Occupational Safety and Health Administration News

OSHA Inspector Called Ahead of Meat Plant Visit, to Be Safe

A federal safety inspector tipped off a coronavirus-tainted Pennsylvania meatpacking plant before visiting the next day — then failed to issue a citation, according to testimony in a lawsuit accusing the agency of failing to do its job. The inspector …

Outbreak at Iowa Pork Plant Was Larger Than State Reported

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The first confirmed coronavirus outbreak at an Iowa meatpacking plant was far more severe than previously known, with more than twice as many workers becoming infected than the state Department of Public Health told the public, …

U.S. Issues First Coronavirus Workplace Guidance to Nursing Homes

The U.S. Department of Labor issued its first workplace guidance to nursing homes on Thursday since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country and ravaged care facilities, saying residents, staff and visitors should keep 6 feet (1.83 meters) apart. The alert …

Senators, Business and Labor Feel Their Way on Virus Liability

Congressional Republicans have made liability protection for employers a nonnegotiable demand in any new coronavirus stimulus, but Senator Lindsey Graham, an ally of President Donald Trump, says that regulators have a role to play in the workplace. The government must …

U.S. Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Worker Safety at Smithfield Pork Plant

A U.S. federal judge has dismissed a worker advocacy group’s lawsuit accusing Smithfield Foods Inc, the world’s largest pork processor, of failing to adequately protect employees from the novel coronavirus at a plant in Missouri. Smithfield is already taking many …

U.S. Labor Secretary Defends Workplace Safety Record During Pandemic

U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia on Thursday defended his department’s handling of workplace safety during the coronavirus pandemic, saying “the cop is on the beat” in response to union criticism about a lack of directives to protect workers. In a …

Consumer Groups Urge Lawmakers Against Shielding Businesses From Coronavirus-Related Lawsuits

U.S. consumer advocates are urging Congress to resist growing demands by companies for protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits as states start to ease pandemic restrictions and businesses begin to reopen. Led by Public Citizen and the Center for Justice and Democracy, …

OSHA Cites Companies in Deadly New Orleans Hotel Collapse

A federal agency has issued citations against a dozen companies in connection with last fall’s deadly partial collapse of a hotel under construction in New Orleans. They include an engineering firm charged with a “willful” violation involving the design and …

FDA to Hold Public Meeting on Testing for Asbestos In Talc

SILVER SPRING, Md., — For the first time in nearly 50 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will examine asbestos testing for talc powders and cosmetics at a hearing on Tuesday. Regulators are taking a closer look after finding …

Idaho Supreme Court Sides with Family of Worker Killed

The Idaho Supreme Court on Friday issued a ruling allowing the family of a Caldwell worker who died on the job to sue the employer for wrongful death. Generally workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy for employees who are killed …