OSHA’s Area Office in Pittsburgh issued 46 citations, including 16 repeat violations and one willful against Shane Felter Industries, Inc. of Uniontown, PA. A proposed penalty of $166,400 accompanied the citations.  OSHA’s Area Director Robert Szymanski said:
“Shane Felter Industries’ refusal to remove hazards ultimately threatens the safety and health of its employees. It is imperative that this employer correct these violations to prevent a potential tragedy.”
The company has 62 employees.
The offending firm fabricates steel beams used in bridge and road construction. A quick Google search indicates that it is an approved fabricator for projects contracted by the Massachusetts and Ohio Departments of Transportation.
The violations cited by OSHA were the result of a programmed inspection initiated after the agency reviewed the company’s injury and illness data, and subsequent follow-up inspections. OSHA’s news release notes that the follow-up inspections were conducted when
“previously cited hazards had not been abated.”
In March of this year, OSHA sent a letter to 14,000 employers workplace injury rates that were more than twice the national average. (TPH here). Shane Felter Industries was one of the 14,000 sites identified by OSHA.
It is important in these cases that the workers’ at these companies are educated and are made aware of what their rights. It is probably more difficult in a small shop as the one mentioned above with 67 employees rather than a large factory to form a formal Workers’ Comp Committee etc, but it is still vital nonetheless.