You may have forgotten but, almost six months ago, two work-place incidents resulted in three deaths:

At the Linden NJ industrial laundry “North East Linen,” on Dec. 1, 2007, Victor & Carlos Diaz, a truck driver and a laborer, died while cleaning a 20,000 gallon dilution tank without respiratory protection or supervision. (As I read the facts, their employer apparently knew about the violation of OSHA rules see prior reports, below).

In New York City, at the East 62nd Street, Solow Residential Tower, window washers Alcides & Edgar Moreno fell 47 storeys when the permanent scaffold from which they worked collapsed. Edgar Moreno was killed on the scene, but his brother Alcides, survived the fall.

For some earlier reports click here, here, here, and here

I remind you of these now somewhat ancient tragic tales because six months is the total time the Federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration gives itself to investigate a case. Before six months, OSHA won’t comment. After six months, OSHA still may not comment, but enforcement actions, if any, will be announced. One outcome of this policy of silence is that people following the issues lose track of them. So here are three related updates: one hopeful, one business-as-usual for Mayor Bloomberg’s Buildings (all-fall-down) Dept., and one concrete proposal for improving OSHA criminal enforcement.  read more »