A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found that Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc., a Massachusetts-based environmental and hazardous waste management service provider, failed to properly ventilate a confined space containing organic chemical residue at a customer’s facility in Twinsburg, Ohio, resulting in a worker fatality.OSHA determined the employer failed to implement legally mandated permit-required space entry requirements. Specifically, OSHA found that the employer failed to ventilate, test the environment and use non-entry rescue equipment, including a tripod, mechanical winch, and full-body retrieval harness.
OSHA cited Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. for violations including three willful and proposed $602,938 in penalties.
Employers can visit OSHA’s website for information about confined space entry safety requirements, and contact the agency for information about OSHA’s compliance assistance resources and for free help complying with OSHA standards.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) recently launched an investigation into two releases of nitrogen oxide gas at facilities owned by Austin Powder, a provider of products and services to the mining industry. No injuries were reported in either incident.According to Austin Powder, on Nov. 24, 2024, the first release resulted from a malfunction during startup at the company’s nitric acid plant in Greene County, Tennessee. The company attributes the second incident, which occurred June 11, 2025, at a facility in Vinton County, Ohio, to an “unanticipated chemical reaction” in a storage tank containing nitric acid, forming a large plume of nitrogen oxide gas. Local officials evacuated residents within a three-mile radius around the facility as well as hundreds of residents in nearby Zaleski, Ohio. Media reports indicate that the Federal Aviation Administration also temporarily restricted flights surrounding the facility.
“We are concerned that incidents involving nitric acid have occurred at two facilities owned by Austin Powder in less than seven months,” said CSB Chairperson Steve Owens. “While fortunately no one was injured in either incident, we want to ensure that they do not continue to happen.”
CSB also provided a new update on its investigation of the November 2024 explosion at Givaudan Sense Colour in Louisville, Kentucky, which injured five workers, two fatally, and damaged nearby homes and businesses. Operators at the facility were directed to adjust pressure and temperature setpoints in a batch reactor, leading to excessive pressure that ruptured the vessel. According to CSB, testing confirmed that the materials in the reactor could have led to a runaway reaction and explosion even under normal operating limits. The agency’s investigation of the incident is ongoing.
More information about the Austin Powder and Givaudan Sense Colour investigations is available from the CSB website.
The U.S. Department of Labor and a Newark roofing contractor have reached a settlement agreement resolving litigation stemming from investigations last summer that found the employer repeatedly exposed workers to fall and safety hazards at two worksites.OSHA initially investigated RRC Home Improvement, Inc. in June 2024 at a worksite in Dover, New Jersey after receiving reports of employees working on a roof without fall protection. In July 2024, investigations began at RRC worksites in Lodi as part of the agency's National Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction. Inspectors again observed employees working without required fall protection. OSHA also uncovered violations involving lack of hard hats, eye protection, and fire extinguishers, as well as non-compliant pump jack scaffold poles and unsafe ladder use.
The settlement agreement between OSHA and RRC Home Improvement affirms the citations issued after the 2024 inspections, which included four willful and seven serious violations. The company also agreed to pay a $155,000 penalty.
As part of the settlement, the company agreed to implement enhanced abatement measures, including reporting all jobsites to OSHA before commencing work and providing OSHA with a written site-specific fall protection plan for the worksite, including certification that all employees have completed a fall protection training course.
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced several programs designed to help employers, unions, and pension plans voluntarily assess and improve their compliance with federal labor laws.The self-audit programs, which include new and updated offerings, aim to enhance worker protections while reducing the likelihood of formal investigation or litigation.
"Self-audits are one of the most effective ways to build a culture of compliance and trust," said Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. "These programs are designed to give employers, unions, and benefit plan officials the tools they need to correct potential violations proactively. By empowering the regulated community with clarity and collaboration, we are continuing to fulfill the Department of Labor's mission to put both workers and employers first."
The following agencies offer self-audit programs:
- Employee Benefits Security Administration: EBSA offers two key self-correction programs for fiduciaries and benefits plan administrators: the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program, which encourages employers and plan officials to voluntarily correct violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and the Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program, which encourages voluntary compliance with ERISA’s annual reporting requirements and offers incentives to late filers, including paying lower penalties.
- Mine Safety and Health Administration: MSHA’s new Compliance Assistance in Safety and Health program features resources available to mining operations via an information hub on the MSHA.gov website. This hub provides links to a variety of safety and health topics to assist mining operations and provides direct contact to safety and health specialists to address their needs related to compliance assistance.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration: OSHA is expanding its Voluntary Protection Programs to meet businesses where they are on their safety journey to help develop strong safety programs and lower injury rates, allowing them to undergo regular self-evaluations and avoid routine inspections. OSHA is increasing its efforts to support voluntary compliance through its On-Site Consultation Program, which offers no-cost and confidential safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses.
- Office of Labor-Management Standards: OLMS administers the Voluntary Compliance Partnership program to help unions assess their compliance with the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. The program focuses on key areas such as reporting and disclosure requirements, as well as financial integrity.
- Veterans’ Employment and Training Service: VETS has launched a new program, SALUTE: Support and Assistance for Leaders in USERRA Training and Employment, to help employers proactively review their policies and practices under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The program aims to foster good-faith compliance and ensure the employment rights of service members are respected.
- Wage and Hour Division: The Wage and Hour Division is restarting the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program to enable employers to self-identify and resolve minimum wage, overtime, and leave violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act.
Visitors can access resources, toolkits, and program-specific guidance at dol.gov/SelfAudit.
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