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OSHA News Release
2004 - 03/02/2004 - OSHA Penalizes Sheffield Steel $81,500 for Failing To Correct Safety Violations |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 6 News Release: OSHA-04-318-DAL Tue, March 2, 2004 Contact: Diana Petterson or Elizabeth Todd Phone: (214) 767-4776, ext. 222 or 221 OSHA Penalizes Sheffield Steel $81,500 for Failing To Correct Safety Violations
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations to Sheffield Steel Corp. of Sand Springs, Okla., for failing to correct previous safety violations and has proposed $81,500 in penalties for the alleged violations. "Putting workers at risk by not following safety procedures is unacceptable," said James Brown, OSHA area director in Oklahoma City. "Standards, such as locking out energy sources and providing protective equipment, are designed to protect workers and must be strictly followed to avoid injuries." OSHA began its follow-up inspection of Sheffield Steel Corp. on Sept. 2, 2004, based on an inspection completed in 2001 that brought the company $62,000 in penalties and citations. Sheffield Steel employs about 613 workers, 410 of whom work in Sand Springs. The company manufactures billets, rebar, steel fence posts and hot rolled bar stock. OSHA recently cited the company for six alleged serious and five alleged repeat violations. The serious citations are for failing to provide the necessary respiratory protective equipment to guard against exposure to dust, failing to repair defective cutting torch hose connections and failing to implement lockout/tagout procedures to make sure the energy source is properly tagged and locked before used. A serious violation is one that involves a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard. The five alleged repeat violations, based on citations issued in 2001, include failing to provide covers or guardrails to prevent employees from falling into open pits, failing to properly identify confined space areas and failing to make electrical disconnects accessible. A repeat violation is one for which the employer has been cited during the past three years for substantially similar infractions of the law. Sheffield Steel Corp. has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the Oklahoma City area office, or to contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA's Oklahoma City area office at (405) 278-9560 or OSHA's toll-free hotline number at 1-800-321-6742 to report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers. The Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting the health and safety of America's workers. In fiscal year 2002, the most recent year for which data has been published, there was a 6.6 percent decline in work-related fatalities in the U.S. In FY 2003, OSHA conducted almost 40,000 inspections, and more than half focused on high-hazard industries. For more information visit www.osha.gov. ###
U.S. Labor Department releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call (202) 693-7773 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance. |
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