tested positive for COVID-19. The officer also alleges he filed complaint with the N.C. Department of Labor. WXII (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
USDA to provide $700M in grants to meatpackers, farm employees
The meat industry was among the sectors most heavily impacted from COVID-19 during the first several months of the outbreak last year. Now, the United States Department of Agriculture says it will provide $700 million in grants to help farm and meatpacking employees with pandemic-related health and safety costs, and set aside $20 million of this funding for at least one pilot program to provide support to frontline grocery employees. Food Dive
Fed-OSHA issues updated guidance
Fed-OSHA has issued an updated version of guidance for employers in all industries, in which the agency “strongly encourages” employers to give employees paid time off to get vaccinated and recover from any side effects of COVID-19. Fed-OSHA labeled the following categories of workplaces as “higher-risk”: manufacturing; meat, seafood and poultry processing; high-volume retail and grocery; and agricultural processing settings. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly