Ohio train accident prompts more action
- OSHA, Norfolk Southern Corp., and the Teamsters Railway Union have entered into an agreement to improve safety conditions at the site of a disastrous Ohio derailment.
- The February 2 train derailment resulted in a 39-railcar pileup and released hazardous chemicals into the environment.
- OSHA inspectors issued four citations against Norfolk Southern for safety violations, including not developing a clear emergency response plan.
- The agreement requires Norfolk Southern to implement a medical surveillance program for workers who have been exposed to the area of the derailment, to provide 40 hours of Hazardous Waste Operations training to union employees, and to pay OSHA penalties related to four specific safety violations.
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OSHA still working on heat rule
- Since 2021, OSHA has been working on a heat stress rule, following advocacy by groups and politicians calling for action over the past decade.
- The agency has been conducting an annual heat awareness campaign since 2012 and enacted a heat enforcement program in 2022.
- The challenge for OSHA is that the rule’s requirements will have to be precise, as just saying an employer knows when it is hot enough to take precautions won’t pass a court review.
- The road to developing specific requirements is also filled with regulatory red tape.
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Vermont man killed at construction site
- Vermont OSHA has opened an investigation after a man died in a work-related accident at a construction site in Burke.
- Casey Driver, 25, of Derby, was working on the roof of a three-story building when he hit a high-tension power line with a metal ladder and was shocked.
- He fell about 30 feet off the roof and died at the scene.
- Driver worked for Vincent’s Carpentry of Derby.
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Federal workers told to work from home because of safety concerns
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials advised hundreds of employees in San Francisco to work remotely due to public safety concerns outside the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building.
- The 18-story tower is home to various federal agencies, including HHS, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the office of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.
- The area is also one of the city’s busiest open-air drug markets, which has attracted more crime.
- Officials with Pelosi’s office and the Department of Labor are working closely with local and federal law enforcement to ensure the safety of their staff, but they have not advised employees to work from home.
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