Health, Safety Violations Cost Ohio Foundry $253K in OSHA Fines

By Christy Burns

Published on December 29, 2006

OHSA, a watchdog for the U.S. Labor Department, began inspections due to Ohio’s Primary Metals Industry Local Emphasis Program and the company’s high injury rates. The penalties are the result of three willful violations, two “other-than-serious” violations, and 31 alleged serious violations of federal workplace health and safety standards.

St. Marys Foundry incurred the three willful citations for permitting workers to use higher than the allowable compressed air pressure, failing to enforce the required hearing protection program, and not ensuring that employees wore respiratory protection. These violations cost the company $168,000.

Citations were also issued after OSHA found that St. Marys employees lacked adequate personal protective equipment, a medical surveillance program, appropriate guardrails around molds, casting, and casting pits, as well as several other violations. Labeling and record-keeping violations also resulted in penalties.

This is not the first time St. Marys Foundry has been taken to task by health and safety inspectors: since 1994, the foundry has gone through four other inspections and received 14 citations.

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