Fines/Penalties

Washington – Nearly 30 percent of employers that rank among the top violators of federal wage and safety laws receive federal contracts, according to a report issued Dec. 11 by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee after a yearlong investigation.

Should workers who violate safety regulations face fines? Several Canadian provinces have implemented penalty systems that allow workers and front-line supervisors to be cited. Should OSHA do the same, or does the responsibility for a safe workplace rest solely with the employer?

West, TX – The parent company of a fertilizer storage facility has been issued $118,300 in proposed OSHA penalties for violations in connection with an April explosion that killed 15 people in West, TX.

Washington – A Sept. 24 proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration would prohibit hazardous materials carriers and associated companies from further operations if they do not pay civil penalties for violations within 90 days.

Springfield, IL – Assaulting a nurse in Illinois will be classified as aggravated battery – a third-degree felony carrying a prison sentence of two to five years – under legislation signed into law Aug. 16.

Edmonton, Alberta – Employees in the Canadian province of Alberta will soon face monetary penalties if found in violation of occupational safety and health rules.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has updated the software it uses to calculate civil penalties for safety violations.

Halifax, Nova Scotia – More than three years after Nova Scotia created a system to issue penalties to employers, supervisors and employees for workplace safety violations, the Canadian province has proposed revisions after receiving complaints that the system is unfair.