One of nation’s oldest firms faces penalties

• An OSHA investigation into an employee’s amputation injury at a Neenah, Wisconsin, manufacturing plant found one of the nation’s oldest and most recognized companies again failed to follow required safety procedures.
• An inspection of the Dixon Ticonderoga Co.’s facility revealed the art supply manufacturer lacked adequate machine safety procedures. Since 2020, the agency has cited the Neenah facility three times for similar violations.
• OSHA inspectors determined the injury occurred as the worker tried to clean a press used to imprint images in labeling and packaging processes, which lacked required safety guards.
• OSHA cited the company for two repeat and four serious violations and proposed $203,806 in penalties.
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Firehouse deals with staffing issues

• The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1426 and town officials in Fairfield, Connecticut, yielded an arbitration award that some fire officials argue doesn’t address their staffing issues.
• Fairfield would have increased the number of firefighters to at least 26 by June 30, 2025, which would have cost about $4.2 million, according to the summary of the arbitration award.
• Union President Bill Tuttle said the department would need to hire 28 firefighters per shift to satisfy the OSHA and NFPA standards so four firefighters can man each of its seven vehicles.
• However, he acknowledged doing so would be exorbitantly expensive for the town.
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Amazon facility in Washington States faces fines

• Amazon is facing $85,800 in fines for knowingly putting workers at risk of injury at its fulfillment center in Spokane, Washington.
• A Washington State Department of Labor & Industries inspection of the e-commerce company found that Amazon requires workers to execute repetitive motions, lifting, and other physical work at such a fast pace that it puts workers at risk for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
• Because L&I has cited Amazon for similar violations at three other Washington locations, the company is aware of these hazards.
• Amazon’s Spokane fulfillment center employs about 2,400 workers.
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Construction worker run over by truck

• A construction worker in New York State was seriously injured after he stepped out of a portable toilet at a work site and was hit by a water truck.
• The worker was exiting a portable toilet on site and was struck by a reversing water truck. The truck ran over the man’s torso and legs.
• The portable toilet was placed in a spot in which people exiting the toilet would be directly in the path of vehicles passing by the site.
• A report was sent to OSHA after the victim was rushed to the hospital.
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