Sea World of Florida, which operates as SeaWorld Orlando, has been cited by OSHA for a general violation the agency says led to a trainer being injured while working with a killer whale. OSHA proposed a $16,550 fine for SeaWorld because “The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.” On Sept. 24, the trainer and whale were going through desensitization training, which is designed to relax the...

The Altadena sheriff’s station narrowly avoided destruction in the Eaton Fire, though heat and flames ate away at the California flag above the building. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Citing airborne contaminants and a lack of running water, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shut down the Altadena sheriff’s station Thursday in the aftermath of the Eaton fire. A day earlier, sheriff’s officials sent an urgent message out to patrol cars, saying the air had become so toxic after days of wildfires that deputies should wear masks on the job and...

SAN MATEO, CA — The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating a San Mateo construction trench collapse that sent a worker to a hospital Thursday. The worker, a man in his 30s, was in stable condition with injuries not considered life-threatening, according to San Mateo police. A Cal/OSHA spokesperson said the cause of the collapse was still under investigation. The man, employed by a private company, was working on a sewer line at a home in the 300 block of West 41st Avenue when the trench collapsed,...

NEW BRITAIN — Stanley Black & Decker is contesting citations brought by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that allege safety lapses by the Connecticut-based manufacturer caused an employee to suffer severe burns. The federal agency fined the business more than $220,000 in May after investigators determined a company facility in Ohio lacked safe work practices and training for electrical workers, according to a news release at the time.

Nationwide chain Dollar General will pay $12 million to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to resolve alleged offenses at its more than 19,000 stores. The violations included allegations of “blocked emergency exits, blocked electrical panels, blocked fire extinguishers and unsafe storage,” the Department of Labor said. Dollar General has racked up more than $21 million in fines since 2017 over obstructed exits and cluttered aisles, according to CNBC.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - FOX5 is learning that a casino hotel off the Las Vegas Strip is dealing with air conditioning problems. Nevada OSHA says they have received complaints from workers at the OYO Hotel & Casino about a lack of A/C. FOX5 crews were on the casino floor Tuesday afternoon. They reported the hotel had several big swamp cooler-type fans running through the casino floor. Our team also couldn’t feel anything coming out of the vents. Smaller fans were seen near the front desk employees. We reached out...

YOUNGSTOWN — With the demolition of Realty Tower, the downtown building heavily damaged in a May 28 gas explosion, expected to start shortly, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration wants to make sure those entering or near the structure are safe. OSHA representatives met Wednesday with city officials, the owner of the building, the company that will do the demolition, the National Transportation Safety Board and an attorney representing the family of Akil Drake, who died in the blast. “OSHA wanted to make sure that stabilization, demolition, whatever, won’t affect...

Allied Powder Coating was issued fines totaling more than $338,000 for failing to protect workers from overexposures to dust as well as toxic chemicals such as arsenic, beryllium and lead, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. A Houston company that makes powder coatings for outdoor furniture, metals and other materials has been issued fines totaling more than $338,000 for exposing its employees to health and safety hazards that could cause birth defects, cancers and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Just one year after the state banned local rules mandating water breaks for construction workers, Washington is moving toward establishing federal guidelines to protect workers from the heat. It's an action that could save dozens of lives on the job site this summer. Weather continues to be dangerously hot and humid for all of Central Texas. And for people working in the heat, that just makes their job more dangerous. That's why the feds have been working on new potentially life-saving guidelines to protect workers from the heat. The old...