Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, DOL NEWS—OSHA assesses $172K fine after fatal fall, orders reinstatement of whistleblower with compensation, (May 1, 2026)

By Pamela Wolf, J.D.

Mine safety injury rates are also down, there is an upcoming online workplace compliance assistance forum, and its time to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week.

In separate developments, the DOL announced that OSHA cited a Florida roofing company after an employee died from injuries sustained when falling from a roof and ordered an employer to reinstate with compensation an inspector who was fired after halting installation of a natural gas pipeline over safety concerns. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that injury rates fell to an all-time low in 2025. The department also announced a May 6-7 online compliance assistance forum on federal laws governing wages, safety, and other workplace issues; and its celebration of National Apprenticeship Week from April 27-May 2.

Fatal fall from roof. OSHA cited Max Home Services LLC, dba Pasat Roofing and Solar, with one willful and two serious violations, and $172,324 in proposed penalties, for willfully exposing employees to safety hazards after an employee suffered fatal injuries and another was seriously injured when falling from a two-story residence. Investigators found that on September 24, 2025, two workers from the Florida roofing company were installing tarp when they slipped from the roof into an empty pool. The agency cited the employer for willfully allowing both employees to work without personal fall protection at heights of more than 20 feet. The employer also failed to adequately train employees to recognize fall hazards and did not implement a hazard communication program for workers using hazardous chemicals, OSHA said.

Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy contested the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Whistleblower ordered reinstated with compensation. OSHA ordered Legacy Energy and Distribution LLC to reinstate a terminated employee, with back wages, interest, and compensatory damages totaling more than $35,000, who had reported safety concerns during installation of a natural gas pipeline in Watonga, Oklahoma. The agency investigated a whistleblower complaint against the New Mexico-based inspection company alleging that a construction crew was installing a pipeline without following federal regulations. The complainant used “stop work authority” to halt the installation and contacted an independent, third-party testing company to verify observed concerns, which Legacy later confirmed as valid, according to the federal agency. Legacy subsequently fired the inspector, alleging failure to follow the established chain of command and complete the probationary period. OSHA determined that Legacy wrongfully terminated the inspector for engaging in protected activities under the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, which protects employees from retaliation for reporting violations of federal laws related to pipeline safety and security.

Mine safety injury rates down. MSHA announced that injury rates fell to an all-time low in 2025. Also known as the total recordable injury rate, the all-injury rate for mining as a whole was 1.74 per 200,000 hours worked in 2025, down from 1.82 the year before.

The all-injury rate is the mining industry’s measure of safety, reflecting the number of reportable injuries relative to hours worked. It includes all reportable injuries including fatalities, lost-time injuries, injuries involving restricted work activity, and other injuries requiring medical treatment. Injuries are classified as reportable based on established criteria. Once an injury meets MSHA’s reporting requirements, it is included in the rate calculation. Safety improvements like better training and smarter enforcement have led to injury reductions.

“Tracking injuries and fatalities is the most effective measurement of the impact our work is having on the mining community and workers,” said Acting Deputy Director of MSHA’s Program Evaluation and Information Resources, Kelvin Blue. “By studying this data, we are able to improve the training and technology we use to work with mines across the country.”

Online compliance forum. The DOL will host an online forum on May 6-7 to provide meaningful compliance assistance related to federal laws governing wages, safety, and other workplace issues. The Protecting America’s Workforce forum will begin with opening remarks from Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling and proceed to panel discussions and presentations with representatives from:

• Wage and Hour Division,

• OSHA,

• EBSA,

• MSHA,

• VETS,

• IRS,

• SBA, and

• EEOC.

The event will provide valuable information on various workplace topics such as the department’s self-audit programs, OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention campaign, the relaunch of the department’s opinion letters program, veterans’ employment rights, child labor laws, government contract prevailing wage requirements, and Registered Apprenticeships.

Forum attendance is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Once registered, additional information, including links to sessions, will be provided.

“Workers and businesses deserve clear, practical guidance on compliance with the laws enforced by the Department of Labor,” Sonderling said. “We are proud to collaborate with our partners across the federal government to provide a platform for expert-level presentations designed to foster improvements to workplaces across America.”

National Apprenticeship Week. The DOL marked the start of National Apprenticeship Week, an annual celebration of this proven path to rewarding careers. The 2026 celebration features 2,700 planned apprenticeship events and proclamations nationwide, unified under the theme, “America at Work: Making America Skilled Again through Registered Apprenticeship.” Running from April 27-May 2, this year’s theme reflects the prominence of Registered Apprenticeships as a key strategy to ensure the American worker is equipped for the skilled jobs of today and tomorrow.

To highlight the week’s importance, Acting Secretary Sonderling will attend several events, including a National Signing Day ceremony at DOL headquarters in Washington on April 27, where he will recognize the first civilian Registered Apprenticeship program sponsored by the Department of War, the largest sponsor of Registered Apprenticeships in the United Sates, with 118,000 active duty service members participating, in cybersecurity. AstraZeneca and JobForward, whose partners include IBM and M&T Bank, will also participate in the event. Sponsors and employers with new Registered Apprenticeship programs are also participating by signing new program standards and hiring new apprentices.

The Acting Secretary will also participate in an event with Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Henry Mack, spotlighting how national industry associations are leveraging Registered Apprenticeship to strengthen their workforce pipelines and a hybrid event, “Building the AI-Ready Workforce through Registered Apprenticeship,” focusing on providing resources and strategies for integrating AI-driven training into Registered Apprenticeship programs.

The events taking place across National Apprenticeship Week 2026 seek to advance the DOL’s ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s numerous executive orders addressing how to prepare Americans for jobs in skilled trades, including the shipping and maritime workforce, while also embracing future technologies that will innovate the workplace, including artificial intelligence. Since the beginning of the second Trump Administration, more than 386,000 new apprentices have registered across the nation, building towards the President’s goal of 1 million apprentices.

Find a National Apprenticeship Week 2026 event near you and learn how to participate.

Companies: Max Home Services LLC; Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy; Legacy Energy and Distribution LLC

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