A garment manufacturer in American Samoa faces a fine of $78,500 following an OSHA investigation.

Daewoosa Samoa, Ltd was cited for 28 alleged safety and health violations at its Tafuna facility. The company ceased operations in January, and its owner, Kil-Soo Lee of South Korea, was arrested in March by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for alleged involuntary servitude and forced labor by obtaining the services of Vietnamese factory workers by threats of serious physical harm or physical restraint.

OSHA's inspection of the facility was prompted by a media referral following a disturbance between workers and management at the facility on Nov. 28, 2000.

OSHA assessed Daewoosa Samoa $30,000 in penalties for 11 alleged serious violations for inappropriate and insufficient sanitation facilities and inadequate fire exits and lack of installed fire alarms.

The owner was also cited for failing to properly manage the temporary lodging facilities of workers by not controlling rodent and insect infestation; allowing unsanitary conditions in the kitchen and dining hall, including non-disposal of refuse; causing overcrowding in sleeping rooms; failing to provide functional fire extinguishers, and violating various electrical standards.

Until shutting down in January, Daewoosa Samoa manufactured men's sportswear for numerous retail outlets in the United States. About 250 people worked at the factory in American Samoa, a U.S. territory approximately 2,300 miles southwest of Hawaii.