Region 10 News Release:   00-163
Thursday, August 31, 2000
Contact: Mike Shimizu
PHONE: (206) 553-7620
TDD: (800) 676-8956

OSHA CITES FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS

Anchorage - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today reported it has issued citations for one willful, six serious, one repeat and two other than serious violations against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for alleged job safety hazards at its Air Traffic Control Center here.

According to Carl Halgren acting OSHA area director, the safety violations resulted from a routine inspection by the Anchorage Area Office and the near electrocution of an employee installing electrical equipment while the inspection was ongoing.

OSHA's inspection noted the following willful hazards:

- Employee exposure to live electrical equipment

- Failure to determine safe procedures before circuits or equipment were deenergized.

Serious violations involved:

- Exposed parts of horizontal shafting were not protected by stationary casings

- Failure to provide proper access or passageway in working space

- Exposure to live parts on top of and the bottom of outlet boxes

- Lack of safety retraining for all qualified and unqualified employees following change of job assignments

- Lack of a program to control hazardous electrical energy

- Failure to respond to take proper abatement procedures for unsafe and unhealthful working conditions.

The other than serious violations included failure to provide facilities for quick drenching and flushing of eyes and body; failure to include measures to insure employee performance with the agency's safety and health program; and lack of safety and health training for supervisory personnel.

No monetary penalty was assessed as OSHA does not have the authority to fine federal agencies. Halgren said, however, that had this inspection been conducted at a private sector workplace, a penalty of $105,500 would have been proposed.

According to Halgren, the FAA has 15 working days to notify OSHA of corrective actions to achieve compliance.

Note to editors: For further information on this case, contact Carl Halgren at (907) 271-5152.

A Willful violation is defined by OSHA as one in which an employer knew that a condition constituted a violation or was aware that a hazardous condition existed and made no reasonable effort to correct it.

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