Apr
22
OSHA Fines Louisiana Food Manufacturer for Safety Violations
A Louisiana food manufacturer, Diversified Foods and Seasonings, was fined $124,000 this week by OSHA for violating safety regulations. OSHA discovered the violations after a recent investigation triggered by an evacuation of the facility that left several employees hospitalized. The company was cited for a total of 25 citations. The cited violations include exposing employees to hazardous chemicals, electrical hazards, failure to provide fall protection, and respiratory protection. The Diversified Foods and Seasonings facility in question has 15 days to comply with the citations or request an informal hearing to challenge the fines. Read more…
Surge in Piracy near Indonesia Concerns International Shippers
Officials in Indonesian fear a shipping route between the country and the Philippines could reach “Somalia-level piracy”. The route is used to transport over $40 billion worth of cargo per year, usually by supertankers that cannot fit through the Malacca straight due to high traffic levels. Over 18 Indonesians and Malaysian shippers have been kidnapped from the route and Indonesian officials fear that the route will become the new Somalia, which has seen a drop in piracy over the past couple years. Three countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, plan to meet in Jakarta to discuss anti-piracy precautions for the future. Read more…
Late Shipping Containers Costs Venezuela $1B in Fines
Venezuela has run up a bill of close to $1B in fines due to delayed return of shipping containers. The country is currently in the midst of a product shortage and economic crisis. The agencies managing the containers have held on to them for months at a time or sometimes, never even returned them, running up a costly tab at the rate of $100 per day that the container remains unreturned. One of the main ports in the country currently has anywhere from $20,000-$40,000 worth of containers just sitting in a lot, with no visible signs of impending return. Some containers have been held in Venezuela for years as a result of political unrest and economic war waged for the last several years. Read more…