workplace safety News

Washington Seafood Processing Plant Fined $56K Following COVID Death

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A seafood processing plant has been fined $56,000 in connection with a 2021 COVID outbreak that left one employee dead. The Department of Labor and Industries announced the fine against Shining Ocean Inc. on Monday, Northwest …

Amazon Warehouse Collapse Probe Finds Worker Safety Risks

U.S. regulators are calling on Amazon to improve its procedures for dealing with severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes that could threaten workers at its warehouses dotted across the country. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday sent a …

Federal OSHA Mulls Yanking Arizona’s Work Safety Oversight

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona may lose the authority to oversee its own workplace safety program because of a pattern of ignoring federal directives involving COVID-19 protection, employer penalties and other issues, the Biden administration said Wednesday. The U.S. Department of …

Congress Seeks Amazon’s Labor-Practice Records After Tornado That Killed Six

A Congressional committee wants Amazon.com Inc. to share details about its labor practices during extreme weather events, following a tornado that killed six employees in December when it ripped through an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois. The letter from the …

Body of Missing Coal Miner Found After Roof Collapse

HARLAN, Ky. (AP) — Crews have recovered the body of a Kentucky coal miner missing after a roof collapsed deep underground, officials said. INMET Mining CEO Hunter Hobson told WYMT-TV on Monday night that it was with “deepest sorrow” that …

USPS: Investigation Still Open After Worker Lost Arm

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service is continuing to investigate an accident at a North Carolina distribution center in September that caused an employee to lose an arm after touching a machine, the federal agency said Monday. The …

Assault at Job Covered by Workers’ Comp, Mississippi Supreme Court Rules

A man gets assaulted at work by two co-workers. Is the man’s recourse for his injuries limited only to the exclusive remedy of the workers’ compensation system? The Mississippi Supreme Court this month said, “yes,” despite the employee’s claims of …

Claim For Fatal Heat Stroke Barred by Missouri Ruling on Co-Employee Lawsuits

Tyler Scott Halsey worked himself to death trimming trees in 96-degree heat, his parents say. They alleged in a lawsuit against his employer, Townsend Tree Service, that his supervisor did not offer enough water or rest breaks and disabled the …

Cadmium Spiked at Lead Factory, Workers Didn’t Get Help

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — In June 2014, an air monitor strapped to a worker inside a Tampa lead factory picked up an unmistakable red flag. The level of cadmium, a toxic metal known to cause cancer, had soared to more …

California Governor Signs Legislation to Protect Warehouse Workers

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed a bill that limits warehouse employers like Amazon.com Inc from setting productivity quotas, the first legislation of its kind in the United States. The new provisions require all companies using warehouse labor to …