The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has hit Schwan's Global Supply Chain Inc. with $185,700 in fines for safety and health violations at its Atlanta plant. Two other companies that supply maintenance and staffing to Schwan's, Cimco Refrigeration Inc. and Adecco USA Inc., were also fined. Together the fines for violations that put workers at the plant in harm's way total $264,360. Schwan's, a Minnesota-based company that employees 14,000 people nationwide, makes frozen foods under a several brand names including Red Baron pizza and Mrs. Smith's desserts. The 494 workers at the Atlanta facility produce dough, cookies and pie crusts. OSHA inspectors found that workers at the plant were not properly trained in safe work practices for ammonia … [Read more...]
Whistleblowers Can File OSHA Complaints Online
Whistleblowers have long been recognized as a check on corporations. In fact, whistleblowers are protected through the Department of Labor under Whistleblower Protection Programs. Any employee who reports a violation of workplace safety, food safety, or other problems cannot be fired, blacklisted, demoted, disciplined, or otherwise retaliated against by the corporation. Now whistleblowers can file OSHA complaints online. OSHA does handle food safety complaints. Abatement requirements were put in place after a March 1999 food poisoning outbreak among garment workers who had eaten at the company cafeteria. Those requirements help ensure that food purchased for distribution to employees if free of harmful chemical and biological contamination, that food served to employees is stored and … [Read more...]
OSHA Sues Whole Foods Market for Firing Whistleblower
Ever since the movies “Norma Rae” and “Erin Brockovitch”, whistle-blowers have been in the public consciousness. Although there are laws in place to keep corporations on the straight and narrow when dealing with the public and developing consumer products, the government can’t be all places all the time. Whistle-blowers have played an important part in revealing problems in corporate America and helping protect consumers. … [Read more...]
