Steel company faces six-figure OSHA fine following two inspections

May 25th, 2017 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now publicly sharing information about major violations with the press and general public. While this tactic was temporarily halted as the Trump presidential administration took office, it's once more a regular action of the federal health and safety regulator.

One instance of a recent, six-figure fine comes from Ohio, where a steel company based in the northeastern city of Canton was cited for a serious employee injury and possible exposure of workers to lead.

Company faces $279,578 fine

The steel plant was first visited by OSHA inspectors in relation to the current fine in early December, shortly after a serious workplace injury occurred. According to a report from local newspaper the Canton Repository, a 64-year-old maintenance worker had his pelvis fractured by a piece of industrial machinery. The employee wasengaging in maintenance work related to a large clamp used to hold pieces of steel when he was struck by the device.

OSHA cited a lack of proper lock-out devices for the clamp and its associated machinery, which could have potentially prevented the serious injury if in place.

Inspectors returned to the same facility shortly after the initial investigation due to reports of lead exposure. A second investigation commenced about a week after the first site visit because of complaints by employees about potentially dangerous exposure to that metal, the Associated Press reported. OSHA's investigation ultimately found seven cases of unsafe lead exposure at the facility. Other issues revealed during the inspection included damaged guardrails that needed to be replaced and a lack of control of worker exposure to steel dust particles.

The fine's total amount was $279,578, which includes two repeated violations alongside five serious ones, the Repository said. The business hasn't yet commented on the violations or publicly noted which path it will take for responding to OSHA. Businesses can elect to pay the fine and make the necessary changes, request an informal meeting with the regional OSHA director or challenge the results.

Businesses that don't have effective safety management solutions in place risk the serious financial and reputational consequences of an OSHA inspector finding serious, willful and other violations. An effective approach to addressing health and safety concerns means regular, organized and targeted reviews of operational conditions based on the many potential specific and general hazards in your facility.