The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $163,000 in fines against Republic Engineered Products Inc. of Lorain, Ohio, for alleged multiple willful, serious and repeat violations of federal workplace safety and health standards.
OSHA opened an investigation following the death of an employee in January and later expanded it to cover the entire facility. As a result, OSHA issued one willful citation with a proposed penalty of $70,000, alleging that the company failed to protect all open-sided floors and work platforms from potential fall hazards.
The agency issued citations for 16 serious violations with proposed penalties of $43,000 covering a variety of concerns, including machine guarding and energy lockout hazards, as well as training and health monitoring deficiencies.
Two repeat violations, based on citations issued and affirmed in 2006 and previously corrected by the employer, covered the failure to lock out hydraulic and electrical energy when necessary. Proposed penalties total $50,000.
"Steel mills are potentially dangerous workplaces," said Jule Hovi, director of OSHA's area office in
The Republic Engineered Products mill in
OSHA has conducted inspections at the site multiple times with citations covering many of the same issues, particularly the failure to ensure that lockout procedures are developed and followed.
