OSHA has cited Dollar Tree Stores at four Idaho locations for exposing employees to unsafe storage of merchandise, and blocked walkways and exit routes. The company faces $898,682 in proposed penalties. OSHA inspectors initially responded to a complaint alleging that a Dollar Tree store in Boise was exposing employees to unstable stacks and piles of boxes in the store’s stockroom.

Safety advocates warn that a final rule published last week by the USDA will endanger workers who already suffer some of the highest rates of occupational injury and illness in the country. The “Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection” rule promulgated by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) lifts speed restrictions from hog slaughter inspection lines.

The recent deaths of employees during construction projects may cost three New York contractors their special rigger licenses – if the city’s Buildings Department’s prevails in its effort to revoke them. The special rigger licenses of Wayne Bellet of Bellet Construction and Mohammad Bhutta of Zain Contracting were suspended following the June death of 44-year-old Carlos Olmedo Lala, who plunged from the second level of scaffolding at a Harlem job site.

A controversial rule issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase line speeds and reduce government inspections at U.S. hog slaughterhouses will lead to increased workplace injuries and a greater risk of foodborne illness, says the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH).

“If we don’t take action now, these families in Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alabama, Colorado, North Dakota and New Mexico will begin receiving health care termination notices at the end of October. Without congressional action to keep this from happening, they will spend their holiday season worrying about whether or not they will have to choose between their life-saving medications and putting food on the table."

It’s probably something you don’t want to think about when you board a plane: whether or not the aircraft you’re traveling in is mechanically sound. The Federal Aviation Administration has leveled a half million dollar fine against a company it said deliberately falsified documents attesting to the airworthiness of the ball bearings it was selling.

A fatal fall was among the OSHA enforcement cases finalized over the past few days – violations that show a persistent failure among some construction industry employers to address fall hazards. Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in construction. In Dayton, Ohio, a company that has been cited for fall protection violations five times since 2014 was cited once again.

OSHA reveals the most-cited safety and health violations of the year, research links flavored e-cigarettes to the youth vaping epidemic and the NSC announces plans to issue an opioid help kit for employers. These were among the top occupational safety and health stories featured this week on ISHN.com.

As companies continue their ongoing efforts to improve employee safety and compliance with government regulations, many have turned to the free educational events hosted by J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. for assistance. “During the first three quarters of 2019, we’ve hosted nearly 80 events,” said Tom Reader, senior director of marketing at J.J. Keller. “And during the fourth quarter of this year we have another 23 events planned.”