Tennessee hurricane survivors say permission to leave plant came too late

• As floodwaters from Hurricane Helene surrounded the Impact Plastics factory in Erwin, Tennessee, survivors say it was too late for plant employees to leave.
• Six Impact Plastics employees were killed or are listed as missing as the hurricane decimated the plant.
• Employees say they were only allowed to leave the facility as the floodwaters were swamping the plant. One employee called her husband to say her goodbyes.
• Impact Plastics contends the employees were allowed to leave on time and refuted reports that employees were told they would be fired if they left without permission.
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Illinois firm to pay more than $1 million to settle OSHA citations

• AB Specialty Silicones, a Waukegan, Illinois, chemical manufacturer, will pay $1.3 million to settle Fed-OSHA citations in the wake of a 2019 explosion.
• Four employees were killed in the explosion and fire, three others were injured and at least five area buildings were damaged.
• OSHA’s investigation determined that the company failed to ensure its electrical equipment complied with federal standards, and it used propane-powered industrial trucks to transport flammable liquids in areas where employees handled the substances.
• AB Specialty will develop a company-wide safety and health management system; provide training for employees and management; implement an emergency action plan and conduct evacuation drills; and purchase industrial trucks rated for handling flammable materials, among other terms of the settlement.
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Washington State paper mill faces big penalties in machine operator’s death

• The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has cited Georgia Pacific’s Camas paper mill following an investigation into the death of a machine operator.
• The incident in March of this year occurred when the 32-year-old operator repeatedly sought help troubleshooting a large piece of equipment used to stack boxes for shipping.
• Before assistance arrived, coworkers found the employee deceased, crushed between the metal arms of the machine and conveyor belt.
• L&I says the machine lacked proper guarding, which had been replaced in 2017 with a fence that did not prevent access to the machine. The agency seeks $648,292 in penalties.
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North Dakota railroad accused of violating whistleblower’s rights

• A Fed-OSHA investigation has determined that North Dakota’s Soo Line Railroad Co. violated an employee’ rights for firing the person after they reported a workplace exposure.
• The employee reported an injury or illness they believed was connected to dust and chemical exposure during indoor workplace construction.
• When the claims representative discussed the worker’s complaints with supervisors and co-workers, the railroad suspended and later fired the worker.
• OSHA ordered Soo Line to pay more than $45,000 in back pay and $155,000 in other damages, plus remove negative reports in the worker’s personnel records.
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