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Earlier this month, a worker fell more than 40 feet while he was performing maintenance on a crane. The worker suffered from multiple broken bones and was very lucky to survive the fall. OSHA has fined the company $129,000 for the investigation.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, TimkenSteel Corp. failed to provide sufficient fall protection to its employees. Worse, this is the second life-threatening accident that occurred in less than a year at TimkenSteel Corp.
OSHA Has Issued Multiple Citations to TimkenSteel Corp
Last year, a worker from TimkenSteel sustained severe injuries when the safety latch on a crane failed and dropped more than 1,000 pounds of equipment onto the worker. The load of equipment fractured the worker’s foot and broke several other bones. OSHA fined TimkenSteel $393,500. However, the company contested those violations.
In 2014, OSHA charged TimkenSteel $77,000 for serious violations, including unguarded 40 foot drops (which ultimately caused the most recent accident) and machines with exposed moving parts. In 2013, the company was charged on two separate occasions. The first time, it was cited for not having machine guards on belts, moving or rotating parts, which is a repeat violation from 2007, 2009 and again in 2011. The fines were for a total of $170,500. Later that year, TimkenSteel would face fines for the death of two workers as a result of an accident involving a crane.
TimkenSteel is Endangering Workers, Despite Fines From OSHA
OSHA and TimkenSteel have a long history of instances where workers become injured, OSHA fines the company and TimkenSteel fails to make changes to safety procedures. In many instances, the company contested the violations in spite of the overwhelming amount of evidence. Since, 2005 the company has received more than 75 violations. Clearly, TimkenSteel should not be in business if it continues to violate OSHA’s safety standards, needlessly putting the lives of its workers in danger.
The workers compensation attorney at Larrimer & Larrimer represents victims of on-the-job injuries in Columbus, Zanesville and Newark.