OSHA Backs Termination Suit

August 8, 2023

Worker sues after alleged wrongful termination

  • A healthcare worker settled her wrongful termination lawsuit against an Illinois hospital.
  • The woman alleged the hospital violated OSHA’s general mandate for safe work environments by firing her for missing work due to Covid-19 symptoms.
  • Maria Cupi’s filed her lawsuit against Carle BroMenn Medical Center in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois in October 2021
  • She was directed to stay home by the hospital’s Covid-19 hotline after she developed a fever, but she was terminated upon returning to work.
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Farm cited for fatality 

  • The N.C. Department of Labor cited Herc Rentals Inc. for a worker fatality that occurred on the Wallace Farm composting business property in Advance.
  • The Labor Department is proposing penalties totaling $203,125 as a result of a safety inspection that began on the day of the accident.
  • On that day, William Andrew “Drew” Bledsoe of Trinity was working on the hydraulic system of a Volvo LH70 front-end loader when he was fatally injured.
  • Bledsoe was a field service mechanic for Herc Rentals and worked out of the company’s north Charlotte branch.
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Acquisition boosts OSHA training

  • ikeGPS acquired the assets of Marne and Associates Inc., a firm that specializes in the safety codes governing the nation’s electric and communication utilities.
  • The acquisition increases ikeGPS’ NESC and OSHA training and education capabilities.
  • ikeGPS’ acquisition of Marne and Associates’ training business unit comes as the industry seeks to comply with the updated code to ensure the highest levels of safety to protect workers, facilities, and the public during the installation, operation, and maintenance of communication and power supplies.
  • Marne and Associates, Inc. president and senior electrical engineer David J. Marne will continue to lead these training programs throughout 2023.
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Dental offices face OSHA challenges

  • Although there are no specific OSHA standards for dental offices, dental office employers with one or more employees must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
  • The challenge of OSHA compliance for dental offices is working out which OSHA standards are applicable, and which are not.
  • For example, under the “Hazardous Substances” standards, most dentists will have to comply with the “Bloodborne Pathogens” standard, but some will also have to comply with the “Beryllium”, “Crystalline Silica”, and “Nitrous Oxide” standards.
  • Dental offices can obtain more specific help from OSHA’s “Quick Start Assistant” or from a professional compliance advisor.
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