Koch Food faces fines for serious infractions

• Koch Foods’ poultry processing plant in Georgia was fined $208,977 by OSHA for several safety violations.
• OSHA cited Koch Foods with one repeat, 14 serious, and two other-than-serious violations after an inspection conducted under the agency’s Regional Emphasis Program for Poultry Processing Facilities.
• The 14 serious violations stemmed from Koch Foods’ lack of fall protection measures, failure to identify workers using hazardous energy control locks, and not training employees exposed to noise hazards.
• Koch Foods has 15 days from receipt of the citations to pay the fine, request a conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before an independent board.
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Worker injuries soar at SpaceX

• OSHA determined that SpaceX had failed to protect a man who died at a company site from the clear hazards.
• The victim’s co-workers told OSHA that SpaceX had no convenient access to tie-downs and no process or oversight for handling such loads.
• SpaceX acknowledged the problems, and the agency instructed the company to make seven specific safety improvements, including more training and equipment, according to the inspection report
• A Reuters investigation found at least 600 injuries to SpaceX workers since 2014.
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Lake Tahoe ski resort worker killed

• A Lake Tahoe ski resort worker died in a snowmobile accident during overnight snowmaking operations.
• Brian Gimbert, 34, was riding a snowmobile at slow speed on undeveloped property south of Alpine Meadows’ main lodge, the California Highway Patrol said.
• He struck a rock that was partially buried under snow and was thrown from the vehicle, which then landed on him.
• Resort officials are cooperating with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, and OSHA as they investigate the accident.
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Workplace injuries continue to rise

• Private industry employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022, up 7.5% from 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• This increase is driven by the rise in both injuries, up 4.5% to 2.3 million cases, and illnesses up 26.1% to 460,700 cases.
• The main component of illnesses comes from respiratory illness cases, up 35.4% to 365,000 cases in 2022.
• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said companies need to provide effective worker training programs and eliminate hazards with system-wide engineering and operational changes, such as removing a toxic substance from the workplace
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