OSHA Website Resumes Reporting Violators and Citations

From Jan. 18 until just this past week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website turned strangely silent on announcing results of its investigations, sticking to a few mundane press releases about partnerships and a delay in the beryllium standard. Then on April 12, a press release was posted announcing the agency had cited the Atlantic Drain Service Co. Inc. for 18 violations associated with a fatal trench collapse, proposing $1,475,813 in penalties. Under the Obama administration, a press release was generally issued whenever a fine totaled $40,000 or more, according to Jordan Barab, an assistant OSHA director during the Obama years. On a blog he maintains, Barab says there have been at least 200 citations with fines of $40,000 since Jan. 18.