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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is calling for a $1 million fine for Piping Technology and Products, a Houston-based manufacturer, according to the Houston Chronicle. A six-month federal investigation uncovered numerous safety violations. OSHA issued 30 citations for failing to protect employees from dangerous machinery. The exact proposed fine amount is $1,013,000.
OSHA fined Piping Technology $82,500 in 2004 for safety violations and another $33,000 in 2005. The violations were of a similar nature.
“Piping Technology deliberately exposed its workers who operate band saws and other dangerous machinery to amputation hazards while misleading OSHA investigators about the use of these machines,” OSHA assistant secretary of labor David Michaels said in a released statement.
Piping Technology is now on OSHA’s Sever Violator Enforcement Program. They are subject to repeat unannounced inspections. Piping Technology declined to answer questions or cite specific violations, but Vice President R.K. Agrawal said that company leaders “disagree strongly with the conclusions that they reached.”
Do you or a loved one have a high-risk occupation? Does your employer take all necessary steps to ensure employee safety?
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus workers comp attorney.
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