The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is fining an Alabama auto parts supplier over $170,000 for unsafe working conditions.
Daeil USA is based in Valley, Alabama and supplies parts to Hyundai and Kia. OSHA recently issued 17 citations against the company, 10 of which were classified as serious.
They’re accusing the employer of willful failure to develop procedures to prevent multiple machinery from starting up during maintenance and servicing. OSHA says the unguarded machinery put workers in danger of amputations and other serious occupational hazards.
Daeil has two weeks to either pay the $171,870 in fines or contest the citations. Mobile-based OSHA area director Joseph Roesler says the agency offers free consultation to assist employers in operating safely.
The University of Alabama is giving high school students an opportunity to showcase their science skills.
UA’s College of Arts and Sciences is hosting its fortieth annual physics and astronomy contest for high school students. Contestants will pair up in teams or compete by themselves on physics projects.
Dr. William Keel is a professor in the astronomy department at the University of Alabama. He says the program is a great way to promote interest in the field of physics….
“The first time I was involved in it, it was a revelation to see high school students getting this excited about solving physics problems. So, we’ve tried to turn it into a broader outreach event to raise the profile and interest in physics in high schools.”
Registration for the physics and astronomy contest began at 8:00 this morning at the Ferguson Center on The University of Alabama’s Tuscaloosa campus.
NFL hopefuls will hit the field in Mobile tomorrow for the Reese’s Senior Bowl. APR’s Pat Duggins reports the city is hoping for an economic windfall as well.
The Senior Bowl includes graduating college football players hoping to impress NFL scouts as a North team plays against a South team at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Hotels and restaurants in Mobile stand to clean up as well. The event is expected to generate $27 million for the local economy, as well as $1.7 million in extra tax revenue. Supporters of the Senior Bowl also point to 130 jobs from the game as well as 20,000 hotel rooms booked.
The annual college football event occurs during Gulf Coast tourism’s version of a perfect storm. Sports fans are in town as three Mardi Gras parades take place tonight and four more happen tomorrow.
LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is hitting the road hard over the next few days as their blood supplies are critically low.
The blood bank says bad weather over the last few weeks has slowed down the number of blood donations coming into the centers. The organization plans to hold 12 blood drives over the next three days in various parts of Mobile and Baldwin counties.
LifeSouth Vice President of Operations J.B. Bowles says the number of blood donations has decreased since the holiday season and now LifeSouth’s blood reserves have dropped to less than a two-day supply.
“This comes as the demand for blood has spiked, with patients who postponed procedures during the holidays, now entering hospitals.”
A full list of blood drive locations and times is available at lifesouth.org. A photo ID is required for all donations. Donors must at least 17-years-old, weigh more than 110 pounds and be in good health. 16-year-olds can donate with a parent’s permission.
LifeSouth helps supply blood to over 100 hospitals in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.