Whistleblower wins OSHA case
- OSHA ordered Champlain Valley Equipment in Vermont to reinstate an employee the agency said was wrongfully terminated. The company was ordered to pay more than $145,000 in back wages, damages, and the employee’s attorney’s fees.
- The employee reported Champlain Valley to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation after observing the company pumping wastewater from its service bays at its Berlin, Vt., facility onto ground adjacent to the Winooski River.
- The employee also notified the supervisors at Champlain Valley of the situation and was terminated.
- The employee filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA, which determined that Champlain Valley violated provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
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OSHA on the scene after explosion
- OSHA opened an investigation against the Archer Daniels Midland Company following an explosion at an Illinois site.
- The explosion happened at the East Plant at ADM’s processing complex in Decatur sent smoke billowing into the air and shook neighboring homes.
- Eight people were injured in the blast, and the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.
- The East plant produces soybean oil and white flake for soybean protein production and is inoperative.
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Worker injured at Jersey City construction site
- A worker at a high-rise construction site in Jersey City where multiple complaints have been registered was seriously injured.
- The accident occurred at 425 Summit Ave., a 26-story residential building near Sip Avenue in Journal Square.
- OSHA said the victim, who is employed by L&W Supply, was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center after suffering a head injury.
- The man was removed from the site and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
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White House looking at mine safety rule
- The White House is reviewing a final rule that could help prevent miners from getting struck by trucks and other vehicles at mines.
- The rule from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration would require mine operators to establish a written safety program for mobile equipment, trucks, and other powered haulage equipment used at surface mines and outdoor areas of underground mines.
- The review by the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs allows industry and worker groups to weigh in before the final rule is issued.
- No date has been set for the rule to be finalized.
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