June 8, 2010

From the US Department of Labor Website

We can't make this stuff up.

US Labor Department's OSHA fines US Postal Service nearly $500,000
for exposing workers to electrical hazards at 2 Philadelphia facilities

"The Postal Service has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission."

No word yet, on where the US Postal Service will be getting the funds to pay the fine.

[Sidebar: An elderly woman I met recently, shared with me the flabbergasting experience she had when she hired an in home cleaning service in Iowa to help her. She has become relatively disabled due to arthritis and needed some help around the home.
The crew came in for the first time, did a great job, she said. Then she asked them to attend to the handful of dishes in her sink. "We can't do that," she was told. When pressed, she was told, "OSHA regulations won't allow us to do dishes in a person's home."

When she asked the vendor (I did not get the name, but will and follow up) to bring her documentation on how a privately owned business is precluded from choosing to do her dishes for a fee, no paper work was forthcoming... please comment if you have had any similar experiences.]