OSHA Orders Norfolk Southern to Pay $1.1 Million to 3 Alleged Whistleblowers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal safety officials have ordered Norfolk Southern Railway Co. (NYSE: NSC) to pay $1.1 million to three former employees allegedly fired for reporting workplace injuries.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the action Feb. 28, saying that an investigation showed that Norfolk Southern’s actions violated the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act.

The investigation involved claims by a crane operator in Fort Wayne, Ind., and a thermite welder and a welder’s helper in western Pennsylvania. OSHA noted that it does not release the names of workers involved in whistleblower investigations.