Region 4 News Release:   USDOL: 01-120
Wed., July 18, 2001
Contact: Lana Graves
Phone: (334) 441-6131

OSHA CITATIONS AGAINST CAROLINA STEEL FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS AT MONTGOMERY PLANT RESULT IN PROPOSED PENALTY OF $55,775

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Carolina Steel Corporation on June 29 and proposed a $55,775 penalty for alleged safety violations at the company's Montgomery, Ala., plant.

Following a planned inspection of the facility, OSHA cited Carolina Steel for 23 alleged serious violations of safety standards, including:

	--	lack of guardrails for fall protection;
	--	failure to adequately inspect/maintain/repair forklifts and cranes;
	--	blocked access to electrical and fire protection equipment;
	--	lack of proper machine guarding for machinery such as saws and bench grinders;
	--	inadequate training for lockout/tagout, emergency response and fire extinguisher use;
	--	lack of a written program for confined space entry; and
	--	incomplete written programs for emergency response and lockout/tagout procedures

"OSHA encourages companies to be proactive in their approach to safety and health. With a fully enforced, comprehensive written safety program, this employer could have eliminated hazards such as those we found during our inspection," said Lana Graves, OSHA's Mobile area director.

OSHA defines a serious violation as one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and that the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.

Of Carolina Steel's 500 workers nationwide, 75 are employed at the Montgomery plant where bridge girders are manufactured.

The company has 15 working days to contest OSHA's citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Inspection of the facility was conducted by OSHA's area office located at 3737 Government Boulevard, Suite 100, Mobile, Ala., 36693-4309; phone: (334) 441-6131.