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| Occupational Safety & Health Administration | ||||||
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OSHA News Release
2005 - 10/03/2005 - OSHA Fines Sears Monaca Store $135,000 for Exposing Workers to Falls and Fork Truck Hazards |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 3 News Release: Release Number: 05-1770-PHI (osha 115) Date: Mon., Oct. 3, 2005 Contact: Kate Dugan Phone: (215) 861-5101 OSHA Fines Sears Monaca Store $135,000 for Exposing Workers to Falls and Fork Truck Hazards
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Exposing workers to 15-foot falls from powered industrial trucks has prompted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue citations and propose penalties of $135,000 to the Sears store in Monaca, Pa. for violations of safety and health standards. Two alleged willful violations, with penalties of $125,000, were cited by OSHA for allowing employees to ride on forks of powered industrial trucks on top of platforms which were not securely attached to the forks and had no guardrails and for not training operators using the fork trucks. Two serious violations, with a penalty of $10,000, were cited for failing to provide personal fall arrest systems to employees involved in loading and unloading materials and failure to equip the truck with an overhead guard to protect workers from falling object. "The practice of lifting personnel up on the forks of a forklift and climbing onto storage shelves was common practice," said Robert Szymanski, area director of the Pittsburgh OSHA office. "Management in the store was fully aware of OSHA standards but continued to allow untrained workers to perform these dangerous tasks." OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. A serious violation is a condition where there is a substantial possibility that death or serious physical harm can result to an employee. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The investigation was conducted by OSHA's Pittsburgh area office, telephone (412) 395-4903. Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov ###
U.S. Labor Department (DOL) releases are accessible on the Internet at 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) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. DOL 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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OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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