Lawsuit settled, film may resume after Alec Baldwin shooting
October 5, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of a cinematographer shot and killed by Alec Baldwin on the set of the film “Rust” has agreed to settle a lawsuit against the actor and the movie’s producers, and producers aim to restart the project in January despite unresolved workplace safety sanctions.
OSHA proposes heavy fines in Boston demolition worker death
September 27, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Federal workplace safety regulators have proposed fining a subcontractor nearly $1.2 million in connection with the death of a worker during the demolition of a downtown Boston parking garage.
Oregon State Hospital issued $54K workplace safety fine
September 22, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon State Hospital is facing a $54,000 fine for failing to investigate workplace injuries.
Arizona restauranteur wins fight with state over youth labor
June 17, 2022 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Carolyn Redendo's restaurant is just 900 square feet, and the kitchen where she turns out Puerto Rican, Cuban and other Latin food is tiny.
The young teenagers she's hired for years to work as hostesses in her Sofrita restaurant in the small northeast Phoenix suburb of Fountain Hills sometimes bus tables and have to drop off the dishes in the kitchen.
Workers’ advocates turned away at Dollar General meeting
May 26, 2022 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A civil rights advocate says he and two Dollar General store workers were denied access to the company's shareholder meeting Wednesday in Tennessee where they had been outside protesting for better pay and workplace safety improvements.
Companies fined $1.75m in worker death at Bay Area refinery
May 20, 2022 GMTBENICIA, Calif. (AP) — California workplace safety regulators fined a San Francisco Bay Area refinery and three contractor companies more than $1.75 million for safety violations in the death of a worker who suffocated while trying to clean a well, officials said Thursday.
Film producers defend safety in Alec Baldwin shooting
May 11, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A film production company is contesting sanctions by New Mexico officials for alleged workplace safety violations on the set of “Rust,” where actor and producer Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer in October, according to filings posted Wednesday by state regulators.
US agency mulls yanking Arizona’s work safety oversight
April 20, 2022 GMTPHOENIX (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.
New Mexico fines film company over Alec Baldwin shooting
April 20, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico workplace safety regulators on Wednesday issued the maximum possible fine of nearly $137,000 against a film production company for firearms safety failures on the set of “Rust” where actor and producer Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer in October.
Amazon, OSHA promise review after tornado wrecks warehouse
December 14, 2021 GMTEDWARDSVILLE, Il. (AP) — The federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration said Monday it has opened an investigation into the collapse of an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, after it was struck by a tornado on Friday, leaving six people dead and another hospitalized.
Judge OKs regulators’ subpoena for ‘Rust’ assistant director
December 11, 2021 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The assistant director who handed Alec Baldwin a prop gun that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set must make himself available for an interview with state workplace safety regulators, a judge has decided.
OSHA, South Dakota pork plant settle coronavirus complaint
November 16, 2021 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Federal workplace safety regulators announced Monday that they have reached an agreement with Smithfield Foods to settle a contested citation of the company’s coronavirus safety measures during a massive outbreak last year at a South Dakota pork processing plant.
Whitmer vetoes ban on fining employers for COVID violations
November 12, 2021 GMTLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday vetoed a bill that would prohibit Michigan's workplace safety agency from fining employers for first-time violations of COVID-19 rules and require reimbursements if they violated her 2020 executive orders that were later declared unconstitutional.
Whistleblowers to play key role in enforcing vaccine mandate
November 9, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — To enforce President Joe Biden’s forthcoming COVID-19 mandate, the U.S. Labor Department is going to need a lot of help. Its Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t have nearly enough workplace safety inspectors to do the job.
Biden vax-test mandate covers government workers in Michigan
November 9, 2021 GMTLANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Biden administration's requirement that many private-sector workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or, if their employers allow it, get tested weekly also applies to many of the roughly 586,000 government employees in Michigan.
GOP state officials push back on employer vaccine mandate
November 5, 2021 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Republican state officials reacted with swift rebukes Thursday to President Joe Biden's newly detailed mandate for private employers to require workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, threatening a wave of lawsuits and other actions to thwart a requirement they see as a stark example of government overreach.
States mostly defer to union guidance for on-set gun safety
October 29, 2021 GMTSafety standards developed by film studios and labor unions are the primary protection for actors and film crews when a scene calls for using prop guns. The industry-wide guidance is clear: “Blanks can kill.
Federal officials investigate fatal bridge demolition
October 21, 2021 GMTCOVINGTON, Ga. (AP) — Federal workplace safety officials are investigating a bridge demolition accident in Georgia that injured two workers and killed one man who relatives described as a loving father.
Officials: Tennessee can’t drop COVID rule despite GOP push
October 20, 2021 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee labor officials say they are unable to reject a federal rule designed to protect health care workers from COVID-19 despite receiving stern instructions earlier this week from Republican lawmakers to do so.
US Labor Department warns 3 GOP states over COVID rules
October 20, 2021 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — The Biden administration threatened Tuesday to revoke the authority for three Republican-controlled states to handle their own workplace safety enforcement because they have refused to adopt rules to protect health care workers from COVID-19.
Employee death at California winery under investigation
October 14, 2021 GMTHEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — State workplace safety officials are investigating the death of a worker at a Northern California winery who was found unresponsive near a fermentation tank, authorities said Thursday.
UNH, tree care group get safety workplace safety grants
October 2, 2021 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The University of New Hampshire and a tree care association have received grants from the U.S. Department of Labor to educate workers and employers on workplace safety and health.
Fines appealed after nitrogen kills 6 at Georgia plant
August 28, 2021 GMTGAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Three of four companies are appealing federal workplace safety fines following a January liquid nitrogen leak that killed six workers at a Georgia poultry processing plant.
OSHA proposes $1.3M in penalties over worker deaths
August 18, 2021 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Federal workplace safety regulators on Wednesday proposed $1.3 million in penalties for the construction company that employed two men who died when they were struck by a dump truck and pushed into a 9-foot (2.75-meter) deep trench at a sewer project in Boston in February.
Washington farm to pay more than $2M following COVID deaths
August 4, 2021 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The state of Washington has reached a settlement with Gebbers Farms Operations, LP to spend more than $2 million improving housing, quality of life, safety and access to health care for farm employees and their families.
$1M in fines after nitrogen kills 6 at Georgia poultry plant
July 23, 2021 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Federal workplace safety officials are proposing nearly $1 million in fines against four companies following a January liquid nitrogen leak that killed six workers at a Georgia poultry processing plant.
Farm where worker died earlier cited for safety violations
July 2, 2021 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A farm and a labor contractor under investigation by Oregon’s workplace safety agency after the death of a farmworker Saturday were both previously cited for workplace violations.
Michigan ends workplace COVID-19 rules except in health care
June 22, 2021 GMTLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer scaled back COVID-19 workplace safety rules on Tuesday, keeping mask and other requirements only in health care settings.
The change coincided with the lifting of broad indoor capacity restrictions and face covering mandates that had been in place for 15 months.
Iowa Senate official warned of payback over COVID-19 inquiry
June 11, 2021 GMTIOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The top administrator in the Republican-controlled Iowa Senate threatened retribution against a GOP appointee who oversees workplace safety after inspectors said they would make public their concerns about COVID-19 hazards at the Capitol, records show.
Labor negotiations escalate at South Dakota pork plant
June 4, 2021 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — In a sign of meatpacking workers becoming emboldened by the pandemic's health threats and economic repercussions, the union at a South Dakota pork processing plant that experienced a bad coronavirus outbreak last year has overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer from Smithfield Foods and will next move to bring the prospect of a strike to the negotiating table.
Michigan loosens COVID-19 workplace mask, distancing rules
May 24, 2021 GMTLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday loosened COVID-19 workplace safety rules so fully vaccinated employees can go without a mask and disregard distancing requirements.
California weighing issues around new CDC masking guidelines
May 14, 2021 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's governor said Friday that his office is weighing issues of enforcement and workplace safety in considering whether and when to adopt the latest federal guidelines around masking.
NY to set workplace safety standards for airborne diseases
May 12, 2021 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — State regulators in New York will soon draft rules that will require employers to protect workers from airborne infectious disease.
A new state law tasks state labor and health officials with coming up with minimum workplace standards around things like the availability of personal protective equipment, social distancing and quarantine requirements...
Union leaders decry Indiana’s high rate of worker deaths
May 9, 2021 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana labor union leaders are calling for improved workplace safety enforcement with the state’s rate of deaths while working about one-third higher than the national average....
Top regulator warns of COVID-19 hazards inside Iowa Capitol
April 19, 2021 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A top workplace safety regulator warned the Republican leaders of the Iowa Legislature that conditions inside the state Capitol are hazardous and may be exposing workers to the coronavirus, according to documents released Monday...
Protesters gather at regulator’s home over COVID-19 gym fine
November 30, 2020 GMTSILVERTON, Ore. (AP) — About 50 protesters converged on the Silverton, Oregon, home of a state workplace safety regulator to protest a large fine levied against a Salem gym owner.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Silverton Police Chief Jim Anglemier identified the protestors who gathered Sunday afternoon as members and affiliates of Patriot Prayer, the conservative group founded by Joey Gibson.
Food plant cited for failing to protect workers from virus
September 10, 2020 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s workplace safety regulator has cited a frozen food manufacturer and its temporary employment agency for failing to protect hundreds of employees from the coronavirus at two Los Angeles area plants...
Congressman says he wants answers about Iowa plant outbreak
July 24, 2020 GMTIOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack said Friday that he's “deeply concerned” about an Associated Press report that showed the first known coronavirus outbreak at an Iowa meatpacking plant was far more severe than the state publicly acknowledged...
Virginia first state to adopt COVID-19 worker safety rules
July 15, 2020 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia officials on Wednesday passed temporary new workplace safety rules designed to protect employees from IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa regulators say they found no workplace safety violations at Tyson Foods' largest pork processing plant, which employed several people who died after contracting the coronavirus...Iowa finds no violations at Tyson plant with deadly outbreak
June 24, 2020 GMT
Court backs Trump administration on virus safety at work
June 12, 2020 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration does not have to issue an emergency rule requiring employers to protect workers from the coronavirus, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday...
OSHA cites nursing home for delayed coronavirus reporting
May 29, 2020 GMTSAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The federal agency that oversees workplace safety said Friday that it had issued its first citation in the U...
Official: Injury claims could rise with recreational pot
February 4, 2020 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota could see a rise in workers' compensation claims if marijuana is legalized, the state's workplace safety agency told lawmakers Tuesday...
Maintenance worker dies at Italy’s Sevel plant
January 4, 2020 GMTROME (AP) — Union leaders denounced Saturday safety conditions at an automotive plant operated by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group following the death of a maintenance worker...
Safety violations found after attacks at Iowa psych hospital
November 11, 2019 GMTIOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Regulators have recommended a nearly $73,000 fine against the Iowa Department of Human Services after finding serious workplace safety violations at a state-run psychiatric hospital where several employees have been assaulted by combative patients...
Details of ‘Deadpool 2’ stuntwoman’s death released
August 18, 2017 GMTVANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — British Columbia's workplace safety agency has released the first official account of a "Deadpool 2" stuntwoman's death...
Questions and answers about workplace explosions
June 3, 2017 GMTSome questions and answers about workplace explosions:
Q: How often are people killed in workplace fires or explosions?
A: From 2011 to 2015, Wisconsin workplace fires or explosions killed 104 workers, including 10 in farm, fishing or forestry occupations.
Explosion at Army ammunition plant in Missouri kills 1
April 12, 2017 GMTKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An explosion Tuesday at a sprawling ammunition plant near Kansas City, Missouri, killed one worker and injured four others, the U...
Tuna company’s ex-safety manager guilty in worker oven death
August 12, 2015 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A former safety manager at a Bumble Bee Foods seafood plant has pleaded guilty in the death of a worker who was cooked with tons of tuna.
Saul Florez was sentenced to probation and fined $5,000 after pleading guilty Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court on a charge of violating a workplace safety rule that caused a death.
Newmont settles suit in 2011 death at Nevada gold mine
March 1, 2015 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — A lawyer for the Utah family of a contract worker at a Nevada gold mine that paid more than $100,000 in U.S. safety fines after he was killed there in 2011 says they've settled a wrongful death suit with Newmont USA, subject to a judge's final approval.