Safety in the News: January 2019

Roof Stunt With "Epic Sax Gorilla" Costs Minor League Baseball Team Thousands of Dollars in Fines (Deadspin)
This past June, the Tacoma Rainiers brought reindeer mascot Rhubarb and local icon “Epic Sax Gorilla” up onto the roof of Cheney Stadium, where the Triple-A club plays, for a routine crowd-pleasing stunt.

OSHA Announces New Cooperative Arrangements (Safety.BLR.com)
OSHA announced that the agency’s Region 3 office and Turner Construction Company have established a strategic partnership to promote workplace safety for a building project at UPMC Hamot hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania.

When Shutdown Ends, OSHA Penalties Will Increase (EHS Daily Advisor)
The new levels will take effect when the Final Rule is published in the Federal Register, which will not occur until the partial government shutdown ends.

What's That Buzzing Overhead? It's an OSHA Drone (CATO Institute)
“Your friendly neighborhood OSHA inspector is now authorized by the Labor Department ‘to use camera-carrying drones as part of their inspections of outdoor workplaces.’”

OSHA Provides Compliance Assistance Resources to Protect Workers from Falls (EC&M)
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed a collection of compliance assistance resources to address falls in the workplace, the leading cause of worker fatality in the construction industry.

OSHA Cites Contractor in NYC Mini-Crane Accident, Proposes $155k Fine (ConstructionDive)
The case may serve as an example for contractors that the line between OSHA and criminal investigations can sometimes become blurred.

What to Expect in Workplace Safety in 2019? (JD Supra)
As the calendar pages turn over to a new year, many wonder what to expect from workplace safety and its regulators in 2019. Here’s our run-down of 8 key areas where we expect to see action in the months ahead.