Stiff OSHA Penalty for Pennsylvania Employer

OSHA's Area Office in Pittsburgh issued 46 citations, including 16 repeat violations and one willful against Shane Felter Industries, Inc. of Uniontown, PA. A proposed penalty of $166,400 accompanied the citations.   OSHA's Area Director Robert Szymanski said:

"Shane Felter Industries' refusal to remove hazards ultimately threatens the safety and health of its employees.  It is imperative that this employer correct these violations to prevent a potential tragedy."

The company has 62 employees.

The offending firm fabricates steel beams used in bridge and road construction.  A quick Google search indicates that it is an approved fabricator for projects contracted by the Massachusetts and Ohio Departments of Transportation.

The violations cited by OSHA were the result of a programmed inspection initiated after the agency reviewed the company's injury and illness data, and subsequent follow-up inspections.  OSHA's news release notes that the follow-up inspections were conducted when

"previously cited hazards had not been abated."

In March of this year, OSHA sent a letter to 14,000 employers workplace injury rates that were more than twice the national average. (TPH here).  Shane Felter Industries was one of the 14,000 sites identified by OSHA.

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It is important in these cases that the workers' at these companies are educated and are made aware of what their rights. It is probably more difficult in a small shop as the one mentioned above with 67 employees rather than a large factory to form a formal Workers' Comp Committee etc, but it is still vital nonetheless.