OSHA has fined an Ohio manufacturer $550,000 for repeated violations of federal workplace safety and health rules after being alerted to higher than average injury and illness rates at the company

OSHA has cited American Warming and Ventilating Inc., a manufacturer of louvers, dampers, and shutters, with $55,500 in proposed penalties for alleged serious and repeat violations of federal workplace safety and health standards. The agency opened an inspection at the AWV plant in Bradner, Ohio, in January as part of its site-specific targeting program due to the company's high injury and illness rates in comparison to the national rates.

As a result of the inspection, OSHA has issued six serious violations for lack of proper fall protection equipment, improper electrical lockout and tagout procedures to prevent accidental energization start-up, lack of proper machine guarding, lack of proper training for maintenance personnel on power press equipment, damaged welding conductors, and lack of eye protection during welding. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.

The company also has received two repeat violations for failing to have proper machine guarding and to provide workers approved electrical protective equipment. OSHA issues repeat violations when it finds a substantially similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule, or order at any of an employer's other facilities in federal enforcement states when that employer has been cited in the past..

In this instance, OSHA fined the offending employer. But as you'll read about in the most recent issue of the Deuterman Law Group Community News newsletter, it's not uncommon for OSHA to find no violations even in instances where serious workplace injuries occured.

We're always pleased to see OSHA fining companies that ignored safety regulations. But experience has taught us that OSHA investigations and decisions aren't always definitive or correct.

As guest columnist Mark McGrath writes in the latest issue of our newsletter:

"In other words, do not be discouraged by an OSHA report that imposes no citation or finds no wrongdoing on the potentially responsible party. A curious and experienced attorney is still your best hope for identifying the true cause of your ...injury."