Safety Updates

For new proof of the importance of adequately communicating important safety information from one shift to the next, consider the plight now faced by Kenneth Sandel, unit operations leader for the insecticide business unit at the La Porte, TX, …

Continue Reading about Manager pleads guilty to criminal charges over chemical release

For new proof of the importance of paying attention to crew members when they raise concerns about workplace safety, consider the plight now faced by Jiaxi Liu, owner of WSC Group, and company foreman Wilson Garcia. The two men were just found …

Continue Reading about Jail time for managers who ignored warnings about unsafe job site

Safety insight: If you have to change your crew’s job assignment at the last minute, be sure to consider the safety implications of the job switch and double-check that all equipment needed for the new task is in good working order. What happened: …

Continue Reading about Did boss intend to kill man who tumbled to his death?

One boss just found out the hard way that it’s never a good idea to gamble with the safety of crew members. Dennis Botticello, 67, owner of Botticello, Inc., Manchester, CT, has been arrested and charged with manslaughter for his role in the death …

Continue Reading about Bad bet: Manager who took a risk on safety charged with a crime

It’s important to make sure forklift truck operators never drive their vehicles in reverse without looking in their direction of travel – it’s just too dangerous to blindly move in reverse. Such advice comes too late for supervisors with KJ Tile, …

Continue Reading about Forklift driver thought it was OK to not look in direction of travel

Summary;Two supervisors who ignored repeated warnings about an unsafe excavation were found criminally liable for their roles in the death of a worker who was buried under 15,000 pounds of dirt. The incident:Even though the New York City Department …

Continue Reading about Jail time for two bosses who disregarded safety warnings