Oregon law boosts fines for workplace incidents

• Oregon passed a new law turning its workplace safety penalties from the lowest OSHA penalties to among the highest in the country.
• The new law revamps Oregon OSHA workplace inspections, investigations, and fines.
• The new law significantly increases the amounts of civil penalties for violations of the Oregon Safe Employment Act, even surpassing federal OSHA penalties, and expands scenarios where Oregon OSHA will conduct a comprehensive “wall-to-wall” inspection of a worksite.
• The law significantly increases civil penalty amounts that may be assessed against employers that violate OSHA requirements.
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Investigation continues for power plant fatality

• OSHA is investigating the circumstances surrounding a contract worker’s death in an explosion at the Oak Grove Power Plant near Franklin, Texas.
• The early morning explosion resulted in the injury of a contractor employee at the scene.
• The employee later succumbed to the injuries, according to Luminant, the parent company of the power plant.
• OSHA is also still looking into an incident that took place in February where four workers were rushed to the hospital after being exposed to a possible hazardous chemical.
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OSHA schedules listening sessions

• OSHA is offering a pair of listening sessions to “identify needs, challenges and best practices for adoption of safety and health as a core workplace value.”
• In addition, the agency hopes to “identify barriers and challenges for improving workplace safety and health culture and for reducing workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.”
• The sessions will also help OSHA determine the best way to promote workplace safety culture.
• The sessions are set for June 14th at 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Eastern and will take place at the Department of Labor headquarters.
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OSHA recommends fines after death of worker

• OSHA proposed an $18,752 penalty against Pacific Construction Services, Inc. of Framingham, Mass., following the electrocution of one of its workers in Friendship, Maine.
• The worker was electrocuted while working on a metal roof at that location.
• The agency concluded that the company failed to ensure that the 12,470-volt power line was de-energized and grounded; failed to train workers about the risk; failed to have a system in place to prevent falls from the 19-foot high roof; and was not training employees about fall hazards.
• OSHA cited the employer for four serious violations and one other than a serious violation of OSHA workplace safety standards.
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