Beacon Power has begun construction of a $53 million electricity processing plant in the Humboldt Industrial Park North. According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, the plant will use flywheel energy storage technology that will cost less because it uses less energy to stabilize the electrical grid. This could save…
This week, American Express announced that it would be cutting 5,400 jobs to reduce its headcount, according to an article on CCNMoney.com. Most of the jobs that are cut will be from its travel business. By year’s end, the company’s workforce should be reduced by 4% to 6%. In the…
All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are not just for fun anymore; they are being used more and more in work environments. They are becoming important tools for: Mineral and oil exploration Surveying Law enforcement Farming Tourism And like any tool, proper use and maintenance is required to avoid injury and even fatalities.…
In late summer 2011, we blogged about an incident at a Hershey Co. distribution center in Palmyra, when a large group of foreign exchange students walked off their jobs for being overworked and underpaid. Over a year later, their protest paid off: in later 2012, federal officials said $213,000 in…
Lawmakers are trying again to pass changes to a Pennsylvania state workers’ comp law that would double the required time injured workers must use an employer-approved doctor. Those behind the House Bill 808 say the change will reduce fraud and save companies on benefits payouts. But according to an article…
Physical therapy is a medical service that uses therapeutic exercise to help a person regain or improve his or her normal body movements. So when an employee is injured on the job and that injury results in damage to the musculoskeletal parts of the body, it’s not uncommon for the…
Today the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a new interactive tool that is aimed at helping to protect workers who are exposed to cadmium. A press release from OSHA describes cadmium as a soft, silver-white metal used in many industries, including metal machining, plastics, ceramics, painting, and welding…
This week, the Citizen’s Voice reported that the Luzerne County Controller was questioning workers’ compensation settlements made to county workers this year. Those settlements have totalled $277,000. One settlement that the controller questioned was for $100,000. It was given to a sheriff’s office employee. The county’s controller feels that the…
Citigroup, the third-largest bank in the U.S., announced this week that it would cut 11,000 jobs, nearly 4 percent of its workforce. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, this story is far too familiar to the banking industry, which is still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis.…
Workers seen using inadequately guarded saws and grinders at ProMaxima Manufacturing Ltd in Houston, TX prompted an inspection by OSHA’s Houston South Area Office. That inspection resulted in proposed penalties against the company, totaling $47,700. According to a press release on OSHA.org, ProMaxima manufactures fitness equipment for various federal agencies.…