A workplace safety blitz sponsored by Canada’s equivalent of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration resulted in inspectors writing 3,263 orders for violations, including 130 stop work orders, according to a report issued last week. Investigators from the province of Ontario’s Ministry of Labor conducted 841 inspections at 701 workplaces between Sept. 15 and Oct. … Read more
Both the Midwest and the Eastern Seaboard were hit with massive winter storm systems that dumped more than a foot of snow last month, leaving tons of heavy snow not only on streets and sidewalks, but also putting an enormous strain on the roofs of residential and commercial buildings. Local building codes are written to … Read more
Ever since 1989, when Romanians overthrew the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, the economy of the former Communist country has struggled find traction under democracy. Today, the Romanian construction market is undergoing a boom, as investors pour money into such projects as new roads, dams, mining, quarries, recycling and forestry projects. Hitachi’s European division announced recently … Read more
Owners of all 29 West Coast ports threatened to shut down cargo loading and unloading over the weekend in the latest salvo in ongoing contract battle between dock workers and port owners. This time, it was the owners who called for operations to be halted. The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents port management in labor … Read more
Here is a special sneak preview of some of the stories you will find this week on the Bahrns blog: How optimistic are you about the state of the US economy? Despite some recent rosy economic reports, many top US business leaders are still taking a “wait and see” approach. We’ll tell you why … … Read more
Companies that fail to respect their employees’ religious objections can be subject to hefty fines. That’s the lesson a coal mine in West Virginia learned last month after a federal jury ordered that they pay a former employee $150,000 after he refused to use a biometric scanner because he believed it would imprint him with … Read more
The God’s Pantry Food Bank, located in Lexington, Kentucky, received an unusual donation from a local industrial vehicles dealer last month: A forklift. The donation was the result of a recommendation from Pete Sackleh, a sales rep at ProLift Industrial Equipment who also is a volunteer at the food bank, Kentucky’s largest. The refurbished forklift … Read more
At the annual Consumer Electronics Show, held last month in Las Vegas, both Apple and Google demonstrated new systems that allow drivers to plug their smart phones into their car’s USB port and access the Internet via on-board infotainment touch screens. The systems are powered by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems, respectively. That’s … Read more
The growing popularity of E-commerce is increasing competition for prime space for warehouses and distribution centers close to major urban markets. According to a report issued by JLL, a Chicago based commercial real estate brokerage, a growing number of retailers — both online and real world — currently are seeking to expand their ability to … Read more
Australian port officials temporarily took over a Hong Kong-based ship at the port in Newcastle after learning crew members had unlashed a cargo load of 300 rail cars prior to the ship’s arrival in port. The ship — the Orient Becrux, owned by Chinese operator Pacific Basin — was held by Australian authorities for several … Read more
