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Safety Matters

January 23, 2020

OSHA Penalties Increase

Civil penalty amounts within the Department of Labor, including those issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), have increased as of January 15, 2020. The penalties must be adjusted annually to account for inflation. The table below shows the new maximum penalties for OSHA.

Type of ViolationNew Maximum
  • Serious
  • Other-Than-Serious
  • Posting Requirements
$13,494 per violation
Willful or Repeated

$134,937 per violation

Failure to Abate$13,494 per day
beyond the abatement date

Accidents in the News

Through December 31

Modesto, CA – A 52-year-old city employee driving a garbage truck swerved off the road, striking a cement planter and hitting a tree. The driver died in the collision. MORE

McDavitt Township, MN – A 40-year-old driver working for a small private hauler was killed in a collision with a freight train. MORE

Newport, NC – A minivan driver was killed and passenger injured when their vehicle collided with a private sector garbage truck at an intersection. MORE

Seattle, WA – A vehicle that was allegedly stolen was trying to evade police when it crashed into a private sector garbage truck stopped for collection, killing the passenger in the vehicle. MORE

Winston-Salem, NC – A 27-year-old died after crashing into the back of a city garbage truck that was stopped for collection. MORE

New York City, NY – At around 4:40 am a private sector flat-bed truck struck and killed a pedestrian that was walking against the traffic signal and outside of the crosswalk. MORE

Safety at SWANApalooza

This year’s SWANApalooza program includes several great safety sessions in addition to all of the quality technical sessions you have come to expect. On Tuesday, March 24, Jeff Phillips of Barker Lemar Engineering Consultants will explain why “Calling 911 Is Not a Landfill Fire Mitigation Plan” and Dr. Ben Hoffman, former Chief Medical Officer at Waste Management and Chair of the US DOT-FMCSA Medical Review Board, explores the relationship between health risks, injuries and crash risk in the waste industry. Then on Wednesday, March 25, we welcome OSHA Region 4 Administrator Kurt Petermeyer who will describe how OSHA, NWRA and SWANA members can work together to improve the industry’s safety record through their new National Alliance. This will be followed by a session in which Charles Clarke of Covanta will discuss “Using Behavior Safety to Move Beyond Zero.”

Don’t miss out on these and many more great educational and networking opportunities in Atlanta, Georgia, March 23 – 26, 2020. Register by February 7 for special Early Bird rates.

Upcoming Safety Events

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