OSHA Fines Ohio’s Republic Engineered Products $143K

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Republic Engineered Products Inc., a steel manufacturing company in Lorain, Ohio, with one alleged willful, four repeat and eight serious safety violations for exposing its workers to fall hazards, failing to provide protective equipment and failing to maintain equipment at its Lorain facility. The company faces penalties totaling $143,000.

As a result of a May inspection by OSHA, the company was issued one willful citation with a proposed fine of $70,000 for exposing workers to fall hazards when changing out blades and removing debris from overhead saws.

The company also was issued four repeat violations with fines of $47,500 for not having functioning safety latches on hoist hooks, using cranes and hook lifting devices that were not marked with their rated capacity and failing to maintain dry floors in front of electrical panels.

Republic Engineered Products received eight serious citations with proposed penalties of $25,500. Alleged violations include operating overhead cranes without functioning brakes, operating a malfunctioning hoist controller, using damaged voltage testing equipment and extension cords, and failing to provide insulated gloves and electrical protective equipment.

The company’s Lorain location, which employs about 250 people, has been inspected 25 times and received 59 safety violations since 1999.

Republic Engineered Products Inc., which is headquartered in Canton, Ohio, also operates manufacturing facilities in Canton and Massillon, Ohio, as well as Blasdell, N.Y., Gary, Ind., and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It employs more than 1,000 workers company-wide and its facilities have been inspected a combined 52 times since 1999, resulting in 139 total violations.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA